Quoted: Recovering addict and medical school

[Doodledog]

I need some advice on how to approach my years of addiction when applying and interviewing to medical school. This would be a non-issue except that I received a misdemeanor charge in 2007 of "Drug-Related Loitering" and a misdemeanor charge of "Theft".

A little about me. I was an IV heroin addict from the time I was 16-21. After 4 trips to hospital for cellulitis and probably only weeks away from my inevitable death, I gathered up enough courage to ask for help from the one family member that had not written me off. She gave me half of the money to pay to to a one week detox program under the condition that I attend NA/AA afterwards. I was not opposed to this in least bit. While at the detox program, instead of sitting around glorifying my drug usage, I begged the program director to let me partake in the meetings that the rehab inpatients were attending throughout the day. For one reason or another, detox patients were not normally allowed to go to attend these. After enough begging, he finally let me. Two days before release my counselor approached me and told me he had something exciting to tell me. We walked over to the office and he informed me that the program wanted to extend to me a scholarship for a 60-day inpatient rehab. This saved my life, literally. After completing that program I went on to live in a sober living for 9 months and was given the responsibility of house manager for the last 4 months.

It has now been over 5 years and I am still completely clean. I am an active member of the recovery community. I have showed close friends with the disease of addiction the way to a fulfilled life and I am a volunteer at the syringe exchange/ HIV testing center in my community.

I apologize for the length of this, but I feel that what I have done in my recovery is important in determining of others might view my past.

My undergrad cGPA was a 3.0 at graduation (3.7+ for the last 90 hours of coursework upon returning for my leave of absence to address my addiction) and I am about to complete an MS program in a hard science with a 4.0. I have multiple publications to my name, and I have received multiple grants and awards for my performance.

So, after all that, how am I going to be viewed my adcoms? How do I approach this? I know that I can do a lot of good for people in this country who have similar issues and have been marginalized in society.

Tell your story. Leave out some details, just the basics. Focus on the last 5 years and what you want to do. There will be some adcoms/schools that won't be interested in you. Most will be however, IMHO. Apply broadly and I bet if the rest of your application is strong, including MCATs, you'll be accepted somewhere.

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[Leforte]

Agree with the above. There may be a condition that you enrol with the state's physician heath program which will have random drug testing and potentially mandatory group counselling with other physicians or external 12 step programs. Although this may seem inconvenient - it will support that you have remained clean and when it comes to licensing/residencies in the future - assures that there are not active problems.

 

[deleted126335]

Don't know what your long term ambitions are, but most possibly all anesthesiology programs will probably be a closed door if you are admitted to med school.

 

[bigkahunaburger]

Wow, that's quite an impressive story, apply both MD/DO. I'm pretty sure you'll do well on the MCAT, I would have a hard time believing more than few schools won't give you a shot. You'll definitely help and inspire a lot of people, best of luck!

 

[DoctwoB]

Wow, that's quite an impressive story, apply both MD/DO. I'm pretty sure you'll do well on the MCAT, I would have a hard time believing more than few schools won't give you a shot. You'll definitely help and inspire a lot of people, best of luck!

Agreed that you have a hell of a story, and many adcoms should and will give you a shot. Some will question whether the stress of med school combined with easier access to narcotics will be a bad combination. I'd counter this by being proactive in having a plan to deal with this (stress coping mechanisms, registering with state board with testing if necessary, local NA, avoiding specialties like anesthesia). Don't wait to be told to do these things.

 

[kevin512]

In Florida, Medical students are required to join the state monitoring program. I know that the UofF Med School will make you join. I would do it regardless so as to document your sobriety early... that means gaining medical insurance, malpractice insurance and basically getting a job will become easier. Documented sobriety (within a worthy state program) is your friend. Without the latter, you become a loose cannon in the eyes of many. Good Luck!

 

[Lil Mick]

I was, as well (alcohol and heroin, sober at 20), and have gone through the application process with a couple of years of sobriety (accepted to 6 programs, mostly MD/PhD). I'll post a bit of my experience here, but please send me a PM if you (or someone else in this position) would like to talk more

I did briefly bring it up in my personal statement, as a lot of my medical experiences came from volunteering in the prison system and with a free clinic serving rehabs/half-way houses. I also needed to disclose for the legal section of AMCAS/secondaries. Most schools responded pretty positively when it was brought up in interviews, though a few interviewers weren't so nice.

One thing that helped me was looking at schools with support for students in recovery (some undergrad schools have sober living/meetings on campus/counselors who specialize in addiction) or schools in a community with strong recovery and accessible meetings. Medical school can be draining and intense, but it helped me to have the support system during that part of my education.

I hope that helps! And I'm happy to talk more about it or help with the application process as a student in recovery

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

There are others who have a similar story and have gone through med school. Some are very open about it: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/06/among_oregon_health_science_un.html