Should I get diagnosed?

[NARP]

Hello,

I'm an MS3 and am pretty sure that I have narcolepsy (or at least there is a significant possibility I have it, haven't had a sleep study yet). Anyway, I am in the Air Force HPSP and have been having trouble with daytime sleepiness. I went to the doctor and he said it sounds like it could be narcolepsy from my history and ordered a sleep study. Now, I want to go into a very competitive surgical subspecialty and also would like to stay in the Air Force, and after a lot of googling, it looks like staying in the air force would be very hard if I have this diagnosis.

Should I get my sleep study done? I obviously want to be able to operate at my peak and not be miserably tired all day, but I also want to get into my specialty of choice and remain in the Air Force.

My other question is, if I do get this done and get kicked out of the Air Force, how will this diagnosis affect applying to residencies civilian-wise? Will I be disqualified for this medical condition? Are they allowed to ask me about medical conditions? Thank you all. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: already saw the sleep doctor in clinic and have about a week until the sleep study. I just don't know if it will ruin my career to have an official diagnosis attached to my name.

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[j4pac]

NARP...it's a tough decision. I don't want to give you any advice that recommends fraudulent activity and lying to military medical personnel, because that is what you would be doing if you withheld this information.

I think the right thing to do is to get treatment. Believe it or not...life gets harder after MS3. Residency walks a fine line boarding on being dangerous for both the resident and patient. You will be sleep deprived. Having an underlying sleep disorder I believe crosses the line. You really could do something to hurt someone. I say get a diagnosis, get appropriately treated, get your symptoms under control...then cross the administrative bridge when you get there.

I had a sleep study performed in my MS3 year...and I am pretty sure that many other medical students do as well. Come to find out that I had typical non-pathologic anxiety combined with poor sleep hygiene and a typical exhaustion due to medical school. I changed my lifestyle a bit and I did fine. I made it through internship before the most work hour restrictions and even more impressively survived raising twins...which was much more difficult than internship. You may NOT have an underlying sleeping disorder.

 

[jabreal00]

Narcolepsy is not very common. You have a higher chance of having sleep apnea which leads to excessive daytime somnolence. In any event you should get the sleep study to better elucidate what's going on. Your health matters the most.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Agree. Take care of yourself. Screw the Air Force, they won't care about you. You need to do that.

 

[NARP]

My other concern is that, if I do get separated from the Air Force, will that affect my chances at getting a residency spot? Will having a diagnosis like this bar me from do a surgical specialty? I don't feel that it affects my performance at all (I am just sleepy all the time, but it doesn't affect me at all when I am standing and doing something), but will the program directors at residency interviews see it that way?

 

[bustbones26]

My other concern is that, if I do get separated from the Air Force, will that affect my chances at getting a residency spot? Will having a diagnosis like this bar me from do a surgical specialty? I don't feel that it affects my performance at all (I am just sleepy all the time, but it doesn't affect me at all when I am standing and doing something), but will the program directors at residency interviews see it that way?

First and foremost, please, as others have said, it is of utmost importance that you take care of your health. Getting the residency you want isn't worth a pile of squat if your physical health declines, which will also result in detioration of your mental health. Whether you have something as simple as poor sleep hygiene, or something as serious as narcolepsy, please get diagnosed and take care of it!

Second, what makes you think that you don't stand a chance if you have to apply for a civilian residency?

Third, I had been diagnosed with some medical issues back whenever I was an MS3, nothing serious, just enough that it should have been reported. What happened in my case was, I received orders to report to walter reed and go through a typical MEB evaluation. The docs that I met with ask me outright if I wanted out? They said, (paraphrase) "Look, if you want out, we can write up this MEB NARSUM to sound really bad, or if you want to stay in, we can make it sound like no big deal".

If you choose the later, or do indeed have organic sleep disorder, likely, this will exclude you from being a flight surgeon, DMO, or some other "special" duty and that is about all.

Good luck, and please take care.

 

[idq1i]

The docs that I met with ask me outright if I wanted out? They said, (paraphrase) "Look, if you want out, we can write up this MEB NARSUM to sound really bad, or if you want to stay in, we can make it sound like no big deal".

They say that because most don't know that there are special rules that apply to generals and to MC officers. I know that med students are technically not in the MC, but I'm sure rules can be stretched.

AR635-40
3–13. Special rules applicable to general and medical corps officers
a. General officers and medical corps (MC) officers will not be found to be unfit by reason of physical disability if they can be expected to perform satisfactorily in an assignment appropriate to their grade, qualifications, and experience.