Getting into Medical School with ADHD?

[FurtureEMdr]

Hi, I'm currently a Junior in college, and have had a not so nice academic record. Ive retaken classes and I'm doing better now but that's because I had add and was never tested or diagnosed. I saw a psych and got a test and an interview for add. I do have it and was prescribed Zenzedi. That semester while I was on it, my gpa improved even more than before and I was able to focus on the material and get good grades. My concern is when it comes time to apply to med schools, how do I explain that my bad academic record was from the ADD? Should I get a thorough neuropsych eval? and ADHD counseling as well? or will a history of going to my psych enough?
I'm worried that going to the Doctors alone will not suffice as enough evidence, even though my grade improvements coincide with getting diagnosed and treated.

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[DokterMom]

Frankly, it's not the kind of diagnosis you want to disclose too specifically anyway, though there are lots of med students with ADHD. Just say that when you realized you were struggling academically, you sought an evaluation, discovered you had some learning differences, and got treatment and changed your studying methods accordingly -- and that the results have been much better.

FYI, if your pre-diagnosis grades aren't up to standard, you should probably plan on two full years of rigorous coursework with a high GPA just to demonstrate that you're up to the challenge.

 

[Goro]

OP, pay 100% attention to this!

Let your transcript do your talking for you. Any attempt to explain in an application just comes off as an excuse. Save explanations for interviews.

I've had plenty of students with ADHD. If you can document it, you might be able to get accommodations like a quiet room, no windows, etc.

Frankly, it's not the kind of diagnosis you want to disclose too specifically anyway, though there are lots of med students with ADHD. Just say that when you realized you were struggling academically, you sought an evaluation, discovered you had some learning differences, and got treatment and changed your studying methods accordingly -- and that the results have been much better.

FYI, if your pre-diagnosis grades aren't up to standard, you should probably plan on two full years of rigorous coursework with a high GPA just to demonstrate that you're up to the challenge.

 

[familyaerospace]

I have ADHD, I was accepted.

So far, I am convinced most of the doctors I've met so far have ADHD but I've been meeting a lot of EM doctors lately.

 

[Goro]

Jeeze, aero, don't you have enough going on in your life????

I have ADHD, I was accepted.

So far, I am convinced most of the doctors I've met so far have ADHD but I've been meeting a lot of EM doctors lately.

 

[familyaerospace]

Jeeze, aero, don't you have enough going on in your life????

In all honestly Goro, my PCP diagnosed me with ADHD when my neuro said I have epilepsy. They've been fighting over it since 2008. Epilepsy diagnosis in May 2008 and ADHD in Dec 2008. I said I want to lock both of them (the neuro and PCP) up with weapons and whoever comes out gets control of my brain. The educational evaluation I had when I was 9 suggested ADHD and/or Aspergers (I was asked if I still had it and to bring it in) but they weren't diagnosing in girls back in 91. The epilepsy came from either the concussion from the car accident at 16 (hit by a drunk driver) or the concussion at 17 (at a doctor's office, nurse made me move when I was feeling faint and I hit my head on tarrazzo flooring giving me a concussion). Which diagnosis is accurate or if BOTH are accurate, is anyone's guess. We just know the Keppra stopped the complex partial seizures. The ADHD things could be absence seizures or simple partials.

I don't take the Ritalin or Adderall often because it affects the epilepsy medication. I have yet to get any accommodations for it.

When I was going to my daughter's kindergarten graduation, I was with my mother riding in the back of the car and I said that I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, however in the middle of a sentence, I saw a random well in the front yard of some guy's house and I literally stopped talking about the diagnosis to say "Wait is that a well?" (In the same way way that someone says "I have ADH--- Hey is that a squirrel?") After saying that I realized immediately what I said, I asked if I seriously just said that. My husband chimed in that I did in fact say it and I was made fun of for the rest of the 15 minute trip to the graduation. I wish I were joking!

In class yesterday, the paramedic always asks if anyone has seen this or that or whatever and they ask who it was. The guy has said I am in the worst shape of everyone as I keep being the one to have experienced it personally.

I have to laugh about all of this because if I didn't, I would cry.

 

[Goro]

Somewhere on your body there must one of these stuck to you, because Life seems to have thrown everything else at you! And you're still standing!

In all honestly Goro, my PCP diagnosed me with ADHD when my neuro said I have epilepsy. They've been fighting over it since 2008. Epilepsy diagnosis in May 2008 and ADHD in Dec 2008. I said I want to lock both of them (the neuro and PCP) up with weapons and whoever comes out gets control of my brain. The educational evaluation I had when I was 9 suggested ADHD and/or Aspergers (I was asked if I still had it and to bring it in) but they weren't diagnosing in girls back in 91. The epilepsy came from either the concussion from the car accident at 16 (hit by a drunk driver) or the concussion at 17 (at a doctor's office, nurse made me move when I was feeling faint and I hit my head on tarrazzo flooring giving me a concussion). Which diagnosis is accurate or if BOTH are accurate, is anyone's guess. We just know the Keppra stopped the complex partial seizures. The ADHD things could be absence seizures or simple partials.

I don't take the Ritalin or Adderall often because it affects the epilepsy medication. I have yet to get any accommodations for it.

When I was going to my daughter's kindergarten graduation, I was with my mother riding in the back of the car and I said that I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, however in the middle of a sentence, I saw a random well in the front yard of some guy's house and I literally stopped talking about the diagnosis to say "Wait is that a well?" (In the same way way that someone says "I have ADH--- Hey is that a squirrel?") After saying that I realized immediately what I said, I asked if I seriously just said that. My husband chimed in that I did in fact say it and I was made fun of for the rest of the 15 minute trip to the graduation. I wish I were joking!

In class yesterday, the paramedic always asks if anyone has seen this or that or whatever and they ask who it was. The guy has said I am in the worst shape of everyone as I keep being the one to have experienced it personally.

I have to laugh about all of this because if I didn't, I would cry.

 

[familyaerospace]

Somewhere on your body there must one of these stuck to you, because Life seems to have thrown everything else at you! And you're still standing!

I think it's right behind my left buttock.

I have a medical ID that sends you to myihr.com and I was tempted to upload a photo of a kitchen sink under medical documents, but I don't think the doctors would appreciate it. I have about two dozen food allergies, luckily only one drug allergy, but when people ask about allergies I have said I have "Every Known Drug Allergy" (which is also a good way to remember the fat soluble vitamins) as a joke because that is what one would expect from someone with my history.

To borrow a joke from my grandmother (83 and has had a crazy life too), as crazy as my life has been and as sick as I've been, I cannot die yet. I haven't ticked enough people off. She said a much more crass version to her new PCP, he cracked up so badly he had to leave the room to compose himself.

Laughter is the best medicine, so they say. Of course if it was, I wouldn't have all the weird diagnoses like my latest one which I told you about a few weeks ago. ;-)

 

[FurtureEMdr]

Thanks guys for your help! I was/am freaking out bc I'm getting treatment it wasn't sure if schools needed to know about it. So far my transcripts show the improvement significantly, got an A in orgo 1&2 and bio chem , and mostly As in my upper level bio classes. So it's a major improvement from Cs and some Ds I've had in the past. As per the advice of my advisor I'm retaking an older class to replace the grade. I really appreciate your help! Any other tips/advice? If I do get the neuropsychological testing, should I submit it to get more time on the Mcat?

 

[DokterMom]

Thanks guys for your help! I was/am freaking out bc I'm getting treatment it wasn't sure if schools needed to know about it. So far my transcripts show the improvement significantly, got an A in orgo 1&2 and bio chem , and mostly As in my upper level bio classes. So it's a major improvement from Cs and some Ds I've had in the past. As per the advice of my advisor I'm retaking an older class to replace the grade. I really appreciate your help! Any other tips/advice? If I do get the neuropsychological testing, should I submit it to get more time on the Mcat?

Congratulations on the big improvements! - Just my opinion, but I'd vote 'No' on the extra time. There seems to be some disagreement about the amount of stigma attached to test scores given under non-standard conditions, but if it's not an accommodation that you absolutely need to succeed, I'd argue against taking it. (Most ADHD students do not ask for testing accommodations, and without a demonstrated history of requiring testing accommodations throughout your school years, you're unlikely to receive them now.)

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

Thanks guys for your help! I was/am freaking out bc I'm getting treatment it wasn't sure if schools needed to know about it. So far my transcripts show the improvement significantly, got an A in orgo 1&2 and bio chem , and mostly As in my upper level bio classes. So it's a major improvement from Cs and some Ds I've had in the past. As per the advice of my advisor I'm retaking an older class to replace the grade. I really appreciate your help! Any other tips/advice? If I do get the neuropsychological testing, should I submit it to get more time on the Mcat?

I would definitely get the nueropsy evaluation before the MCAT, it will tell if you need more time or not. It is pretty clear to me you need to show a history of a long term disorder to qualify for accommodations. Best wishes to you.

 

[huskygirl123]

Thanks guys for your help! I was/am freaking out bc I'm getting treatment it wasn't sure if schools needed to know about it. So far my transcripts show the improvement significantly, got an A in orgo 1&2 and bio chem , and mostly As in my upper level bio classes. So it's a major improvement from Cs and some Ds I've had in the past. As per the advice of my advisor I'm retaking an older class to replace the grade. I really appreciate your help! Any other tips/advice? If I do get the neuropsychological testing, should I submit it to get more time on the Mcat?

If you have done that tedious 20 something hours of evaluation and want extra time on Mcat make sure you plan for it, I think the deadline is something like 90 days before, I missed the deadline the two times I took the Mcat and regret it dearly.
Also I've had C's but I was told never to blame it on the adhd, but some schools do ask on secondaries to explain grades bellow b-. Do what you will but I explained it as my time mismanagement or over commitments I had undertaken (probabaly bd adhd but I didn't bring that up). Gd luck!

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

The best doctors Ive met all seem to have ADHD. They're constantly running around like their a$$es are on fire and have a million things going on at once. But they weren't the best students in school from what I understand.

Great lesson these guys taught me is that being academically capable has very little to do with actually being a good physician.