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Started by X0001234
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@E0001234 , unless you've done some community service, advocacy, or paid work with people with anorexia, you really haven't tested your interest in working with that population. I could say that I received compassionate and empowering care from my OB and her team but that doesn't translate into applying to medical school saying that my career goal is to be an OB based solely on my personal experience of having given birth.
Work experience with people with dementia isn't a common narrative and it is a growing need in our US population. Go with it. No one is going to hold you to it and if you want to pivot to psychiatry for eating disorders on day #1 of med school, no one will stop you.
@E0001234 , unless you've done some community service, advocacy, or paid work with people with anorexia, you really haven't tested your interest in working with that population. I could say that I received compassionate and empowering care from my OB and her team but that doesn't translate into applying to medical school saying that my career goal is to be an OB based solely on my personal experience of having given birth.
Work experience with people with dementia isn't a common narrative and it is a growing need in our US population. Go with it. No one is going to hold you to it and if you want to pivot to psychiatry for eating disorders on day #1 of med school, no one will stop you.
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For AMCAS, you have the Other Impactful Experiences essay to consider.
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The Weather on Your Application Journey | Student Doctor Network | SDN
The weather on your application journey, made up of challenges and systemic barriers, shapes you as an applicant and healthcare provider.
www.studentdoctor.net
Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Explore Your Story | SDN
The Other Impactful Experiences essay, new in 2023 for AMCAS and ERAS, allows applicants to share significant experiences.
www.studentdoctor.net
Write Your Secondary Essays First | Student Doctor Network | SDN
Secondary essays are a critical part of your application that ensure your picking the right schools and prepare you for the interview process.
www.studentdoctor.net
For AMCAS, you have the Other Impactful Experiences essay to consider.
The Weather on Your Application Journey | Student Doctor Network | SDN
The weather on your application journey, made up of challenges and systemic barriers, shapes you as an applicant and healthcare provider.
Other Impactful Experiences Essay: Explore Your Story | SDN
The Other Impactful Experiences essay, new in 2023 for AMCAS and ERAS, allows applicants to share significant experiences.
Write Your Secondary Essays First | Student Doctor Network | SDN
Secondary essays are a critical part of your application that ensure your picking the right schools and prepare you for the interview process.
Do you think it's safe to discuss my illness in that essay you mention? Will it put me under increased scrutiny?
Quality of life research in dementia care is exceedingly rare among applicants and will stand out in a positive way, particularly when combined with employment in a dementia care setting.
Honestly there's still a lot of stigma in medicine with mental health. Many medical students I meet still think psychiatrists are fake doctors. Imagine how some of the older administrators are....
All those people are idiots, but those idiots can still tank your app. I'd avoid discussing your own mental health issues personally.
All those people are idiots, but those idiots can still tank your app. I'd avoid discussing your own mental health issues personally.
Get it read by our volunteers and your references. You should mind the amount you should say to balance any concerns.
I agree with leaving your history of anorexia out of the application. While we have come some ways with regards to recognizing mental health issues, there is still significant stigma associated with anorexia nervosa compared to other conditions like anxiety (in my opinion). It is unfortunate, but I can see it unfairly biasing some reviewers against you.
It seems that the rest of your application is robust, so you have many other experiences to talk about. Once you are a practicing physician, hopefully you will join your school's admission committee and make meaningful differences from within. Best of luck and just my thoughts.
If I were in your situation, I would not disclose it for residency applications.
For licensing, only disclose it if you need to. Some states will ask for any history of mental health conditions no matter how well controlled the condition is. For these states, you will need to disclose 'yes'. However, most other states will only ask about current impairment, to which you can safely answer 'no' if your condition remains well controlled. For a list of each, please see: Physician-Friendly States for Mental Health: A Review of Medical Boards .
Just my thoughts.
