Adderall = cheating?

[7amsho]

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[Glimmer1991]

Of course it's cheating. And of course it is hard for dental schools to tell, unless someone is literally busted for using it. It's not fair, but it's life.

Luckily, you can absolutely succeed--even with a "3.9"--without Adderall. People are always going to want to cut corners. Just don't go there.

 

[7amsho]

It just frustrates me on the top of my personal problems and school/DAT stress, i know life is unfair but i just don't know how to overcome this frustration! personally i would never cut corners, i am the type of person who would get depressed if he did something wrong or thinks it's unethical..

 

[Mango Magic]

You can't control what other people are doing. You can only control what you're doing and how you react to things. Focus on what you need to do to succeed and don't worry about other people!

 

[ILLchief]

lol why are you freaking out? there is literally nothing you can do to stop anyone from taking adderall or heck even tell the ADCOMs who has taken it. it boosts their studying habits so that they can study harder and get better grades. they dont morph into this super-human and grow bigger brains! rather those that take it have a more steady focus for a few hours. its just like with any test, the more you study the better grade you will earn. so what? if you're that worried about, study just as hard as them. they will eventually crash once it wears off and you will have the edge b/c youre stronger. i've never taken it, but coming from a large university, i would see tons of kids cramming for midterms/finals while on it. just be the better person, study earlier/more frequently and you will do better than them.

also if you're calling your "friends" literally stupid, why are you friends with them to begin with?

 

[7amsho]

"stupid" in academic wise, she's a nice person and good friend but when it comes to studying, i just can't handle it.. I know for sure I am never taking such stimulants because I don't think i need them at all, I am just gonna try not thinking about it and do my best, which I will be doing anyways.

 

[ModifiedBass]

Take responsibility for yourself and don't worry about what other people are doing to cheat, simple as that.

 

[arlmay]

This was one of the possible essay topics at an interview of mine coincidentally

 

[7amsho]

seriously? lol that's awesome!

 

[Combine33]

Your assumption that the ADCOMs will deny people who don't use Adderall or it's analogs is completely baseless. In fact, it seems as though you are coming up with a reason to doubt yourself. What you need to do is do well, apply on time, and go to your interview if and when they are offered. Worrying about the study habits of others is wasting your time and energy.

 

[IsaacYankem]

I pity the fools who rely on non-prescription Adderall, especially in undergrad

 

[BobbyBeavis]

My study partner always tried to peer pressure me into taking it with him. I always just told him I don't do drugs.... but still never understood the reason for him trying to get me to take one

 

[Faux]

What really gave me peace of mine in regards to undergrad/DAT is that theres always going to be someone willing to cut corners and most importantly, theres always going to be someone thats a bit smarter than you. At the end of the day, you just need to compete with yourself. Being the best version of yourself is a race all on its own and will occupy most of your worries . Plus, life is short. Are you really going to be worried about Jimmy in Biology when you're on your death bed? I saw your post history, you came a long way in regards to your GPA. You're almost done, run that last mile.

If you really want make things a bit easier for you, join the gym. Might be surprised on how much tension you really have. A lot of stress will be worked off and in the end, will help you with your studies. If you really want to be a dare devil, try experimenting with green smoothies. Crap load of veggies but try and limit the fruits. That definitely kept my nerves in check in regards to my DAT studying. I personally do a few cups of Kale, one banana, half cup of strawberries and two scoops of chocolate protein.

 

[7amsho]

I respect what everyone has posted here and honestly i feel a little bit better just by seeing that there are several others that feel the same way. Faux I will think like you do and compete with myself, it makes perfect sense that I wouldn't be worrying about Jimmy.. Plus now that you read my previous posts, you could related if i tell you i had so many things to get over and face many challenges, each time i get out of one i face another one.. i guess not having challenges wouldn't make us want to move forward! and having such people competing against me would make me wanna study even more!

 

[DRTigerJK]

Why are you concerned with others taking adderall? Not only can you control the extent others go to in order to focus but you are distracting yourself. You should be focused on improving yourself and trying your best with your own strength.

Besides, Adderall won't make a lazy, unmotivated student into a top student.

 

[7amsho]

I am just afraid for my DATs, I know it's a standardized test and what if so many people are taking adderall, well I will be screwed, that's what I am afraid of, but i guess like everyone has been saying here, try my best and see what happens.

 

[Troyvdg]

This thread...smh. OP, who cares? Its not like academic success can't be obtained without it. Worry about you.

And bad mouthing your "friends"?...doesn't seem like you're that great of a "friend" either.

 

[xatlasb]

Many of us probably have never taken adderall in our lives and have managed to score well on the DAT and get interviewed and accepted to dental school. It is definitely possible and like everyone else has said, just focus on studying hard and competing with only yourself. Besides, having a consistent sleep schedule with at least 8 hours a night along with regular exercise and a healthy diet should really help you maintain your focus while studying, plus it's great for your lifelong health, which can't be said for adderall.

 

[ModifiedBass]

I am just afraid for my DATs, I know it's a standardized test and what if so many people are taking adderall, well I will be screwed, that's what I am afraid of, but i guess like everyone has been saying here, try my best and see what happens.

LOL, seriously? Come on now.

 

[ILLchief]

I am just afraid for my DATs, I know it's a standardized test and what if so many people are taking adderall, well I will be screwed, that's what I am afraid of, but i guess like everyone has been saying here, try my best and see what happens.

you're afraid of the DATs b/c other people might be using adderall to study for it?? newsflash, people will use adderall and any other methods to get the best score. the DATs are more about how much time and effort you put into your studying than actually being super smart. this is a joke.

 

[LaughingGas]

You do realize if they focus on something else than what you study they are screwed right?

 

[7amsho]

what do you mean?

 

[LaughingGas]

Well, my peers during undergrad told me when you take adderall, don't focus on something else than the studying material, like watching you tube. They said it's hard to change the subject of focus.

 

[kingenamel]

Just worry about yourself and you will do fine on the DAT. I saw people taking that stuff in high school for their SAT's. A bunch of them said they scored super well but in the end who knows, they may have lied just to look good. You don't need Adderall to do well on the DAT. I think its not cool that some people do it just for exam purposes but I don't really care because I stay more focused on what I have to do. In the end, studying, eating well, sleeping enough hours, and exercising are the keys to my studying! Good luck on your test and stay focused on your study plan.

 

[DBarrett]

Adderall isn't some magic formula that boosts your IQ by 50 points, it's simply an amphetamine. I know plenty of people that have tried it and end up being too distracted by everything else...It actually detracts from their ability to focus and study properly.

So, it may help some people...But that doesn't mean they're on some higher level than you. For all you know, they need the Adderall in order to match what you have naturally.


The potential side-effects aren't worth it...Especially with older(20+) users.

 

[Gaucho4Life]

I am currently a Junior and will be taking my DAT this summer and apply right away. I definitely do well in classes and all of that but one thing that is worrying me is that many other students and pre-dents take adderall to boost their grades and to study for the DAT! I think this is so unfair and I am freaking out about it! Many people told me "well take it as well" but I just can't! I have morals and I think taking it to study is VERY wrong, it will give you extra focus, it isn't natural, so I will be competing with people that aren't themselves. Later on I looked over SDN to see what people posted about adderall and most people are saying "oh well you will do really bad in dental school if you start off with adderall", well it doesn't matter because the adcom won't care! they will accept people based on their grades and DATs and the people they didn't take stimulants and didn't have this "extra focus" will pretty much get denied. This is so unfair, I can't believe people do such things, this is ridiculous.

Anyways, my question is what do you guys think? I am freaking out about this whole thing and I wish dental schools could know who takes adderall and who doesn't. I have many friends that take adderall in college and 90% of them are literally stupid, one of them doesn't even know whether the US is a country or each state is a country by itself.. She's a US citizen, 3.9 GPA and got in Grad school at the age of 20... She's always on adderall when it comes to studying..

Overcome.

 

[NDPitch]

Obtaining and using a substance illegally that boosts your academic abilities is 100% cheating. For people that don't need it because of ADHD, I consider it a performance enhancing drug - just like steroids are in baseball. Yes, it happens everywhere. High school, college, dental school, medical school, etc.

There is nothing you can do about it. You can only have good moral character and know that hard work is more satisfying than cutting corners. I am more happy to get a 3.5 by busting my ass, instead of getting a 3.9 that illegal drugs helped me to get.

If a student cuts corners in school to get ahead or make life easier, what does that say about what kind of medical professional they will be?

 

[sgv]

if every person doesn't have equal access to aderrall, previous exams, or what not, yeah it's cheating...
if coffee or tea was only available for some students but not all, i think drinking coffee would also be cheating...the fact that you can buy coffee at the gas station shows how available the drug caffeine is...
also who the **** needs to abuse aderrall to ace college? procrastinators, that's who. if you just put in the time, aceing college is not hard...do they think dental school, residency, and work is any easier cuz it's not, it gets exponentially harder

people who've taken adderral say that they tend to get sidetracked and focused on every little distraction rather than intensely studying and remembering everything.

 

[WastedTime]

if u aint cheatin u aint tryin

 

[7amsho]

if every person doesn't have equal access to aderrall, previous exams, or what not, yeah it's cheating...
if coffee or tea was only available for some students but not all, i think drinking coffee would also be cheating...the fact that you can buy coffee at the gas station shows how available the drug caffeine is...
also who the **** needs to abuse aderrall to ace college? procrastinators, that's who. if you just put in the time, aceing college is not hard...do they think dental school, residency, and work is any easier cuz it's not, it gets exponentially harder

people who've taken adderral say that they tend to get sidetracked and focused on every little distraction rather than intensely studying and remembering everything.

hahaha thanks for sharing this video! this is hilarious!

 

[7amsho]

if u aint cheatin u aint tryin

......

 

[two thirty]

It's a slippery slope. I used it for most major exams the last couple years of college and pretty much every day the week before the DAT when it was crunch time.

Don't take it in dental school, but some people still do. Personally it wasn't worth the side effects or money for me to keep taking it. I'm just trying to pass and not worried about class rank so I didn't feel like I had the competition that was there in undergrad. I don't really have a moral issue because it isn't hard to get a script and I don't think its any worse to buy it from a friend than to have a doctor give it to you cheaper. I feel like 95% of ADD diagnoses are bogus anyway.

If you don't take it though, don't start. You'll never want to study without it haha.

 

[Dent35]

Since we're talking about pills I think you need a chill pill, like 4857958 mg lol
Also, you need to do your research on adderall before you go on a forum b****ing about it
I've taken adderall a few times but it was only during my midterms and finals because I had like 5-6 a week and I was really overwhelmed and my bf has ADHD so he gave me adderall, I haven't taken it since not because I think it's morally wrong because let's face it there are SOOO many other things wrong with our society that a pill that helps students focus for them to improve their career should be the least of our concerns, BUT ANYWAYS, so I haven't taken it since because I didn't like how it made my mouth dry all the time, I had to get up and pee like 35086794358 times, I sat and worked on a problem for literally 2 hours!! When you are on adderall (from my experience) you don't give up on a certain problem or concept or whatever it is unless you REALLY get it, so I wasn't really that productive, but I did understand that problem realllllllllly well lol I went above and beyond. You also tend to not shut up you just want to keep talking and your heartbeat speeds up, and if you get distracted with lets say a youtube video it would be really hard to switch from one thing to another. THAT BEING SAID, adderall did help me but I wasn't as productive because I went so slow and made sure i understood EVERYTHING. When you study for the DAT it is literally impossible to know everything and understand everything and just have all that info in your brain, in my opinion adderall just isn't really helpful for people studying for the DAT. Coffee works better for me than adderall ever will, so you need to keep in mind that not every one that takes adderall will get above 20's on their DAT. Adderall works great for some people and hey, good for them. It doesn't make you smarter, it just makes you want to study and focus, just like coffee or an energy drink, but sure adderall is a little more powerful but who cares? worry about yourself and how you will do, not others.

Anyways, best of luck and make sure you take adderall when you're taking your exam lol jk

 

[predentalgirl]

IMO,

Work hard. Worry about yourself. You don't take it.

Leave the rest up to the person making stupid decisions.

 

[Illfavor]

TIL what Adderall is.

 

[WIinNC]

I am currently a Junior and will be taking my DAT this summer and apply right away. I definitely do well in classes and all of that but one thing that is worrying me is that many other students and pre-dents take adderall to boost their grades and to study for the DAT! I think this is so unfair and I am freaking out about it! Many people told me "well take it as well" but I just can't! I have morals and I think taking it to study is VERY wrong, it will give you extra focus, it isn't natural, so I will be competing with people that aren't themselves. Later on I looked over SDN to see what people posted about adderall and most people are saying "oh well you will do really bad in dental school if you start off with adderall", well it doesn't matter because the adcom won't care! they will accept people based on their grades and DATs and the people they didn't take stimulants and didn't have this "extra focus" will pretty much get denied. This is so unfair, I can't believe people do such things, this is ridiculous.

Anyways, my question is what do you guys think? I am freaking out about this whole thing and I wish dental schools could know who takes adderall and who doesn't. I have many friends that take adderall in college and 90% of them are literally stupid, one of them doesn't even know whether the US is a country or each state is a country by itself.. She's a US citizen, 3.9 GPA and got in Grad school at the age of 20... She's always on adderall when it comes to studying..

Moderate caffeine intake boosts concentration and long term memory, and it's legal in the U.S., so you won't face a moral quandery. Unless the gov't outlaws caffeine... now that would be a reason to freak out!

 

[Pillowcases]

if u aint cheatin u aint tryin

LOOL

 

[Papasmurf1234]

Adderall doesn't guarantee you good grades. I knew this one kid that was in the same biochem class as me and I always beat him on tests even though he always used adderall to study

 

[Sublimazing]

The day of a big test I have always taken a triple dose of diphenhydramine (it's legal btw)...it blocks histamines and and has an anticholinergic effect pumping more blood to your brain...maximum blood flow = maximum brain power...oh but skip the coffee cuz you don't wanna over do it and be all wired

 

[draperdds]

The day of a big test I have always taken a triple dose of diphenhydramine (it's legal btw)...it blocks histamines and and has an anticholinergic effect pumping more blood to your brain...maximum blood flow = maximum brain power...oh but skip the coffee cuz you don't wanna over do it and be all wired

A triple dose of Benadryl? How did you manage to stay awake??

 

[sjv]

A triple dose of Benadryl? How did you manage to stay awake??

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Sublimazing]

A triple dose of Benadryl? How did you manage to stay awake??

Woah woah woah...this was a generic...I'm not rich

 

[athomas]

You should absolutely not use adderall if you do not have ADHD, not just because it's illegal and cheating, but also because abusing it increases the stigma of taking meds for people who legitimately need them.
Someone else here wrote that all ADD diagnoses are crap, and that's just ridiculous--sorry but what evidence do you have to support this? All kinds of disorders have potential issues with diagnosis because of a lack of definitive tests, and people trying to pretend they have a condition to illegally obtain a controlled substance is despicable. Just because people are able to fool someone into giving them meds doesn't mean ADHD is bogus. Does the fact that some people abuse prescription painkillers mean no one ever has a legitimate reason to use vicodin or other narcotic?
People who have ADHD can really vary in severity and presentation of symptoms, but for some people it's a really crippling disorder, so don't make assumptions about people you don't know well. For people without ADHD, taking adderall isn't some magic pill; it will actually give them hyperfocus, and as someone said that can make studying more difficult because they can end up spending hours on one task. Stimulant medications alter your brain chemistry, and it's not something you want to do if your brain already has the correct level of neurotransmitters.
It's not going to help you in any way to worry about what other people are doing, so just focus on how you can be the most productive version of yourself by sleeping enough, eating well and exercising as someone else mentioned. Don't give yourself an easy excuse to not perform well just because you assume, erroneously, that everyone else taking the DAT is abusing controlled substances, that's a total cop out.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Someone else here wrote that all ADD diagnoses are crap, and that's just ridiculous--sorry but what evidence do you have to support this? All kinds of disorders have potential issues with diagnosis because of a lack of definitive tests, and people trying to pretend they have a condition to illegally obtain a controlled substance is despicable. Just because people are able to fool someone into giving them meds doesn't mean ADHD is bogus. Does the fact that some people abuse prescription painkillers mean no one ever has a legitimate reason to use vicodin or other narcotic?

I totally agree that some cases are valid. However, my Mom has taught 3rd grade for many years, and the prevalence of students on ADHD medication is absolutely absurd. Instead of parenting and disciplining their children, parents are seriously using these meds as a cop out. Children have energy. They are curious. They misbehave. That doesn't mean they should be medicated. It's crazy--and all the parents think their little sweeties should get "special privileges" because of their "disorders." Like I said, there are definitely some cases that are valid, but lots of them are bogus. Our nation is going overboard with the ADHD stuff. I know this was sort of a tangent from what we're talking about, but with so many young children taking these drugs nowadays, I'm sure this will become an even bigger problem in the future--these kids will become college students one of these days, ya know?

 

[nahehes49]

Like if you have done any of the following without adderall...

- did well on the DAT
- did well on classes
- got into dental school

there are probably more people that have done well without it vs adderall students. Path to d school is competitive but in the end, you'll get it if you deserve it. Let the fools dance while you rock.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

I totally agree that some cases are valid. However, my Mom has taught 3rd grade for many years, and the prevalence of students on ADHD medication is absolutely absurd. Instead of parenting and disciplining their children, parents are seriously using these meds as a cop out. Children have energy. They are curious. They misbehave. That doesn't mean they should be medicated. It's crazy--and all the parents think their little sweeties should get "special privileges" because of their "disorders." Like I said, there are definitely some cases that are valid, but lots of them are bogus. Our nation is going overboard with the ADHD stuff. I know this was sort of a tangent from what we're talking about, but with so many young children taking these drugs nowadays, I'm sure this will become an even bigger problem in the future--these kids will become college students one of these days, ya know?

My friend and i was actually discussing this a couple days ago. I also think children as young as 7 or 8 should definitely NOT be put on medication. They're kids for christ sakes! No kid wants to sit still for hours and listen to the teacher. I think ADD/ADHD diagnoses should come later in life when they're in highschool, if even that.

 

[squigloo]

Like if you have done any of the following without adderall...

- did well on the DAT
- did well on classes
- got into dental school

there are probably more people that have done well without it vs adderall students. Path to d school is competitive but in the end, you'll get it if you deserve it. Let the fools dance while you rock.

lik dis if u cry everytim

 

[athomas]

My friend and i was actually discussing this a couple days ago. I also think children as young as 7 or 8 should definitely NOT be put on medication. They're kids for christ sakes! No kid wants to sit still for hours and listen to the teacher. I think ADD/ADHD diagnoses should come later in life when they're in highschool, if even that.

By definition, to have ADHD your symptoms must appear by age 7...so, what was that about waiting til adulthood?

I think it's a gross oversimplification to say that kids are just kids and don't want to sit still. If you don't have ADHD and haven't bothered to learn about it, which I'm gathering you haven't, then how can you presume to know the best treatment for children? Is it possible that stimulant medications aren't the best first course of treatment for young children? Yes. Are there alternative methods of treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy that can manage symptoms in concert with or apart from medication therapy? Yes. But to say emphatically that no young child with ADHD should even be given a diagnosis of ADHD, let alone medicated, makes me wonder about your ability to be empathetic as a health care provider, and to give complex health issues the attention they deserve.
For children with it, ADHD can be crippling. It's not just that they don't want to sit still for hours and listen to their teacher, as you said. Their inability to focus is be coupled with a variety of other symptoms, and again by definition they must be severe enough to interfere with normal functioning in multiple areas of their life (e.g. school, home life).
If you're going to be a dentist, you will inevitably run into children with ADHD unless you specialize and never see kids. It's probably not a bad idea to educate yourself about ADHD and other critical issues in child health. As a healthcare provider patients will give weight to your comments, and if you were to offhandedly say something like, "no child under 8 should be medicated," to a parent of a child with ADHD who needs that medication to function, you could really add to the stigma that already comes with the diagnosis.

 

[athomas]

By definition, to have ADHD your symptoms must appear by age 7...so, what was that about waiting til adulthood?

I think it's a gross oversimplification to say that kids are just kids and don't want to sit still. If you don't have ADHD and haven't bothered to learn about it, which I'm gathering you haven't, then how can you presume to know the best treatment for children? Is it possible that stimulant medications aren't the best first course of treatment for young children? Yes. Are there alternative methods of treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy that can manage symptoms in concert with or apart from medication therapy? Yes. But to say emphatically that no young child with ADHD should even be given a diagnosis of ADHD, let alone medicated, makes me wonder about your ability to be empathetic as a health care provider, and to give complex health issues the attention they deserve.
For children with it, ADHD can be crippling. It's not just that they don't want to sit still for hours and listen to their teacher, as you said. Their inability to focus is be coupled with a variety of other symptoms, and again by definition they must be severe enough to interfere with normal functioning in multiple areas of their life (e.g. school, home life).
If you're going to be a dentist, you will inevitably run into children with ADHD unless you specialize and never see kids. It's probably not a bad idea to educate yourself about ADHD and other critical issues in child health. As a healthcare provider patients will give weight to your comments, and if you were to offhandedly say something like, "no child under 8 should be medicated," to a parent of a child with ADHD who needs that medication to function, you could really add to the stigma that already comes with the diagnosis.

Actually, I think the new DSM upped the upper limit for onset of symptoms to 12, which is still not a teenager.

 

[LLUdental]

I remember using Adderall in high school for an exam.. Boy did it create wonders... However, I swore to myself to never use it again because of the unsatisfied mood I was feeling shortly after.