Hello! I wanted to ask what people's thoughts were on disclosing a mental health condition in the "why medicine" personal statement--> for instance, such that you build resilience, go into mental health advocacy, help the underserved, etc (these are very general things). I've heard mixed things about what to avoid and what is okay to disclose so I would love to hear different opinions on this!
Should you mention mental health in the "Why medicine" personal statement?
- Thread starter ananamous
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I think ADCOM's probably hear the same things over and over again, and that can't really be helped. If you want a really interesting or unique story I think it's worth noting. But in general, I think you just have to work with what you got, which are your experiences and why you want to be in medicine.
I honestly don't know if personal statements ever make or break an acceptance, but I guess I'd just try to make things at least interesting for the ADCOMs since they read so many. Although, I'm not even sure that's possible.
To be completely honest, I got interview invites from some DO and DPM schools so fast that I'm fairly certain they didn't even have time to read it.
I honestly don't know if personal statements ever make or break an acceptance, but I guess I'd just try to make things at least interesting for the ADCOMs since they read so many. Although, I'm not even sure that's possible.
To be completely honest, I got interview invites from some DO and DPM schools so fast that I'm fairly certain they didn't even have time to read it.
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I did but it was part of my reinvention story as well as my previous career as a social worker before medicine. It’s still a gamble and I would maybe save it for mission driven schools more than stat schools.
It’s not the app killer it used to be, but mental health in medical school still has a long way to go to being less stigmatized and more prioritized.
It’s not the app killer it used to be, but mental health in medical school still has a long way to go to being less stigmatized and more prioritized.
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The success of this strategy will depend on a number of factors, including the nature of the condition, the context of your story, and your ability to write about it effectively. Put another way, an applicant who explains they suffered chronic depression because they're LGBTQ but raised in hostile environment will be perceived very differently from the applicant who has had multiple episodes of psychosis that required hospitalization.
