Okay to disclose minor condition in secondary essays?

[Mr. Beefy Lion]

Hi, I don't see why it would be a problem but wanted to make sure. In a secondary essay I mentioned a minor condition I was diagnosed with a while ago (not psychological) and mentioned how the physician was noticeable proficient in communicating with me. I went on to talk about how i aspired to have the same proficiency as a clinician and used this as a reason as to why I liked a certain program and X medical school.

Just wanted to be sure this wouldn't be seen as weird/too common. Thoughts?

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[Spector1]

I wouldnt disclose any disability to medical schools. They are not legally allowed to ask for it. Why would you volunteer it? It can only harm you in my opinion.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

I wouldnt disclose any disability to medical schools. They are not legally allowed to ask for it. Why would you volunteer it? It can only harm you in my opinion.

Doesn't sound like a disability. Not asking you to share more than you're comfortable with OP, but the answer probably changes depending on whether it could have any impact on your performance in med school. @Spector1 was probably thinking of something like ADHD that maybe someone could interpret as a potential problem. If it was eczema, not much chance of this.

 

[Red G]

In my opinion, it depends if the condition could be seen as adversely affecting your performance in any way. If it's something that could be seen as a negative, don't disclose it.

 

[WedgeDawg]

This should be fine, though if you're at all concerned about whether or not the condition itself might be perceived badly, you can modify the condition to be something innocuous (eczema was suggested earlier).

 

[Mr. Beefy Lion]

I wouldnt disclose any disability to medical schools. They are not legally allowed to ask for it. Why would you volunteer it? It can only harm you in my opinion.

Doesn't sound like a disability. Not asking you to share more than you're comfortable with OP, but the answer probably changes depending on whether it could have any impact on your performance in med school. @Spector1 was probably thinking of something like ADHD that maybe someone could interpret as a potential problem. If it was eczema, not much chance of this.

In my opinion, it depends if the condition could be seen as adversely affecting your performance in any way. If it's something that could be seen as a negative, don't disclose it.

Supraventricular tachycardia. Had a procedure done to fix it a while back but didn't include that part in the essay. What do you think?

 

[Red G]

Supraventricular tachycardia. Had a procedure done to fix it a while back but didn't include that part in the essay. What do you think?

In that case it seems fine and is an example of a good view from the patient's side of medicine.

 

[caffeinemia]

Why does the condition matter?

It's like.. oh. I've been diagnosed with peri-umbilicitis. Okay... so wtf does any of it have to do with your ability do a differential diagnosis?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Why does the condition matter?

It's like.. oh. I've been diagnosed with peri-umbilicitis. Okay... so wtf does any of it have to do with your ability do a differential diagnosis?

It most likely doesn't, but why would you want to present something to an adcom that may harm your chances due to some strange preconceived notion when you're risking this for absolutely no benefit in return? It's just an easy way to remove a possible added risk.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Why does the condition matter?

It's like.. oh. I've been diagnosed with peri-umbilicitis. Okay... so wtf does any of it have to do with your ability do a differential diagnosis?

You can't think of a single condition that would impact the ability of a student to thrive in medical school?

 

[caffeinemia]

It most likely doesn't, but why would you want to present something to an adcom that may harm your chances due to some strange preconceived notion when you're risking this for absolutely no benefit in return? It's just an easy way to remove a possible added risk.

Agree. I am totally against including extraneous info.

 

[Spector1]

It most likely doesn't, but why would you want to present something to an adcom that may harm your chances due to some strange preconceived notion when you're risking this for absolutely no benefit in return? It's just an easy way to remove a possible added risk.

exactly, they are taking an extraordinary risk and investment by potentially offering you one of a hundred or two seats. They want to make sure that all of those seats go to people who will survive passing the boards and becoming successful doctors

 

[asdfat]

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[WedgeDawg]

I know that the AAMC wants each medical school to have at least ____% of applicants be URM, does the same thing follow suit at all with physical disabilities? Are schools encouraged to have say 1 matriculant in each class with some form of a disability?

Though I suspect you are trolling, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and answer no, as well as questioning the credibility of your first statement.

 

[asdfat]

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[WedgeDawg]

I'm really not trolling, it is an honest question that I was curious to recieve an answer and I didn't want to start a whole another thread. Each medical school can be considered excellent by the AAMC based on a certain percentage of URM matriculants. The dean of a medical school said as much in a presentation I attended a few months ago.

Okay, well I don't think disability falls into the same category as URM here. In fact, medical schools have "technical standards" that matriculants must have in order to attend and graduate. Harvard Med's is good to look through and see for yourself (https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/admissions/applying/policies#TechStandards).

 

[asdfat]

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[WedgeDawg]

"Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of physicians are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the administration of intravenous medication, the application of pressure to stop bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, the suturing of simple wounds, and the performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision."

Can one that doesn't have the greatest fine muscular movements merely avoid rotations in the ER and surgery and rather commit to areas of medicine such a primary care or psychiatry?

I doubt it because what if you have to intubate someone, suture a lac, or place an IV, all of which you definitely will have to do some point in any primary care residency (even psych). When they say fine muscular movements, they don't mean "do you have the hands of Gazi Yasargil", they mean "can you use your hands for ordinary activities that require some degree of motor control". If you can type on a computer, you probably have the dexterity required for most aspects of medicine.

 

[asdfat]

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