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Hey all!
I've recently been accepted to my top choice Ph.D. program, yayyy! Unfortunately, around the exact same time I've been diagnosed with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1486711) and am waiting to see a specialist to see if I have an autonomic disorder called POTS. I have a lot of migraines, pain, brain fog, physical fatigue, breathlessness, and diarrhea/vomiting from my heart rate being so high most of the time. Also, when I stand up my HR shoots to 40 bpm over whatever it is laying down, so I obviously prefer being on a couch/in bed. My doctor and I are trying to control it naturally before we resort to medication or surgery, as I was put on medication in the ER and absolutely did not tolerate it (nightmares, night sweats, more vomit).
Anyhoo- does anyone else have an illness like this? How was your Ph.D. program in accommodating you? I am beginning to think I'll have to take an entire year to get what I wanted to done, or that I'll graduate as a bare minimum candidate with all the breaks/napping/doctors' appointments. But at least in my head it is still doable.
So really, I suppose I am asking how to make the best of this, and your experiences with being a disabled doctoral student. Thanks!!
Division 22 has many disabled psychologists of all varieties.
A school will have to provide reasonable accommodations for your disability so long as you can fulfill the essential requirements of the program. For example, you might get extra time to turn in assignments. But if the program requires you to complete 400hrs/yr in practicum, you would likely not be excused from this essential requirement.
Definitely be sure to register with the office for students with disabilities (or whatever it is called at your school). Congrats and lots of luck!!
Surprising data on that from the above study:
"Participants were asked about the type of accommodations, if any, they received or requested during pre-internship graduate training. Formal accommodations were defined in the survey as “accommodations made through a disability services office or other official channels, such as extended times for tests, alternate format books, readers, or sign language interpreters.” Informal accommodations were defined as “accommodations made through an informal agreement with a faculty member or supervisor.” Of the 49 participants who indicated that they acquired their primary disability during or before graduate school (i.e., not during or after postdoctoral training), 11 (22.4%) reported that they received only formal accommodations, 14 (28.6%) reported that they received only informal accommodations,and 10 (20.4%) reported that they received both formal and informal accommodations. Thus, less than half of respondents (42.8%; n =21) received any formal accommodations during their pre-internship training. Fourteen (28.6%) reported that they received no accommodations, indicating that they did not request them or that their requests for accommodations were denied."
It's interesting that so few disclose their disability to disability services offices, despite it being the official route for accommodations.
Actually, this is standard policy across the board, and faculty aren't actually allowed to ask with your disability is or any additional details. Not to say that there aren't some that try, especially in psych, where some faculty legit ask to see students' assessment reports (which is illegal).Interesting. At our school, you could register and not disclose to professors until you needed an accommodation. I think that made people feel safer. I had a friend who did that and said she mostly had it for insurance in case something came up.
Futureapp, that statement is contradictory. You say extra time is not a reasonable accommodation, and then that they might give it.
Wow…just…wow. If anyone should know better about what can be discussed/viewed…Actually, this is standard policy across the board, and faculty aren't actually allowed to ask with your disability is or any additional details. Not to say that there aren't some that try, especially in psych, where some faculty legit ask to see students' assessment reports (which is illegal).
It's interesting that so few disclose their disability to disability services offices, despite it being the official route for accommodations.
I have a chronic illness and am now on internship (just accepted a postdoc, yay!!). My experience of managing my illness during graduate school has been pretty good. I went through periods of being well and flare ups, during which I was hospitalized once during graduate school and ended up in the ED a few more times. I never filed with the disability office and handled my illness the way that anyone would handle being sick (e.g., with a cold) -- asking for extensions when needed, emailing profs when I was sick and wouldn't be in class. I never had to ask for accommodations that were above and beyond any other student, but if I did I would have filed more formal paperwork. My graduate school schedule was quite flexible and so I was able to schedule doctors appointments at times that were convenient to me. The biggest hit I took in grad school was research time -- when I was feeling worse I basically only did the bare minimum, which meant classes, practicum, and collecting data as required for my master's/dissertation. I didn't have extra energy to work on manuscripts and my CV is a little weaker because of that.
I did disclose to my mentor and most people in my lab during my second year, and then to the DCT when I was in the hospital. Everyone has been very supportive, and I've had the chance to talk to other graduate students in my program who have similar illnesses. In that sense, I am SO glad I told people, because it's really wonderful to be able to talk to someone who knows what you're going through. I have also been on the receiving end of some insensitive comments from people who should know better, and this has made me more wary of disclosing to clinical supervisors on internship. It also made me more sensitive to some of the unquantifiable aspects of training when choosing a postdoc, i.e., in the worst case scenario of being very ill, would my supervisors be understanding? If I got the sense that they would not (even from the interview), that was telling.
psychnerd I'll check out that book that you recommended. I thought about applying to some funding for student with disabilities, but I don't think I would qualify given my current level of functioning.
futureapppsy I would love any resources or literature via PM. I also curious if there are mentorship and leadership opportunities through Div 22 section for psychologists with disabilities -- I guess I'll shoot them an email.