Anxiety and Depression

[BlackBantie]

Okay. For years I've suffered from anxiety and depression. I've been taking medicine to treat it for a couple of years but recently my new psychiatrist has been switching dosages and medications for me. It's really been screwing with my mentality and mood so needless to say it has been taking a toll on my school performance.

My GPA has dropped to a 3.88 (no, i'm NOT trying to be a troll) but with the way things are going, it's going to drop some more especially with some of the classes that I still need to take. The stupid medicines have put me in such a crappy mood that I've had to quit some extracurricular activities at the recommendation of my professor just so I can gather myself.

On med school applications they always have that one spot to write about any special circumstances or the like. Would my mental issues qualify as this? I don't want the adcoms to think that I'm just trying to make excuses for my lack of activities compared to the person next to me, but at the same time it has really messed with me. It also worries me that they might not think I'm not mentally capable for med school so a few of my classmates have told me NOT to write that down on applications.

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[SocialistMD]

On med school applications they always have that one spot to write about any special circumstances or the like. Would my mental issues qualify as this? I don't want the adcoms to think that I'm just trying to make excuses for my lack of activities compared to the person next to me, but at the same time it has really messed with me. It also worries me that they might not think I'm not mentally capable for med school so a few of my classmates have told me NOT to write that down on applications.

There are those on this forum who would like you to believe you don't even belong in medicine with any sort of "mental or psychiatric" disorder (just in case they surface later, you'll be prepared). That being said, I think it is ok to mention it, but I don't know that I would. You are going to create an issue that wouldn't be there otherwise if you mention it. I'm sure that if you phrased it articulately, you would be ok, but many people find their grades drop as they progress through college yet still manage to get into medical school. If you are asked during your interview, that would be the time to bring it up, because by then you already have the interview. Mentioning it before may be viewed as (a) a black mark or (b) like you are making excuses.

This is just my opinion on the matter. I honestly do not know one way or the other what effect mentioning it will have on your application. I would just error on the side of not mentioning it rather than the other way around so as to avoid that bias if it may occur.

Best of luck.

 

[erin682]

Hey, I faced this same dilemma when I applied. I felt that what I had gone through had shaped a great deal of who I am and has made me stronger and I think will make me a better doctor. On the other hand many people (unfortunately a pretty high number in medicine) are still really funny about mental illness. They are ok when it comes to treating it in patients but see it as weakness in colleagues. Anyway, in the end I opted not to put it on my application. I decided that I would talk about it in interviews if it came up (it didn't) but that I would prefer adcoms to see me and not an illness. I also know that I won't ever let depression negatively affect the way that I treat a patient so I decided that it was none of the adcoms business. They can see that I am strong by my personal statement and by my interviews and they don't really need to know how I got that way.

Ultimately the decision is up to you. Only you can decide how you want your application to present you. I just offer the warning that if you do decide to include your illness then you will have to accept the consequences that may come of it.

On a side note I would recommend taking some time before you start med school to get yourself emotionally ready. Even if its only the summer before its really important to take care of youself and build good emotional habits before you start. Med students are rampant with undiagnosed OCD, anxiety and depression, not to mention all the stress of being a med student. Its easy to get caught up in all of that and let med school become a very negative experience when it doesn't have to be.

Best of luck!

 

[funshine]

but at the same time it has really messed with me. It also worries me that they might not think I'm not mentally capable for med school so a few of my classmates have told me NOT to write that down on applications.

I would go with what your classmates say, and not write about it.
Many people go through varying degrees of depression at some point in their life. The important thing is that you overcome it.

Also, 3.88 sounds divinely high to me. I think most med schools understand that as you progress thru college, classes get harder so you don't necessarily improve gradewise. As long as it doesn't drop to below a 3.5, I wouldn't give any confessions as to why. On the other hand, if your GPA drops to 2.7, or you have to drop out of college for a few years b/c you're suffering from depression, etc., then of course you'd have to address it. But that doesn't seem to be your case

 

[trinitrotoluene]

If you have a really bad semester or a sub-3.5 GPA, I would stay completely mum.

Otherwise, just say that you got ill and then recovered on AMCAS. If you get asked serious questions during an interview (like the ones I got today), I would come clean, tell your interviewer what happened, what the diagnoses is, that you have recovered, that you are a stronger person for your therapy, and that your doctor will write a letter to back you up.

"There are those on this forum who would like you to believe you don't even belong in medicine with any sort of 'mental or psychiatric' disorder." These people are the trolls.

Good Luck!!!

 

[Without Wax]

depression is so common nowadays among undergrads. if you include that in your AMCAS I think the medical schools will just roll their eyes.

I would not include it, it just sounds like you are whining about your life.

but if you develop bipolar disorder or thought disorder or any other serious mental problems then you could include it.

 

[Kazema]

I really don't think having your GPA "drop" to 3.88 will be much a problem really. Don't worry about this right now. Just focus on getting better and then if it does end up being a problem you can get advice from your advisor. It's not totally uncommon for people to have blips on their transcript, and as long as you bring your grades up again once your psychiatrist gets you on the right combo of meds I think you'll be fine.

That said, if your GPA does take a huge nosedive and it looks like there's no reason for it, definitely think about approaching bringing it up in a way of "what doesn't kill me makes me (a) stronger (applicant)". That way you're not covering something up, making for a potentially awkward interview, and you're showing self-confidence, optimism, and the ability to overcome obstacles in your path to becoming a doctor.

EDIT: To clarify, I don't mean not to worry about your classes/grades right now, but don't worry about what to put on your app right now. Worry about the now now and the later later. No sense getting yourself even more anxious about something that may or may not be a problem sometime in the future when you already have so much on your plate right now.

 

[skp]

i'll agree with a previous poster on the "stigma" associated with mental illness even among those who are supposed to understand it (and logically should have the greatest compassion/understanding for those afflicted).

my advice: talk to your doc. get on what you had before, if it was working well, so you can take the "edge off" the way you feel. For anxiety, maybe request lorazepam or alprazolam to use as needed - you might be able to sense when you are going to experience high anxiety, and then effectively ward it off by taking something prior to an all out "high-anxiety" state.

also, maybe take some time to really reflect on your anxiety/depression and think of how best to deal with it (in additon to taking the medication). the best thing is to be able to recognize when you are in either of these states (more acutely) and be able to take pro-active steps to alleviate your emotional levels. It sounds trite, but it seems "knowledge of power" in many mental illnesses; you must learn about yourself and your medication and develop habits/practices to best manage.

back to what i said before though - bug the heck out of the doc until something works (or works better). your paying for the treatment and deserve to have the best outcome that is possible. a little persistence on your part, and you'll be thanking yourself down the road.

good luck with everything.

skp

 

[trinitrotoluene]

depression is so common nowadays among undergrads. if you include that in your AMCAS I think the medical schools will just roll their eyes.

I would not include it, it just sounds like you are whining about your life.

I wouldn't say that to the suicidally depressed patients on your psych rotation. ::rolls eyes::

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Anxiety and clinical depression are very common. That being said does not make it any easier to deal with your situation. Switching medications can cause big problems. Make sure you are doing this is small changes ove rlong periods of time. I know people who became suicidal when major alterations were made; you need to be very careful.

Next i would not worry about a 3.88 GPA. If one semster was significantly lower (what could it be..a 3.5??) then perhaps mention it as medical problems without elaborating. I agree with whoever said it, that no one knows better than the med profession that depression is an illness but there is still a stigma associated with it. Be prepared if you write anything on your application, the interviewer can and will ask you about it on your interview. I actually regret being so honest on mine...not that it got me rejected, just I was very uncomfortable discussing certain situations.

Please take care of yourself first, even if it means putting off med school for a year..it's a difficult, stressful path, make sure you can really handle it before engaging on it; it really doesn't get easier. All the best.

 

[Microdoc]

As a staff physician, I agree with several of the above posters. Many docs still treat people with any kind of mood disorders in a "funny" way (It is BS unfortunately). I would not mention it on an application. Your grades are still awesome. Like the other posters mentioned though, med school was the hardest environment I was ever in. I have GAD with depression and it was very rough during med school (that is where my symptoms were diagnosed). Make sure you are on a stable med regimen before you start or else see of you can do split years (I know people who graduated in 5 or 6 years). Good luck!

 

[BlueElmo]

I'm sorry to hijack the thread. But I was wondering if you should write about depression that you developed as a young child but overcame long ago?
Is that okay?