Anyone get diagnosed with ADD in Med School?

[anxiousMS]

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I'm an MS IV and was recently diagnosed with ADD by a psychiatrist.. although I've always done pretty well in school the psychiatrist suggested it was merely because I was intelligent and had a good coping system.

However, since I got into med school my grades have been pretty average (which I didn't have a problem with since i figure everyone can't be a superstar among superstars)... I guess I was happy with mediocre.. unfortunately, I ended up scoring pretty poorly on step 1.. probably because the coping I used just didnt work with the enormous material on step 1.

Now comes the ethical dilemma regarding whether to start take prescription meds(as i'll start studying for step 2 in a month or two).. the psychiatrist said it was up to me if I want it or not. While I think my case of ADD is pretty mild since I've gotten so far(either that or I have great coping), .. would taking meds constitute an unfair advantage?

Part of me still considers my add just an element of my personality and not an illness, for what its worth.

Any thoughts/comments? Comments from people who were dx'd with ADD late in their med school career would be particularly enlightening.

 

[sendwich]

i'm not sure about the validity of this statement but i've heard several times that if you dont have ADD, ADD drugs should have no effect on you (?). not sure how that works.

 

[lilnoelle]

This thread is really close to asking for medical advice and so I need to close it.