Abigail Petty’s first year of medical school came with an additional layer of joy, excitement and stress: the birth of her daughter, Jane. Now a second-year student in the Idaho WWAMI program, Petty continues to balance motherhood with the requirements of her education.
One of the biggest challenges Petty faces is the emotional toll of leaving her daughter for stretches of time and the associated worries about missing developmental milestones. Reflecting on how she manages these feelings, Petty states “I like to remind myself that motherhood is beyond a role; it’s a relationship. It’s not just about completing specific tasks, but instead it’s about cultivating a special connection with my daughter.”
Petty’s husband, Taylor, has served as a major source of support and encouragement throughout their shared journey into parenthood. During her Independent Investigative Inquiry (Triple I) research with the University of Washington’s Vascular Surgery Summer Scholars Program, the family temporarily relocated from Idaho to Seattle. This proved to be a challenging experience to navigate–but it also brought the family closer together.
Petty presented her Triple I research at the November 2024 Idaho WWAMI Research Symposium, where she received an award for Outstanding Clinical Outcome-Based Research. Though the journey was stressful, Petty notes that attending the symposium as a family was a really special and affirming way to commemorate the entire experience.
“For me, a rewarding aspect of parenthood during medical school is that when I accomplish something, I feel like I am doing something to make my daughter proud, even though she might not understand yet, and that makes me feel incredibly fulfilled,” says Petty.
Petty’s experiences have also given her insights into how to navigate the specific challenges facing pregnant and lactating women–especially those studying and working in clinical environments. She has had to learn to be more upfront with her own needs, advocating for the time and space to pump.
“Many people do not consider the hoops lactating mothers must jump through to produce milk for their baby, and having gone through it myself now, I believe that gives me a unique perspective,” says Petty. “Additionally, going through pregnancy, postpartum and caring for an infant has helped me relate better to patients going through these experiences.”
As a physician, Petty hopes to inspire trust in her patients, and she is excited by the opportunities medicine offers for continuous learning and growth. As a wife and mother, she strives to be the best version of herself for her family and to serve as a role model for her children, showing them that hard work, resilience and passion can help them achieve their dreams.