Resources for Students

Supporting Student Parents in Medical Training

The students of PRIME have curated a selection of helpful resources for parents which prior students have found helpful during their time at Geisel.

Parenting Support

Becoming a parent of a new child while in medical school

  • Geisel Meal Train is a student-run support network for parents welcoming a new child while in medical school. The students of PRIME help organize volunteers to prepare and deliver meals to students and their families in the weeks after welcoming a new child. If you are a Geisel student expecting a child, please reach out to PRIME leadership to be added to Geisel Meal Train.
  • Good Beginnings of the Upper Valley is a free in-home volunteer visitor program which provides weekly home visits for three consecutive months during a baby’s first six months to offer respite and support to parents. ($ - free)
  • Dartmouth Women’s Health Resource Center located in Lebanon, NH offers resources to parents in the Upper Valley. They provide pregnancy and parenting classes, support groups, workshops, as well as an onsite maternity-lactation boutique, a diaper bank, and free gently used baby clothes to families in need. ($ - classes/groups often covered by health insurance; $- diaper bank/baby clothes free)

Parental Leave

  • Time Away - Students wishing to take parental leave to welcome a new child should reach out to the Geisel Office of Academic Advising and Accessibility who will coordinate each student's case individually.
  • Family Care Transitions Elective - Clinical students in Year 3 or Year 4 of medical school can choose to participate in a 1 to 4-week, 1 to 4-credit non-clinical independent study elective, "Personal Experience in Family Caregiving Transitions." During this elective, students will complete weekly reflections and selected readings on caregiving, meet with a faculty mentor, and share key insights from their experience through a brief presentation on how becoming a parent has influenced their empathy, communication, and professional growth. To be eligible for this elective, students (mothers or fathers) must have significant caregiving responsibilities by caring for a new child within 6 months of birth or arrival (biological or adopted), or be caregiver to a family member with significant caregiving requirements.

Family-Friendly Activities

  • The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on science museum in Norwich, Vermont offering over 150 exhibits on nature, technology, astronomy, and the physical sciences, hosting diverse activities for all ages, including indoor play area for children under 5. ($ - membership fee or day pass)
  • Carter Community Building Association (CCBA) is a nonprofit recreation and fitness organization in Lebanon, NH with a pool, group parent-and-me swim classes, family swim times, sports camps and classes for older children, and family events. Members also receive free childcare while parents workout for children ages 6 weeks-9 years old. ($ - membership fee, day pass, week pass)
  • The Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) is a non-profit indoor aquatic and fitness center in White River Junction, Vermont with a splash park, group parent-and-me swim classes, swimming lanes, and camps for older children. ($ - membership fee, classes, day passes)
  • Smith Field Playground is a public park located next to Smith baseball field in Lebanon, NH. ($ - free)
  • Colburn Park is a public park located on the Lebanon green with a playground and seasonal events including outdoor concerts and farmers' markets. ($ - free)
  • For more ideas, see Dartmouth Family-Friendly Activities.

Childcare

Obtaining and sustaining reliable childcare is an important priority for PRIME. We advocate for students to start early and search broadly to explore childcare options in the Upper Valley. Depending on the student’s state of residence, there are resources available to help find and pay for child care.

New Hampshire Residents:

  • Child Care Aware of New Hampshire - provides free referrals that are tailored to fit the needs of each individual family seeking child care.
  • NH Child Care Scholarship Program (CCSP) - provides funds to pay for child care by providing direct payments to qualified early childhood and out-of-school time providers. The family’s cost share is based on a percentage of the family’s gross income.

Vermont Residents:

Other Child Care Options:

  • Au Pair – private pay option
  • Babysitters – private pay option. Individuals who wish to hire Dartmouth students on a part-time (often 'short-term') basis can post an off-campus employment job listing through the Student Employment Portal.

Lactation

Resources are available for parents who are lactating during their medical training. The Geisel Office of Academic Advising and Accessibility will be available to address individual student needs and provide guidance on the accommodations that are available across preclinical and clinical training.

  • Pre-Clinical Students - There are 8 lactation rooms across the Dartmouth College campus, with the nearest to Geisel being: 8th Floor Vail. See Dartmouth College Lactation Room Map.
  • Clinical Student - There are 4 Mamava Pods at DHMC, the Level 5 Geisel Medical Student On-Call Rooms, as well as additional lactation rooms and department-specific accommodations. See DHMC Lactation Rooms.
  • Geisel Lactation Accommodations - Making time for expressing breastmilk during exams administered at Geisel (i.e. all preclinical exams and shelf exams) are coordinated individually through the Geisel Office of Academic Advising and Accessibility.
  • USMLE Lactation Accommodations - Students may request to bring and use their breast pumps during authorized breaks and submit a request for additional break time to express milk during USMLE Exams (i.e. Step 1/2). See USMLE Testing Accommodations.

Title IX

Protections for Pregnant and Parenting Students

For more information about how Title IX applies to pregnancy and parenting, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website. For Dartmouth-specific and local resources for pregnant and parenting students, please visit the Dartmouth Title IX Resources page.