Anyone else have an illness they live with daily and still going to med school?

[veryborderlineapplicant]

Interesting. I have a completely different internal ranking of which I would find the hardest to overcome (not putting it here because I really, really don't want to get into a completely disrespectful and meaningless hypothetical 'who has it worst' debate with anyone)...I imagine that someone's answer to this question (what do you think would be the hardest illness/disability for you to overcome) would reflect a lot about them and their experiences.

Only if you had a full context of their experiences, otherwise you'd just be pigeon-holing them and generalizing them incorrectly like what's often done by evaluators in medical school interviews. You cannot assume much about someone's experiences until you've actually been through them. For example, I have something that is in between the line of a supposedly "mildly minor learning disability/mental illness" and you'd be surprised how something labeled so innocuous by the medical field can cause so many problems, seemingly close so many doors, and otherwise limit ones self, even when I directly push against it, achieve, and move forward. Not to mention struggling to achieve what people see as norms and take for granted. Most people cannot relate to that perspective or even fathom that perspective and even supposedly "open-minded individuals" are surprisingly closed-minded. Also, If you call that entitlement and excuses, like what is often done, you have a lot to learn because it just isn't.

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[mehc012]

Only if you had a full context of their experiences, otherwise you'd just be pigeon-holing them and generalizing them incorrectly like what's often done by evaluators in medical school interviews. You cannot assume much about someone's experiences until you've actually been through them. For example, I have something that is in between the line of a supposedly "mildly minor learning disability/mental illness" and you'd be surprised how something labeled so innocuous by the medical field can cause so many problems, seemingly close so many doors, and otherwise limit ones self, even when I directly push against it, achieve, and move forward. Not to mention struggling to achieve what people see as norms and take for granted. Most people cannot relate to that perspective or even fathom that perspective and even supposedly "open-minded individuals" are surprisingly closed-minded. Also, If you call that entitlement and excuses, like what is often done, you have a lot to learn because it just isn't.

What are you talking about? Nothing in this post has anything to do with what I said.

 

[veryborderlineapplicant]

What are you talking about? Nothing in this post has anything to do with what I said.

Don't be so clueless, reread and learn. In order to understand someone's answer to the question posed you'd really have to have a context of their experiences, otherwise you'd be doing them an incredible disservice.

 

[656844]

Only if you had a full context of their experiences, otherwise you'd just be pigeon-holing them and generalizing them incorrectly like what's often done by evaluators in medical school interviews. You cannot assume much about someone's experiences until you've actually been through them. For example, I have something that is in between the line of a supposedly "mildly minor learning disability/mental illness" and you'd be surprised how something labeled so innocuous by the medical field can cause so many problems, seemingly close so many doors, and otherwise limit ones self, even when I directly push against it, achieve, and move forward. Not to mention struggling to achieve what people see as norms and take for granted. Most people cannot relate to that perspective or even fathom that perspective and even supposedly "open-minded individuals" are surprisingly closed-minded. Also, If you call that entitlement and excuses, like what is often done, you have a lot to learn because it just isn't.

Beautifully stated. If I can cite some sociology here that will be tested on the new 2015 MCAT, I think this is a case of medicalization (transforming a seemingly innocuous human condition into a matter to be treated by physicians). Since psych/soc is going to be a newly tested subject area, perhaps those interview evaluators need to start practicing what they're requiring of us.

 

[mehc012]

Don't be so clueless, reread and learn. In order to understand someone's answer to the question posed you'd really have to have a context of their experiences, otherwise you'd be doing them an incredible disservice.

All I was saying is that their answer gives you a hint of their experiences and values. The question was not 'which disability or illness do you have', but rather 'which do you think would bother you most, given that you don't know what it's like.' I don't anticipate that you'll know everything about a person, but I would imagine that, for example, a painter, a musician, and an athlete would have different knee-jerk reactions. Those reactions would of course be based more on the idea of what it would be like rather than the reality, but that's pretty much the point. I was trying to say that people's reactions when discussing these sorts of disabilities says more about them and their own backgrounds than it does about the disabilities themselves, which is actually fairly in line with what you're saying.

Mostly I was trying to avoid the thread devolving into 'but xyz would be worse than a wheelchair!' debate, as the post I was responding to definitely went down a 'which disability is the worst' road...that is a pointless and insulting ranking to put forth, especially if you don't know firsthand what the different hardships and resources are. So I made a post pointing out that hey, different people would struggle with different things, but that ranking has more to do with the individual than the specific hardship.

Furthermore, I didn't say anything about "entitlement and excuses", which you seemed to imply I did in your first post.

Anyway, that's the last that I will respond on the subject, so let's get back to the awesome topic of this thread, please. I admittedly don't respond well to condescending lectures anyway, so you're unlikely to make much headway.

 

[veryborderlineapplicant]

All I was saying is that their answer gives you a hint of their experiences and values. The question was not 'which disability or illness do you have', but rather 'which do you think would bother you most, given that you don't know what it's like.' I don't anticipate that you'll know everything about a person, but I would imagine that, for example, a painter, a musician, and an athlete would have different knee-jerk reactions. Those reactions would of course be based more on the idea of what it would be like rather than the reality, but that's pretty much the point. I was trying to say that people's reactions when discussing these sorts of disabilities says more about them and their own backgrounds than it does about the disabilities themselves, which is actually fairly in line with what you're saying.

Mostly I was trying to avoid the thread devolving into 'but xyz would be worse than a wheelchair!' debate, as the post I was responding to definitely went down a 'which disability is the worst' road...that is a pointless and insulting ranking to put forth, especially if you don't know firsthand what the different hardships and resources are. So I made a post pointing out that hey, different people would struggle with different things, but that ranking has more to do with the individual than the specific hardship.

Furthermore, I didn't say anything about "entitlement and excuses", which you seemed to imply I did in your first post.

Anyway, that's the last that I will respond on the subject, so let's get back to the awesome topic of this thread, please. I admittedly don't respond well to condescending lectures anyway, so you're unlikely to make much headway.

If you don't respond well to condescending lectures you shouldn't be giving them in the first place. What you say is very much inline now that you elaborated on it tho.

 

[deleted436726]

I can't seem to find the source, but I remember reading about a medical student (at UIllinois I believe?) who suffered from fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

 

[LizzyM]

Have you ever had someone restricted to a wheelchair, or an amputee, go through med school? I imagine those would be 2 of the hardest things to overcome.

In the time I've been on faculty (decades) there have been at least two students at my school who were admitted and successfully completed medical school and matched to a residency despite being in wheelchairs. If a student was an amputee with a prosthetic limb, I might not even notice.

 

[RTC19]

Hi all.

I have crohn's disease and have been dignosed with it for 7 years now. I have had 1 surgery and currently work and do school full time.

I want to know if there's any other nutballs out there taht have a debiliating illness who are going to try to become a doctor?

I'm one of those nutballs! I have a neurological chronic illness.

 

[AGSIII]

What about the blind pathologist?

 

[touchpause13]

I have a good deal of chronic health problems.

My biggest advice for medical school and chronic issues is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Seriously, you likely know the signs of when you are getting sicker, don't ignore them because it will blow up in your face. As soon as you start to experience symptoms, go see your doctor. Also take time to take care of yourself, it's really easy to let things like diet and exercise slide in med school and many conditions may get worse without them so it's worth your time.

 

[Spinach Dip]

In the time I've been on faculty (decades) there have been at least two students at my school who were admitted and successfully completed medical school and matched to a residency despite being in wheelchairs. If a student was an amputee with a prosthetic limb, I might not even notice.

Thanks.

That's the kind of inspiring story I was hoping to hear. For, surely, if they can make it through med school, anyone can!