Any Pre Meds with Chronic Illnesses

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Doglover4fever

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Is anyone concerned about how living with a chronic illness might impact you in med school?

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Doglover4fever said:
Is anyone concerned about how living with a chronic illness might impact you in med school?

That would totally depend on the illness. I know of diabetics with their blood sugars in very good control who seem to be having no unusual problems. Things that are more sensitive to stresses or causing you to tire easilly might be different.
 
I have an autoimmune disease and I'm extremely concerned. My own doctor is very supportive though. When I told him what I wanted to do but that I was worried that my illness would hurt me, he told me that there was nothing I couldn't do and that he'd be there every time I flare to get it under control.

Now I just have to go to a med school in my state to make sure I get to keep him as my doctor. LOL
 
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A good friend of mine has Crohn's disease and has had to be hospitalized more than once with complications during our four years at college. Still, she's excelled in college and she's going straight to med school next year. I have total confidence in her. She did make a few compromises for her illness, primarily electing to go to a slightly less competitive school that happens to be in her home town, so that she can be near her long-time physician and her family in case she has trouble managing her illness.

So, it can be done...good luck!
 
I have several chronic diseases and am in the process of another diagnosis or two. :oops: I do worry sometimes about my stamina, but I think if we have the determination we can do just about anything.

One of the main things that drew me to medicine was my own experiences with doctors, medical tests and procedures, and living with a chronic illness. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I've also been told I'll be more empathetic with patients because I've been through a lot of the things they might have to go through. I don't know if that's true, but it's a nice thought. :D

PM me if you want to chat. :thumbup:
 
Another one here. My doc keeps reminding me to make the time to rest. She is totally supportive (was actually the one that convinced me that I could do it) but keeps telling me to slow down and get the rest.

I agree with Sally...what doesn't kill us makes us stronger! :D
 
I'm surprised and impressed that there's a thread like this here. One thing that I'm doing is getting in touch now with the infectious disease people at the University I'll be attending in the fall. I know of one physician who seems very familiar with the rare disease I have, so knowing him will make things easier if I'm ever ill and need to be seen right away.
 
You will be alright. Some of us have epilepsy...others, lupus.

Gabby said:
I have an autoimmune disease and I'm extremely concerned. My own doctor is very supportive though. When I told him what I wanted to do but that I was worried that my illness would hurt me, he told me that there was nothing I couldn't do and that he'd be there every time I flare to get it under control.

Now I just have to go to a med school in my state to make sure I get to keep him as my doctor. LOL
 
Interstitial cystitis here... but I'm not about to let it stop me! I was finally diagnosed in Feb, after surgery. I'm even more optimistic, now that I know what's wrong... my doctor and I are working on things to control the symptoms, since there is no cure. (On a side-note, I never realized how painful IC was to deal with, until I started having symptoms last year.)

But I want to be a doctor more than anything, so there's nothing on Earth that can make me give up! :)

PS - Interesting thread.
 
I've been dealing with polycythemia rubra vera for the last couple of years. Every couple of weeks, I have to get a phlebotomy or else I'll get REAL sluggish.
I'm also in remission from Goodpasture, so there is a need to see my kidney doc every couple of months. I plan on getting in touch with a nephrologist and hem/onc doc once I start med school in the fall. It has been tough dealing with these conditions, but I believe it will ultimately make me a better doctor. PM if you have any questions!
 
Well maybe I'm writing a bit early since this is an ongoing thing but I've probably got autoimmune hepatitis. Hopefully it'll be under control from now on but my first concern once I get into a med school is finding a good hepatologist to watch out for me.(Because puking for 20 hrs straight gets old fast.) Oh well, if I get into BU or something I wouldn't have to get a new one.(Since my current doc is a professor there.)
 
i have an autoimmune disorder that i've been hospitalized for twice during the past year. it's not stopping me from going to whatever med school, but it has caused me to have to take 2 of my classes this summer (and graduate in aug instead of may, uggh) so it's kind of a pain in my ass. i had to get surgery this semester, but i was walking the next day and out of the hospital 4 days later. then i developed a wound infection, and i had to have the wound cut back open and kept open for a few wks. i didn't wanna miss too much school though, so i just went to classes w/ a hole in my stomach. so yeah, my disease won't really slow me down in med school ;)

p.s. it was kinda cool b/c all my profs were sort of rooting for me to do well when i had to make up all the work.
 
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I think a lot of us have dealt with a chronic illness... that may have been one of the driving forces that led us to medicine.

If this really was an issue of major concern, then I don't think many adcoms would view this as a positive thing... I know that the fact that I faced medical treatment from the perspective of a patient helped me to understand the compassion and care that a patient expects from his/her physician.

Furthermore, dealing with Tourette's Syndrome has made me more dedicated and motivated to overcome obstacles. I think adcoms would view a person's overcoming of other chronic illnesses in a similar manner.
 
I actually read a book written by a doctor with an autoimmune disease: As I Live and Breathe by Jamie Weisman. I wasn't personally familiar with autoimmune disease, so it was interesting to read about how her health impacted med school, residency, and life in general.

I agree that learning to keep myself healthy was a force that pushed me into wanting to become a doctor.
 
I am an entering freshmen (17 years old) into a pre-med program, and I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease :/

That worries me due to the weakness I suffer from the Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Sclerosis, Lupus, etc.

Even if I get through college, I'm not sure how I'll make it through medical school witht he long hours and always on your feet..
 
There are people who find a way through. I know a few students who would just sit where they could while on the wards while rounding or when talking to a patient, pull up a chair. Yes they are in pain sometimes but it doesn't last forever. Just know your capabilities and how far you can go, but don't push yourself. Yes some people will NOT understand but that is life. :luck:
 
a girl in our class has Crohns and has had to miss some lectures, reschedule some tests, because of flair-ups procedures/surgery....The school's very good at working with her about it as far as I can tell.

She's fine thanks in large part to the fact that she's twice as smart as the rest of us.
 
Another one over here. I have a chronic pain disease...not too much fun, either. I've finally gotten the thing under control, though, with determination, a great doc, and a spinal cord stimulator. Unfortunately, that wasn't before the surgeries and such affected the GPA.

Not to hijack or anything, but this is very close to a question I've had recently...for those of you who have gone through the cycle, did you include a rec from your physician? Mine wants to write a LOR first talking about his experience with me and how I would be a great doctor, but then basically telling them that I have his full support and am medically stable and physically able to become a doc. Any thoughts?

Hang in there, guys; and congratulations on being fighters!
 
I graduated high school last night, and I was on my feet for the majority of the time. It took forever and I didn't think I was going to last. I got so grumpy, that everytime I heard an annoying airhorn I had to block the impulses to run on stage, grab the mic, and tell all of the rednecks to shut up (I tried thinking of something more aggressive, but I want to be a doctor..I suppose I can't let idiots annoy me to murder, especially if people's lives are in my hands).

>_<

sorry random story :/
 
I have [well-controlled] asthma and allergies. My experience with medical care has had a profound impact on motivating me to enter the field of medicine. Every time I see a patient, I imagine that while our meeting is evanescent, s/he will think back on the visit, talk about it with family and friend, and bear its consequences in day to day life. When I use this paradigm, it makes me want to try harder and to better understand the patient.
 
an1s said:
Not to hijack or anything, but this is very close to a question I've had recently...for those of you who have gone through the cycle, did you include a rec from your physician? Mine wants to write a LOR first talking about his experience with me and how I would be a great doctor, but then basically telling them that I have his full support and am medically stable and physically able to become a doc. Any thoughts?

I'm actually going to be shadowing my rheumatologist starting in July. I'd love for him to write me an LOR, talking about the shadowing and also about my physical health since I'm sure adcoms will at least wonder about whether or not I can handle the rigors of med school.
 
wow, i didn't realize that there were so many of us out there... i have crohn's disease and will be starting med school in the fall. fortunately i was able to make it through undergrad without any major problems. for me, getting diagnosed right before college started, helped to jump-start an interest in studying medicine, which i had not previously had. i hope that my experiences of being a 'professional patient' will help me to relate better with my own patients. cheers to making it with crazy medical issues :)
 
an1s said:
Another one over here. I have a chronic pain disease...not too much fun, either. I've finally gotten the thing under control, though, with determination, a great doc, and a spinal cord stimulator. Unfortunately, that wasn't before the surgeries and such affected the GPA.

Not to hijack or anything, but this is very close to a question I've had recently...for those of you who have gone through the cycle, did you include a rec from your physician? Mine wants to write a LOR first talking about his experience with me and how I would be a great doctor, but then basically telling them that I have his full support and am medically stable and physically able to become a doc. Any thoughts?

Hang in there, guys; and congratulations on being fighters!

my surgeon said that he'd like to write me a LOR, but i wanted it to be based on more than the fact that i went through a lot of medical crap, so i asked if i could shadow him. it has seriously been one of my best experiences because i can relate so much to the concerns of his patients (a lot of them have the same problem i had), and i was even able to watch my surgery performed on a girl i helped him convince to get it! it was SO cool b/c as soon as he took out part of her intestines, he called me over and let me feel the diseased tissue and the portion that had become thinned, and he told me how it was similar to mine that he had taken out 2 months earlier. her surgery went really well, and now she'll hopefully be a lot better too. :)

anyway, i guess my pt is that it might be more helpful (and awesome) for you to get a little experience w/ your doctor on his side of medicine, and it might help him write a better LOR and give you some sweet experiences to talk abt in your essay.
 
marfan syndrome, but thankfully, a very mild form of it. hard to find pants my size, though.
 
marctam86 said:
marfan syndrome, but thankfully, a very mild form of it. hard to find pants my size, though.

Wowzers!
 
One of my friends was paralyzed by a freak snowboarding accident during winter break of his freshman year. He gets around with an electric wheel chair, but doesn't have enough use of his hands to do things like write. He is graduating from college this year with a major in Chemical Engineering and is going on to graduate school in Texas. With all the research and everything else he has been doing, I've realized that you can do just about anything despite injury or illness. Those of you who are concerned about making it through medical school, I think you'll be able to, and I hope that you do, because you'll have a unique ability to connect with your patients!
 
Anyone here have sarcoids or fibromyalgia and going into medicine? I have a feeling I'll end up getting at least one of these disorders in a decade or two... most of my family has it so it's bound to be in my genes. :(
 
Ok, I will fess up. The reason I posted this thread is that I have type I diabetes (since the age of 3). I an under excellent control, I use an insulin pump, but I still have a few concerns. I guess it is only normal.....It is nice to know that there are others out there with similar fears.
 
I just finished med school and have pretty bad heart disease. I did well in school and am going to a great pathology residency, but I must say I feel like I hardly made it. Med school is not forgiving. Even if you have to have major emergency surgery or something, you WILL have to make up the days. People will be understanding and be nice to you about it, but the rotation schedule is tight. It's very different than college - I missed practically an entire semester once and got a 4.0 from making up the work. I had a few surgeries and hospitalizations through med school and it incredibly added to the stress - both of med school and of being sick. I bet one more hospitalization would have delayed my graduation a year.

I am not trying to freak you folks out at all - I am just being honest about my experiences. It is something to consider. When I was applying in college, I had this "I can do anything!" attitude. But I have learned that that is not true. You can be too sick sometimes to do something no matter how important it is to you.

Another thing - a few of you mentioned talking about your illnesses in your LOR or PS. I would discourage this - unless your illness caused you to miss time in school, or significantly affected your grades - and then only if it is fixed. You are all right about knowing what patients go through, and being empathetic, but med school is competitive and it seems like everybody is smart, hard-working, and physically fit and you don't want to bring up a reason that you may have trouble in school. If it's in your record, you have to address it - but if not, I would leave it. Just my 2 cents.

Best wishes and good health to you all.
 
bump for the great post by the bear. Good to remember that medical school isn't college, people will be understanding but as our Dean said about days off during 3rd year: "If you inform us a few months in advance you can probably get one day off for a wedding...if it's your wedding"
 
beary said:
I just finished med school and have pretty bad heart disease. I did well in school and am going to a great pathology residency, but I must say I feel like I hardly made it. Med school is not forgiving. Even if you have to have major emergency surgery or something, you WILL have to make up the days. People will be understanding and be nice to you about it, but the rotation schedule is tight. It's very different than college - I missed practically an entire semester once and got a 4.0 from making up the work. I had a few surgeries and hospitalizations through med school and it incredibly added to the stress - both of med school and of being sick. I bet one more hospitalization would have delayed my graduation a year.

I am not trying to freak you folks out at all - I am just being honest about my experiences. It is something to consider. When I was applying in college, I had this "I can do anything!" attitude. But I have learned that that is not true. You can be too sick sometimes to do something no matter how important it is to you.

Another thing - a few of you mentioned talking about your illnesses in your LOR or PS. I would discourage this - unless your illness caused you to miss time in school, or significantly affected your grades - and then only if it is fixed. You are all right about knowing what patients go through, and being empathetic, but med school is competitive and it seems like everybody is smart, hard-working, and physically fit and you don't want to bring up a reason that you may have trouble in school. If it's in your record, you have to address it - but if not, I would leave it. Just my 2 cents.

Best wishes and good health to you all.

I am glad to hear you have done well. However, I think some of your advice is incorrect, and does not apply to every situation. I never missed a single lecture in 4 years as a result of my diabetes, and I maintained a 3.8+ GPA. I still talked about my illness in my personal statement because it is one of the reasons I am motivated towards medicine. I discussed how successful I have been in managing it, and how even though it has been a major obstacle, I feel confident in my abilities (and I think I have proven myself capable by my performance thus far). I have been accepted at two really good schools, and I am waitlisted at another that frankly I was surprised to even get an interview at. I have had several interviewers tell me that they think my story is inspirational. I get really sick and tired of people coming on here saying that we should HIDE our illnesses, even if they are not compromising our ability to perform. I understand that your experience may have been difficult, but please stop discouraging people on here from doing something that may actually help their chances of getting in.
 
Doglover4fever said:
I am glad to hear you have done well. However, I think some of your advice is incorrect, and does not apply to every situation. I never missed a single lecture in 4 years as a result of my diabetes, and I maintained a 3.8+ GPA. I still talked about my illness in my personal statement because it is one of the reasons I am motivated towards medicine. I discussed how successful I have been in managing it, and how even though it has been a major obstacle, I feel confident in my abilities (and I think I have proven myself capable by my performance thus far). I have been accepted at two really good schools, and I am waitlisted at another that frankly I was surprised to even get an interview at. I have had several interviewers tell me that they think my story is inspirational. I get really sick and tired of people coming on here saying that we should HIDE our illnesses, even if they are not compromising our ability to perform. I understand that your experience may have been difficult, but please stop discouraging people on here from doing something that may actually help their chances of getting in.

I struggled for a while as to whether or not I wanted to discuss the fact that I have Crohn's Disease when applying to medical school. At first I intended on writing my personal statement about my experiences with the illness, which is really what guided me toward pursuing a medical career. However, many doctors discouraged me from doing so, because they said it might create the impression that I am not physically capable of the rigors of medical school. Ultimately, I decided to take their advice, and avoided discussing it my primary and secondary applications.

In making that choice, I suppose that I took more of a realist than an idealist approach. On the one hand, adversity can make us more compassionate and even better doctors. It can even be the original inspiration for a medical career. On the other hand, medical school and the medical profession exact a physical toll, which can be more significant for people whose health is more vulnerable to stress. The uncomfortable truth about chronic illnesses is that they really can "compromise our ability to perform." My illness is under excellent control, but not everyone with Crohn's or other chronic illnesses is this lucky. Many people have to go to the hospital every few weeks when their disease flares up. These are considerations that admissions officers may take seriously, and though it is difficult for me to say this, perhaps rightly so.

My personal suggestion for those who are beginning the application process now is to tread a careful ground with this issue. It can help, but it can hurt. You can write an essay about how you have triumphed over your illness in the recent past, but that doesn't necessarily ensure that it won't become an issue in five or ten years. Doctors, particularly, are aware of this. I warmly applaud all of you who have struggled against adversity to make it this far in your academic career. But I think it is important to remember that chronic illness is not something to wave away. I don't think that hiding it is appropriate, but flaunting it may not be the best choice either.
 
Photosensitive epilepsy here! I just stay out of the clubs and keep the lights on if I'm playing a video game. It's really milded out since I've gotten older (or I've been better behaving myself, one or the other)

Oh, and I try to stay away from that flash video "epilepsy test" lol
 
an1s said:
Another one over here. I have a chronic pain disease

I've worried about the same thing quite a bit... I've had bad knee problems for the past few years thanks to too many years of gymnastics and running, and sometimes being on my feet a lot really makes them flare up... so natually I've been worried that all the standing throughout med school would be a problem. Anyway, though, best of luck to everyone here...
 
Gabby said:
I'm actually going to be shadowing my rheumatologist starting in July. I'd love for him to write me an LOR, talking about the shadowing and also about my physical health since I'm sure adcoms will at least wonder about whether or not I can handle the rigors of med school.

I had my pediatrician write mine for me. She's seen me through it all. Scoliosis, depression, mono rupturing my spleen, exercise induced anaphylactic reactions, etc. I shadowed her as well a couple of summers ago. Obviously I don't know exactly what she said in her letter, but I made sure to ask if she would be comfortable with writing me a STRONG LOR. She didn't hesitate in saying yes...I guess I'll know in 5-12 months how her letter paid off.
 
RandomGuy said:
I don't think that hiding it is appropriate, but flaunting it may not be the best choice either.

I 100% agree with your post. I always discourage folks from putting their personal medical info in their PS, but that doesn't mean you're "hiding" it.

Best wishes to you for your health and career.
 
I just stumbled across this thread. I can't believe I hadn't seen it before, it looks like it's been here a while. I wanted to say how much I have enjoyed it. I have two different chronic conditions and the thought of medical school is daunting to say the least. It's been very nice finding out I am not the only one with these concerns. Hearing your thoughts has helped me out a lot. Good luck to everyone who has posted here.
 
beary said:
I 100% agree with your post. I always discourage folks from putting their personal medical info in their PS, but that doesn't mean you're "hiding" it.

Best wishes to you for your health and career.

I agree with you as well. Although it can change in a person's life, I am a person to say it is what it is. Rather than dwell on it, I go on. But I have just read how people have included it in their PS. I just think it has to be carefully written if you want to add it to your PS.
 
RandomGuy said:
I struggled for a while as to whether or not I wanted to discuss the fact that I have Crohn's Disease when applying to medical school. At first I intended on writing my personal statement about my experiences with the illness, which is really what guided me toward pursuing a medical career. However, many doctors discouraged me from doing so, because they said it might create the impression that I am not physically capable of the rigors of medical school. Ultimately, I decided to take their advice, and avoided discussing it my primary and secondary applications.

In making that choice, I suppose that I took more of a realist than an idealist approach. On the one hand, adversity can make us more compassionate and even better doctors. It can even be the original inspiration for a medical career. On the other hand, medical school and the medical profession exact a physical toll, which can be more significant for people whose health is more vulnerable to stress. The uncomfortable truth about chronic illnesses is that they really can "compromise our ability to perform." My illness is under excellent control, but not everyone with Crohn's or other chronic illnesses is this lucky. Many people have to go to the hospital every few weeks when their disease flares up. These are considerations that admissions officers may take seriously, and though it is difficult for me to say this, perhaps rightly so.

My personal suggestion for those who are beginning the application process now is to tread a careful ground with this issue. It can help, but it can hurt. You can write an essay about how you have triumphed over your illness in the recent past, but that doesn't necessarily ensure that it won't become an issue in five or ten years. Doctors, particularly, are aware of this. I warmly applaud all of you who have struggled against adversity to make it this far in your academic career. But I think it is important to remember that chronic illness is not something to wave away. I don't think that hiding it is appropriate, but flaunting it may not be the best choice either.


hmm, i'd like to know what lizzy m's take on this issue is.... how do adcoms view applicants who have chronic illnesses?
 
Duchess742 said:
hmm, i'd like to know what lizzy m's take on this issue is.... how do adcoms view applicants who have chronic illnesses?

I keep hearing about his Lizzy M. I want to meet her! :)
 
lynn623la said:
I keep hearing about his Lizzy M. I want to meet her! :)

she's the resident adcom member/badass. all the clueless pre-meds get to speculating and fretting about pointless things, then lizzy m steps in and gets all up in everyone's faces and busts out a "stop yer bitchin'" and tells all of us what's really goin down.
...for the most part ;)
 
I am also a member of the gi chronic disorder group. I have had major concerns over whether I would be able to take proper care of myself while in med school esp. during the 3rd and 4th years. The other thing is that my gi thinks my problem is related to a virus I got but there is no way to be sure until a couple of years down the road (and I have had this condition since my freshman year of college and I just graduated). I have to watch my diet and when I eat and how stressed out I get. So I definitely have had my doubts but both my gi and pcp have been encouraging and done their best to figure out ways to counter different problems. The other problem is that with gastroparesis I tend to get sick more freq. But I'm not ready to give up yet. If I could make it through college with this chronic disease and some other problems pop (emergencey appy, lap. choley, mono, vertigo, pneumonia, and strep) down 2 organs means I can't have those problems again and I cant get mono again so hopefully it will just be dealing with the chronic disease.

As far as adcoms goes, In one interview I was asked about it because my gallbladder cause major problems and my gpa suffered my soph year. At my second interview it did not come up at all except me stating that it was one reason that I became more interested in medicine after many ortho problems. I was waitlisted at that school and that is my only acceptance but I don't believe that the illness was the reason for not gaining an acceptance (I am thinking it was due to some inconsistancies between by ps and my activities). If I am not admitted off the waitlist I am going to work on a master's in epi and work on geting things under better control esp the new diets I am supposed to try to keep fatigue low.

It is always nice to hear that other people in similar situations make it through medical school (esp since my condition alone should not cause any hopsitalization).
Having people around that understand what it is like to deal with a chronic disease makes dealing with it easier. A group that can give tips about how to deal approach different situations is great.
 
swim2006 said:
I am also a member of the gi chronic disorder group. I have had major concerns over whether I would be able to take proper care of myself while in med school esp. during the 3rd and 4th years. The other thing is that my gi thinks my problem is related to a virus I got but there is no way to be sure until a couple of years down the road (and I have had this condition since my freshman year of college and I just graduated). I have to watch my diet and when I eat and how stressed out I get. So I definitely have had my doubts but both my gi and pcp have been encouraging and done their best to figure out ways to counter different problems. The other problem is that with gastroparesis I tend to get sick more freq. But I'm not ready to give up yet. If I could make it through college with this chronic disease and some other problems pop (emergencey appy, lap. choley, mono, vertigo, pneumonia, and strep) down 2 organs means I can't have those problems again and I cant get mono again so hopefully it will just be dealing with the chronic disease.

As far as adcoms goes, In one interview I was asked about it because my gallbladder cause major problems and my gpa suffered my soph year. At my second interview it did not come up at all except me stating that it was one reason that I became more interested in medicine after many ortho problems. I was waitlisted at that school and that is my only acceptance but I don't believe that the illness was the reason for not gaining an acceptance (I am thinking it was due to some inconsistancies between by ps and my activities). If I am not admitted off the waitlist I am going to work on a master's in epi and work on geting things under better control esp the new diets I am supposed to try to keep fatigue low.

It is always nice to hear that other people in similar situations make it through medical school (esp since my condition alone should not cause any hopsitalization).
Having people around that understand what it is like to deal with a chronic disease makes dealing with it easier. A group that can give tips about how to deal approach different situations is great.


geez, i'm really sorry about all that you've gone through!! it makes me wonder why i ever complain! i totally agree with you that it's helpful to have some sort of group around to be able to offer advice to people in a similar situation. when i went through my crohn's-related surgery, i was lucky enough to have a friend who had already been through the exact same procedure. also, my bf had had a colectomy 3 yrs earlier. so i definitely felt like i had a lot of support, but i know most people don't know anyone else in similar circumstances. anyway, i have been thinking for a while about maybe starting some sort of online group that can provide answers for people's questions about procedures and treatment options. talking to another patient is very different from hearing info from a dr b/c it's nice to be able to ask basic things, like how much something will hurt, how long recovery will be, and especially how to manage school and work while you're hospitalized.

i don't know that sdn is really the appropriate forum for such a discussion group. it's prob ok for now, but if anyone else is interested, maybe we could contact the crohn's and colitis foundation (www.ccfa.org) and see if they could offer us some space on their website? it would be good if we could have some sort of q & a area dedicated to our age group (specifically, students). let me know if anyone else is interested. i think this sort of thing would only work if we had a lot of people willing to share their own experiences and offer different kinds of advice.
 
I have back problems (had to have surgery in December for it). And I have partial complex seizures. I don't think it will be a huge problem for me in medical school. I will have to be careful because of my back. But as for my seizure problem, medication has that pretty much under control, and if I do have any break through problems it isn't severe since the seizures I have do not make me completely lose consciousness or have convulsions.

Its not anything I would mention in my personal statement. Its not something that has influenced my decision to become a doctor, and it hasn't really affected much. The only thing it has effected was when my back was giving me so much trouble, my grades dropped some, and the semester after surgery I only took 1 class. But I really don't think any of that should go into my personal statement.
 
I feel bad because what I have isn't really as bad as what some of you have, but mine has affected me tremendously. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy before I started high school and lets just say - high school was an uphill battle and college is turning out to be the world series. It got so bad that I had to withdraw halfway through third semester. When you have sleep issues, a lot of other things come up and it makes it even worse. This past semester gave me hope and my mother always says God never gives you more than you can bear, so I'm determined to make it.
 
beary said:
...
Another thing - a few of you mentioned talking about your illnesses in your LOR or PS. I would discourage this - unless your illness caused you to miss time in school, or significantly affected your grades - and then only if it is fixed. You are all right about knowing what patients go through, and being empathetic, but med school is competitive and it seems like everybody is smart, hard-working, and physically fit and you don't want to bring up a reason that you may have trouble in school. If it's in your record, you have to address it - but if not, I would leave it. Just my 2 cents.

Best wishes and good health to you all.

I concur... for the most part. If your own illness, or one in a close family member, inspired you to prepare for medical school, then it may be ok to bring it up in a PS as a jumping off point for how you tested your interest in medicine and your plans with regard to the practice of medicine (small town/big city, primary care/specialty, academic medicine/clinician -- not that you can't change your mind but what do you envision when you think about being a doc?)

I get a little worried when I read a PS that focuses on pride in one's ability to control a chronic illness. Not every patient is able to achieve that level of control, either because the disease is more difficult to control or because the patient doesn't adhere to a care plan. What then? How would you manage to work with such a patient?

There are some adcom members who have seen the worst that chronic illness can do (keep in mind that most adcom members are physicians at medical school affiliated hospitals who see the most seriously ill patients as referrals from outside hospitals so their view of any chronic illness is biases toward train wrecks). Some of them, therefore, are biased, even subconsciously, against applicants who may not be able to manage the rigors of medical school and residency.

If you can write a good PS without mentioning your illness, do it. If you need to explain a semester down the drain, do so without going into exquisite detail about your diagnosis -- you can say "the need for emergency surgery in the spring of my junior year was a setback that I overcame with ...."

Focus not on your own treatment but how you see yourself treating others - particularly those who do not have the same illness you have (you can't specialize in a particular illness until you are at least 3 years out of med school-- what will keep you going for those next 7 years?)

Good luck to all of you!
 
I really struggled with the decision to talk about my illness in my ps. After discussion with my pre-med advisor, friends, and physicians, I decided to include it. I have Lupus, Renal Tubular Acidosis, and Inappropiate Sinus Tachycardia. I talked about the Lupus because that was a major factor in me deciding to do medicine. To wrote many ps with out it, but all of them seemed to be missing something major, something genuine. Currently my lupus is under good control (And I'm almost off steriods yeah!). I talked about how my physicians who have treated me have become role models. I also talked about a period when I missed school b/c of the lupus and how it really taught me determination to make up all of my work and how that will be important as a future physician. If you keep trying to write ps and you have other experiences that you feel work well than use those. If you feel that your illness is key to you becoming a physician then mention it in a positive light. For example, what has it taught you that will help you as a physician? Good luck to everyone with a chronic illness! I understand how hard it is!
 
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