Mental health issues and Caribbean schools

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Maggy1028

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I was looking into a Caribbean med school. But I have a well controlled mental health medical condition. I can handle the atmosphere I just need access to specialist and my psych meds. Will this be a problem?

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This is a very broad question to answer, especially without knowing the Caribbean school or island you are contemplating or the specifics of your mental health condition (which you may reasonably prefer not to share here). Every school and island will be different. Also, I wouldn't want to rely on any forum for this answer. I'd want to speak directly with the school you are considering to find out what supports and services are available, both through the school itself and on the island.

Some schools may have robust supports available through the school, including psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. Others may have nothing. I imagine some islands may have very few if any psychiatrists who practice there, depending on the size of the island. Pharmacies on the island may have difficulty obtaining some of the newer psych meds, so you may have to bring what you need.

Also I would want to be very sure the stress of med school won't destabilize your condition, and I'd look for a school with a clearly written accommodation policy for disabilities in case you require accommodation.

In short, there is a lot to consider and some potentially serious consequences if you destabilize psychiatrically on the island. I'd want to be very careful about choosing this path.
 
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You can get certain psych meds on-island but they have to be prescribed by a local psychiatrist and they tend to be much more expensive since they don't go through insurance. Most schools would recommend you bring enough meds to last an entire semester, though this may not be possible with some controlled substances. I had a friend whose mother would ship him his meds as needed and hoped customs didn't flag it and another who bit the bullet and paid a few hundred bucks for a supply of his ADHD meds on island from a local doctor.

As far as access to your psychiatrist. It'd obviously be a tele-health call but don't see why you wouldn't be able to meet with them regularly.

TLDR: on controlled meds = hard to live there b/c of access issues. uncontrolled = fine if you can get a 3-4 months supply ahead of time.
 
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