M
mitrieD
How did it effect your interviews? If you got in, how did you handle med school?
Anyone here ever apply to med school while dealing with depression and social anxiety?
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I've seen tons of people get rejected for being too nervous. Occasionally some for having too flat an affect.
I strongly suggest that you do not venture down this pathway until your issues are 100% under control. Med school is a furnace, and I've seen it break even healthy students. Mental health issues are the #1 reason my school loses students to dismissal, withdrawal or LOA.
I strongly suggest that you do not venture down this pathway until your issues are 100% under control. Med school is a furnace, and I've seen it break even healthy students. Mental health issues are the #1 reason my school loses students to dismissal, withdrawal or LOA.
Don't apply until you have your social anxiety and depression under better control. The application process is tough and grueling. And it's only the beginning...med school will be even crazier. There's a chance it might make symptoms worse if you apply immediately. Use this time to get the treatment and support you need. Med school will still be here 2, 5, or 10 years from now. Best wishes
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Not sure about depression, but I applied and interviewed with moderate social anxiety/severe nervousness when it came down to those important 60 minutes. Some worse than others, currently a reject from my most nervous interview and an acceptance from a school I interviewed more comfortably at.
Not surprised about the rejection.... at points I couldn't speak coherently since I was clearly being put on the spot, even remember making ridiculous hand gestures on the table which the guy looked at with concern.
Hopefully this doesn't translate to med school anxiety/failure; I've always done well under school pressure. But goddamn, when you know the next 60 minutes with an interviewer could make or break an acceptance offer (or future career path) it gets you sweating.
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Not surprised about the rejection.... at points I couldn't speak coherently since I was clearly being put on the spot, even remember making ridiculous hand gestures on the table which the guy looked at with concern.
Hopefully this doesn't translate to med school anxiety/failure; I've always done well under school pressure. But goddamn, when you know the next 60 minutes with an interviewer could make or break an acceptance offer (or future career path) it gets you sweating.
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This is definitely something to address during your medical school career. Interviewing poorly during residency interviews can also sink your chances of matching well or matching at all.
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I think it's up to you to decide how severe your mental health issues are and how well you can control your outward behavior. I applied this cycle while dealing with both depression and social anxiety -- severe at times, better at others. Some of my interviews were cringingly bad because of it, for sure. But I can often also hide it well enough that it won't be glaringly obvious in a 30-60 minute conversation. The struggle is that it's usually very dependent on who the interviewer is, their subtle reactions, even the lighting and layout of the room, etc, which is not ideal for a career where you'll need to communicate with a wide variety of people in a wide variety of settings. Usually I made an effort to chat with other applicants in the morning to get myself in a more social mood, if that makes sense.
I'm close enough to getting a handle on it all that I don't think it should/would preclude me from starting this year. I've been lucky to still garner a few acceptances, even at places where my interview was a little awkward.
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I'm close enough to getting a handle on it all that I don't think it should/would preclude me from starting this year. I've been lucky to still garner a few acceptances, even at places where my interview was a little awkward.
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I'd look into beta blockers.
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I have never been diagnosed with either (because I never talk to my doctor about it) but I have experienced persistent symptoms of depression for several years. Part of it was due to anxiety about not being able to accomplish my dream of entering medicine.
Fortunately, I've always been pretty talented at hiding my feelings and pretending like they don't exist, so it did not affect my interviews. I actually did quite well at all of them, since my depression hasn't stopped me from being personable and articulate.
So far, every school I've heard back from post-interview has accepted me.
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I have pretty bad anxiety and was anxious about the upcoming application cycle. The anticipation of it all made me the most anxious. But surprisingly, I handled myself very well during most of my interviews! MMI definitely posed more of a challenge for someone who suffers from anxiety for sure and I internally scoffed at those who would tell me "MMI is fun!" "it's like speed dating"...I was like HUH? seems like the scariest situation on earth (besides MCAT)! But, low and behold, I kept my cool and got through each interview 1 step at a time. I have tools to manage my stress and anxiety and I plan on using the in med school and only pray that they work!
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Not to derail this thread but you might want to get this figured out before med school. I get pretty damn nervous before every OSCE, and I don't even have any anxiety issues. Dealing with standardized patients while being evaluated might be hard for you.
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@Titus Andromedon
Can a pcp prescribe beta blockers for anxiety?
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Can a pcp prescribe beta blockers for anxiety?
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Yes mine did. I used to have terrible anxiety before public speaking and interviews, and they helped immensely.
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Yes. The FM physician I scribe for prescribes Propranolol for panic attacks all the time
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Sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous! For all you know, you'll totally rock at SP encounters! But just be aware that you're going to have standardized patients evaluating you and doctors watching you (from like 4 different camera angles lol) and listening to you from outside the room while you examine the SP. If you think that's something you might struggle with, definitely seek help right away.
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How are you able to accomplish all of your ECs, LORs, research, volunteer, gain patient experience, etc while suffering from social anxiety? You basically need the ability to act as the mayor of a small village to get into medical school.
I could see someone with mild depression just grinding through all the check boxes but with social anxiety you would run into much more obstacles...
I could see someone with mild depression just grinding through all the check boxes but with social anxiety you would run into much more obstacles...
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M
mitrieD
Good question. When I'm in a "business oriented mood" I'm not anxious because I'm not acting like myself. It's hard to explain. Like if I'm working in an office or something like that I could be professional and keep my cool. It's the "being laid back, social, and approachable" aspect of myself that I suffer from a sociological perspective. But I'm just scared that my depression will effect my work too much because it definitely did in undergrad. Maybe I can fix it before school if I actually get in. Like in med school I can see myself being the outcast while others will have their groups and cliques and that'll effect me too. I struggled with that in undergrad.
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Ah I see. Maybe you should try making socialization a priority, set aside some time once a week to do one social event.
Yes! I take propranolol for my anxiety. Also meditation! And I feel calmer when I'm prepared. Also take the breaks they give you throughout the day to take a minute to breathe on your own...You can do it, you just have to know what works for you.
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I have bipolar disorder and OCD. I have absolutely horrible anxiety and go through intense depressive cycles along with the occasional manic cycle.
It wasn't easy, but I made it through the application process okay and got multiple interviews and was accepted at my top choice. It's very possible, but I wouldn't suggest doing it without the help of a therapist. And keep in mind, a lot of your interview prep will have to involve figuring out how to handle these issues on interview day.
It wasn't easy, but I made it through the application process okay and got multiple interviews and was accepted at my top choice. It's very possible, but I wouldn't suggest doing it without the help of a therapist. And keep in mind, a lot of your interview prep will have to involve figuring out how to handle these issues on interview day.
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Did you mention your psychiatric issues anywhere on your application or did you just keep it all hidden?
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I didn't mention it in any of my applications, but it did come up in a MMI I had at the school where I ended up getting accepted. It wasn't something I volunteered, but if it came up, I was honest but made sure to frame it properly to show how I overcame a struggle and give the impression that I'm capable of handling medical school rather than at a disadvantage. It's definitely a very delicate issue
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D
deleted838817
I interviewed this year with anxiety issues that I now acknowledge. Additionally, during the cycle I was also dealing with stress and grief as my single mother's cancer came back a 3rd time and was on hospice for some of my interviews; she passed away in March. Thinking back on her experience with treatment is highly emotional, as it involved risky surgeries that disfigured her face, left her on a G-tube and and unable to speak. I had 3 interviews and when the subject of "why medicine?" comes up, although I practiced answering this question a lot, the answer is emotional as it involves my family experience with medicine (I lost my dad, brother, and now my mom to cancer). I can't help but shed some tears during this part of the interview because it involves looking at the big picture of what my family has endured. I am waitlisted at each of those schools, and am preparing to reapply (ugh!). I am going to seek therapy now, I never had before, I think it will be beneficial in processing everything, and handling day-to day life, but also beneficial for my next rounds of interview because I will practice talking about my experiences more and get guidance on how to not get triggered.
