Dr. Trent is originally from Arkansas. She decided residency would be her one shot to get out of Arkansas, and also hoped that she would find her husband in a different part of the country, so residency brought her to Michigan. She is in her 2nd year of family medicine, however, is currently interviewing for obstetrics and gynecology. Her hobbies are traveling, going to the gym, running (she is run coordinator with Black Girls Run - Ann Arbor), and her diet and fitness blog Divas4fitness, and of course her family.
Name: Alisha Nicole Trent
Medical School: University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences
Graduation Year: 2012
Future (or Current)
Specialty: Currently a family practice resident, but interviewing for obstetrics and gynecology.
How many children do
you have and their ages: 2 boys; 8 and 12
Did you do any
post-undergraduate schooling or working before attending medical school?
No
Did you have any of
your children during medical school? If so, how did you “plan” for it?
No, both were born
during my undergrad years.
What kind of
childcare do you employ? (i.e. live-in nanny, family help, daycare, babysitters)
They both attend school full time. I have an in home
babysitter for the mornings to get them off to school, especially for the
younger one. My younger sister moved to Michigan with me during my intern year
and helped tremendously.
What has been the
biggest challenge to handling medical school (and/or practicing medicine) along
with having children? How have you overcome it?
Probably the mom
guilt. I'm a single mom, so I do not have the time or resources to put my kids in
as many extracurricular things that they may like, simply because I can't do it
all. Also, the guilt of having to study, or work long hours, being tired and
having to come home and cook dinner and do homework. One gets stretched pretty
thin, and if you aren't organized, your life will be a mess.
Do you feel like your
school/job is “flexible” to any family issues that may arise?
Semi, I am a
resident, so I don’t control much of my schedule. There are certain rotations
that I know there is flexibility; however, there are also other rotations where
there is zero. Those rotations, I just have to grit my teeth and get through
the month.
What is one item/strategy
that you have that helps to make life easier as a mother and medical student/physician?
(i.e. organizational method, electronic device, calendar tool, etc.)
I live and die by my planner. I write everything down from my
work schedule, gym time, dinner menu, and kid responsibilities. Without my
planner, my life would be a mess; I am in it all times of the day. It helps me
stay on track, and allows me to get as much done in a day as possible. If
something wont fit into my schedule for the day, they I accommodate that. My
plan is to get a bigger calendar to allow my children to also see my schedule
and input theirs as well.
What kinds of things
do you do to “relax”?
Go to the gym, hang out with my
boyfriend, I run. Shopping is very therapeutic, but tricky on a resident
budget. I would love to travel, and I will once I have more money and time ; )
Do you feel that your
experience as a mother has made you a better doctor or future doctor? If so,
how?
I do feel
that my motherhood experience makes me a better doctor. It helps me to be able
to be more compassionate to certain circumstances. It also helps me to talk
with the teen moms that I work with in clinic. I am able to give them real life
example….myself. I am also able to talk more than just what “data “ says, but
what I've tried that worked.
What advice do you
have to the women who want to pursue medicine with children?
Pursue your dreams
no matter your circumstances. Your kids want and need the best you, so if you
aren't happy in your career, then that may carry over to your family life. It
also teaches your children to follow their dreams. I was a teen mom, married
and divorced very young. Despite all of this , I never lost my dreams. I
suggest talking to other moms. In
medical school, I always made friends with the moms who had children. One of my
best friends currently I met this exact way.
Are you a physician or medical student mom who would like to share her story? Send me an email at Mrs.Mommy.MD@gmail.com
