A bit on the personal side of things

[miniman]

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Hey!

So, about two years ago I fell into a very deep depression and for a few months I was ready (and preparing) to commit suicide. (I battled it before, but never this bad.) (This all happened last year of HS and first year of College.) I eventually saw therapy and am now out of the woods with that part of my life. But this scares me for two reasons.
1. Over a hundred US med students commit suicide every year. I don't want to be one of them, but as I have a history of depression and suicidal ideation should I consider med school?
2. Does my having depression seeing a therapist make ADCOMS less interested in me?

So, I was doing some reading about this topic and I was dowering how I should process it.

Thanks,
M

EDIT:

Please don't think I am looking for affirmation here. I simply want to know what you think. Thanks. 🙂

 

[Goro]

Medical school is a furnace, and I've seen it break even healthy students. The #1 reason my school loses students to withdrawal, dismissal or LOA is to unresolved mental health issues. Therefore, I can't recommend this path unless your psychiatrist is 100% on board, and you go into this with eyes wide open.

A prolonged period of academic excellence allays any worries we have.

I've battled depression myself. You have my sympathies. Good luck!

 

[miniman]

Medical school is a furnace, and I've seen it break even healthy students. The #1 reason my school loses students to withdrawal, dismissal or LOA is to unresolved mental health issues. Therefore, I can't recommend this path unless your psychiatrist is 100% on board, and you go into this with eyes wide open.

A prolonged period of academic excellence allays any worries we have.

I've battled depression myself. You have my sympathies. Good luck!

Thanks, I haven't seen a Psychiatrist, but I did see a very good therapist that was at no point concerned about this holding me back, but was weary that I would be able to handle it myself. He said that if I was to go to Med-school, I should frequent the counseling services and make sure I have a good peer group that can help me out when I need someone to talk with. 🙂

 

[Gryffindor20]

1. I don't think that a history of depression automatically disqualifies you from pursuing a career in medicine. However, you should not even apply to medical school unless and until you are confident that you now have ways to cope with depressive episodes that don't involve harming yourself. I would highly encourage you to consider continuing therapy during med school, even if it means just going to the school counseling office once in a while. You cannot hope to take care of patients if you do not take care of yourself.

2. If you believe that, in your current state of mental health, you will be able to cope with the stressors in med school, then go ahead and apply! And don't mention a history of depression to ADCOMs. Fair or not, ADCOMs tend to be wary of admitting students who they think might harm themselves in response to high levels of stress.

You seem like someone who has a lot of insight into your own potential pitfalls/strengths/limitations. That will certainly serve you well in medical school. I say go for it.

 

[miniman]

1. I don't think that a history of depression automatically disqualifies you from pursuing a career in medicine. However, you should not even apply to medical school unless and until you are confident that you now have ways to cope with depressive episodes that don't involve harming yourself. I would highly encourage you to consider continuing therapy during med school, even if it means just going to the school counseling office once in a while. You cannot hope to take care of patients if you do not take care of yourself.

2. If you believe that, in your current state of mental health, you will be able to cope with the stressors in med school, then go ahead and apply! And don't mention a history of depression to ADCOMs. Fair or not, ADCOMs tend to be wary of admitting students who they think might harm themselves in response to high levels of stress.

You seem like someone who has a lot of insight into your own potential pitfalls/strengths/limitations. That will certainly serve you well in medical school. I say go for it.

*cue empowering music* .... thanks for your insight. I wondered if I had to or not. I just 1. want to survive med school, and 2. be a good doctor. So, yeah, I will most certainly frequent the school counseling office. I have not had anything to bring me down since, but this is not med school either. Again, thanks!

 

[miniman]

Thanks for the replies all, I think I have a good frame of reference here, and I appreciate it. I don't want this to linger on too long, so yeah. Thanks!