Chronic disease?

[Bkv11]

---

Members don't see this ad.

hey guys,

how about a close family member who has a chronic disease? My mom has had lupus since I was a little child. Is it worth bringing this up in my PS/secondaries/interviews? This has motivated me to become a doctor.

if it was part of your motivation to become a doctor I think it'd be good to bring up, as long as you don't dwell on it too much.

 

[bfreefasho]

I was diagnosed in March with glomerulosclerosis--specifically C1q nephropathy. It is a complement disorder that affects the kidneys and can lead to renal failure. I have found that if you are honest about your condition committees are not going to discriminate against you. Ive been accepted into two schools already this cycle. But starting medical school and not finishing because of my condition is always in the back of my mind. But I guess those of us with chronic conditions have to learn how to roll with the punches, try to focus on what we can control and let God handle the rest. Wish the best for those with chronic conditions and pursuing medicine.

 

[diosa428]

nice thread 🙂
I have sickle cell anemia, since I've had it my whole life I've learned to adapt to different situations and environments so it doesn't affect my quality of life too much. But I can't over exert myself physically, and no matter how careful I am, I usually get at least one(used to be a lot more 🙂) week long hospitalization per year (sometimes at the worst possible time). I'm planning on my application being pretty competitive otherwise, but will these limits put me at a disadvantage when compared to applicants with similar stats and no physical limits or time off to worry about?

Another thing is, I have no interest in becoming a Hematologist(or anything else with loads of patient contact and long hours). Would I come off as insensitive if I have no desire to treat others with my condition?

Also, would immunodeficiency be a significant concern of the adcoms?

I think the key to a successful application for someone with a chronic disease is to know yourself and the disease very well. If you can demonstrate that you've managed to succeed academically in the past, despite your disease, then medical schools will be less concerned about your performance. In terms of physical limitations, just be aware that the clinical years may be difficult and you're going to have to take special care of yourself. I think that if you state that you know there are going to be challenges, but that you know yourself and will do your best to care for yourself and avoid getting sick, that's all anyone is really going to expect of you. If directly asked, you could even mention that taking time off would not be ideal, but if it came down to it, you would of course be willing to make up any time off that you required for your disease and that you are aware that that could happen. The same goes for the immunodeficiency stuff - just be aware that you may need to take additional precautions and try to be aware of what situations may require these precautions.

In terms of not wanting to be a hematologist - no one is going to expect you to want to go into hematology just because you have sickle cell. Like every other applicant, you should have a few fields that you are interested in and have some reason to be interested in them (ie, I might do peds because I like kids, maybe ob/gyn because I'm interested in women's health, whatever). Be prepared to be asked if you're interested in hematology, but I think simply saying no and giving a brief reason (whatever the true reason is should be fine) isn't going to affect your application in any way.

 

[Revilla]

hey guys,

how about a close family member who has a chronic disease? My mom has had lupus since I was a little child. Is it worth bringing this up in my PS/secondaries/interviews? This has motivated me to become a doctor.

Hey, Blue Elmo. I have lupus, which was my motivation as well. I mentioned it in my PS (how could I not when it was the reason I became interested in medicine?) and got some positive feedback for it.

 

[haiboss]

I am having Chronic Kidney disease (stage I) and it doesn't interfere my practice. Instead it helps me to shed more light on Renal disease.

Is anyone here (who has a chronic disease) afraid that their disease/disorder is going to interfere with how they practice medicine? And if so, how you plan on working around it, or have you worked around it already?

I was just diagnosed with a chronic digestive disorder that has managed to throw my life into disorder for the time being, and I'm just curious as to what others think. Please don't sugarcoat things either - I'm just looking for honest rational responses.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I know some people with Ulcerative Colitis. They manage it through a very regulated immuno-supressive regime and keep going through school.

The only problem is that Chrones and UC both increase the risk for colon cancer.

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 7th grade (now going on my third year of college), haven't gotten an inflammation since. I have learned to manage..not very hard in my opinion.