Biggest Weakness/Doctors with Anxiety?

[HurricaneKatt]

So I have been trying to come up with a better question for what is your biggest weakness, and wanted to get some input. I have a lot of trouble with this questions not because I don't have any weaknesses, but because I have a hard time putting a positive spin on them...a weakness is a weakness. I've been reading some old "biggest weakness" threads and those have helped me get some ideas, but I wanted to get some SDN input on this...

My Actual Biggest weakness is without a doubt, my anxiety. I have OCD and it does play a big role in my life. Luckily most of my compulsions are internalized, and/or things that fit well into a medical career (I'm super awesome at washing my hands haha). I have had to work to learn to cope with some aspects and to overcome others. It's something I will always deal with and I am sure my anxiety will rear its ugly head at some times more than others. On a positive side it does make me more careful about stuff like say, contamination (I know some hospitals have had issues with doctors not washing their hands often/well enough - this would never be an issue with me), and in learning to live with my OCD and keep my anxiety under control I have learned certain stress management/coping mechanisms. It also gives me a deeper empathy for patients who may have anxiety disorders themselves. I am determined not to let it get in the way or interfere with becoming a doctor or my ability to treat patients and I am super stubborn, but obviously it is something that I will always have to work on...

My questions are:
whether or not this is an appropriate answer for an interview "biggest weakness" question and how it can be spun more positively. I don't want ADCOM thinking I'm going to not be able to handle med school/being a doctor because of my anxiety, nor do I want them thinking I'm a psychiatric case. Would it be safer to stick with something more mundane like difficulty delegating or being too non-confrontational...? I just feel like a truly honest answer to what is your biggest weakness is my anxiety/OCD.

And my other question is how many other people out there, if any, have dealt with this or a similar issue? Any Med students or docs out there with anxiety problems? What has your experience been like and how have you coped? I'd love to know I'm not the only one out there with this issue shooting for a career as a physician and how others have coped

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Bump?

 

[omare61]

I am going to regret saying this but I will be honest.

I would like to think I am not anti-social, but I guess I hate unnecessary conversations like "how was your day". I just wanna punch that guy in the face that likes small talk. I like debate and long conversation .

Here comes the part that I will really regret saying: I also tend to have an inferiority/superiority complex. If I feel superior to someone in anyway I will have a good conversation and be friendly with them too. If I feel inferior to someone, I cannot have a conversation and I act dumb and anti-social. This IS a problem and it is also unethical. Because when it comes to seeing patients (Oh man I cannot believe I am saying this-but truth hurts), The patients come to you because they are sick..because they are sick and I am healthy. That means I am 'superior' to them. So I won't be very anti-social with them. And I am very good with them! I do have patient contact as an UG, I am an EMT-I. I am very good with my patients just because of this!! They are asking me for help, that means I am superior in a way. Sorry to say this.

^now this is something that I WOULD NEVER SAY IN AN INTERVIEW. This is so so wrong. But this is the truth . In an interview, I would be very hesitant to admit such an unethical weakness. I would also be hesitant to admit your problems. Just avoid certain truths to make you look good--but please don't lie.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

I am going to regret saying this but I will be honest.

Hey, I appreciate the honest input. I'll be honest that it took a lot for me to finally come out and ask this via a post. Growing up I knew I had OCD, my parents knew...but they never truly understood it, and still don't. Kids would make fun of me a lot because of it (I washed my hands until they cracked and bled, they got called gross, old lady hands, etc along with other strange "habits" aka compulsions that I had). That is why so many of my compulsions became internalized, which is good because it means my OCD interferes with my life less outwardly. However, it also meant that it became something very difficult for me to talk about as I was very self conscious and embarrassed about it. I have gradually become very open with my SO about it after we started watching Obsessed together and he started to ask questions about my own OCD. Opening up to him has helped me relax about it a lot and being to open up to other people. (And strangely enough, watching the show gave me better vocabulary to explain things with haha). I feel like it is the most honest answer to biggest weakness, I'm just not sure if/how it can be made interview appropriate...

I'm also very interested to hear other people's stories! (So thanks for sharing! )

 

[DrTurf]

HurricaneKatt, I sent you a PM. Good luck with everything!

 

[pre med 2014]

The general rule of thumb is not to talk about mental disorder on a PS/interviews