Diagnosed with ADHD. Will the diagnosis itself impede my progress?

[RedSox1804]

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To clarify, I'm diagnosed with ADHD and use Vyvanse (basically adderall) which my family care physician prescribed. It works great and I can pretty much stick like glue to whatever I want attention-wise.

My question: will I be asked during the medical admissions process if I have any mental illnesses and if so am I obligated to disclose this? Also, I have a note from the diagnosing psych with instructions that I should be allowed 25% extra time on any tests, quizes, or in-class assignments. If I file this with my university, will it go on any sort of record the medical school will be able to search? Thanks!

 

[Made of Dreams]

i sent you a message.

 

[cwjnavy]

To clarify, I'm diagnosed with ADHD and use Vyvanse (basically adderall) which my family care physician prescribed. It works great and I can pretty much stick like glue to whatever I want attention-wise.

My question: will I be asked during the medical admissions process if I have any mental illnesses and if so am I obligated to disclose this? Also, I have a note from the diagnosing psych with instructions that I should be allowed 25% extra time on any tests, quizes, or in-class assignments. If I file this with my university, will it go on any sort of record the medical school will be able to search? Thanks!

I would actually really want to hear this answer, so can we possibly get the answer posted on here rather then private message? that would be awesome!

 

[202781]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcSuorEk3GI&feature=related[/youtube]
You catch ADD from Toilet seats. This should answer all your questions...if that does not work try this.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNog4BaAUc&feature=related[/youtube]

 

[Mobius1985]

ADHD is not a mental illness. No one will ask if you have it during the application process. You are not obliged to disclose. A medical school will only know about it if you mention it in one of your essays (maybe as an explanation for underperformance).

 

[imbored]

To clarify, I'm diagnosed with ADHD and use Vyvanse (basically adderall) which my family care physician prescribed. It works great and I can pretty much stick like glue to whatever I want attention-wise.

My question: will I be asked during the medical admissions process if I have any mental illnesses and if so am I obligated to disclose this? Also, I have a note from the diagnosing psych with instructions that I should be allowed 25% extra time on any tests, quizes, or in-class assignments. If I file this with my university, will it go on any sort of record the medical school will be able to search? Thanks!

So I have had a long standing ADHD diagnosis since like middle school and have been medicated ever since. To answer your question, no you are not required nor recommended to disclose this to medical schools. Regardless of what people say, lots of people in med school (and doctors too) have ADHD or other mental illness, and the schools don't really care as long as it doesn't affect your performance significantly (hence why we are medicated to manage it). If you have accommodations at your school, there is no way the medical school would have access to your record to find out if you did. Accommodations at schools are kept completely separate from academic records. If you had accommodations on your MCAT, however, they will see that you took it "under non-standard conditions."

The only way med schools would know about your ADHD is if you mention it in your essays. Actually, my main topic for my personal statement was my experience with ADHD and how it has shaped me. Basically, I discussed how I basically grew up in doctor's offices all my life (i.e. I went to a doctor at least once a month), and how my own treatment outcome relied upon the creativity of my physician. I took a risk writing my personal statement like this, but I think it worked out well since I have multiple acceptances with a very modest MCAT score.

 

[majahops]

You have more balls than me. I have a lot of respect for you. I struggled for a long time with whether I should mention my ADHD, and eventually decided not to... But bravo to you! I mean that!

So I have had a long standing ADHD diagnosis since like middle school and have been medicated ever since. To answer your question, no you are not required nor recommended to disclose this to medical schools. Regardless of what people say, lots of people in med school (and doctors too) have ADHD or other mental illness, and the schools don't really care as long as it doesn't affect your performance significantly (hence why we are medicated to manage it). If you have accommodations at your school, there is no way the medical school would have access to your record to find out if you did. Accommodations at schools are kept completely separate from academic records. If you had accommodations on your MCAT, however, they will see that you took it "under non-standard conditions."

The only way med schools would know about your ADHD is if you mention it in your essays. Actually, my main topic for my personal statement was my experience with ADHD and how it has shaped me. Basically, I discussed how I basically grew up in doctor's offices all my life (i.e. I went to a doctor at least once a month), and how my own treatment outcome relied upon the creativity of my physician. I took a risk writing my personal statement like this, but I think it worked out well since I have multiple acceptances with a very modest MCAT score.

 

[imbored]

You have more balls than me. I have a lot of respect for you. I struggled for a long time with whether I should mention my ADHD, and eventually decided not to... But bravo to you! I mean that!

Thanks, I appreciate it! Yeah, I went back and forth as well for awhile, but I really felt that I would be making a good point by using it as a theme. I didn't at all use it as an excuse for anything in my application, but described how I viewed the medical profession from a patient's perspective. For example, I said how I didn't really know what was wrong with me until high school, even though I had been taking medication for years. A lot of the interviewers were really interested in me discussing my experiences further. In particular, one of my favorite interviews was with a child psychiatrist. But for anyone thinking about using this as an explanation for academic shortcomings, I wouldn't advise you to take this approach, unless your reasons were do a medication change or something. The ADCOMs want to be sure you will be able to handle the med school curriculum.

Interestingly, using this as my personal statement was really the first time I went public with my ADHD; I had always been embarrassed to admit I was being treated for it. Now I am more comfortable discussing it. Funny what the medical school application process does to us 🙂.

 

[seelee]

I was diagnosed with Adult ADD and I take strattera which works extremely well for me.

I did not disclose it to my medical school, nor did I ever request special accommodations (never felt I needed them).

However, when I was accepted, I was asked if I require special accommodations, and that unreasonable accommodations might affect my acceptance status. I do not know if the accommodations associated with ADD would be considered unreasonable. I don't think that it would, but you never know.

Personally, I don't think you should take advantage of special accommodations unless you think you absolutely need them.

 

[kac714]

i did not mention it at all, though it is why i want to do pediatrics or child psych. and no, it won;t prevent you from getting where you want to be. good luck!

 

[bluesmd]

I was diagnosed with Adult ADD and I take strattera which works extremely well for me.

I did not disclose it to my medical school, nor did I ever request special accommodations (never felt I needed them).

However, when I was accepted, I was asked if I require special accommodations, and that unreasonable accommodations might affect my acceptance status. I do not know if the accommodations associated with ADD would be considered unreasonable. I don't think that it would, but you never know.

Personally, I don't think you should take advantage of special accommodations unless you think you absolutely need them.

this is illegal. they cannot deny you based on your diagnosis of adhd. are you going to this school?

 

[imbored]

this is illegal. they cannot deny you based on your diagnosis of adhd. are you going to this school?

I think seelee is talking about the technical standards agreement that medical schools require stating that you do not have any disabilities that would prevent you from going through medical school. Some people with ADHD desire testing accomodations, which is considered a "reasonable" accomodation (although, in my opinion, I don't think testing accomodations is necessary in most cases of ADHD, but I guess that is a debateable topic). Seelee, am I under the correct assumption that you were not explcilitly asked about your ADHD?

 

[majahops]

There's so little evidence that strattera has any efficacy in patients with REAL, BONIFIED ADD (and a good amount of evidence to the contrary)... but there ARE people like you who are reporting that it works "extremely well" for them. Which I am happy for you for but...

Gahhh. This is so frustrating to me and makes me even more suspicious that perhaps what we place under the diagnostic umbrella of "ADD" is actually a set of DISTINCT illnesses - some manageable without drugs, some manageable with non-stimulant drugs (like strattera) and some unmanageable without stimulants.

In my opinion, only the third type should be classified as bonafide "ADD". I believe in "sliding scale" differences WITHIN disorders but not "binary" differences WITHIN disorders (can be "extremely well" treated with non-stimulants vs. can't be touched by anything except for stimulants).

But alas, my premed mind is young and my brain the size just about that of a walnut.

I was diagnosed with Adult ADD and I take strattera which works extremely well for me.

I did not disclose it to my medical school, nor did I ever request special accommodations (never felt I needed them).

However, when I was accepted, I was asked if I require special accommodations, and that unreasonable accommodations might affect my acceptance status. I do not know if the accommodations associated with ADD would be considered unreasonable. I don't think that it would, but you never know.

Personally, I don't think you should take advantage of special accommodations unless you think you absolutely need them.

 

[ZanshinTamashii]

Great Story. Has tolerance ever been an issue for you?

So I have had a long standing ADHD diagnosis since like middle school and have been medicated ever since. To answer your question, no you are not required nor recommended to disclose this to medical schools. Regardless of what people say, lots of people in med school (and doctors too) have ADHD or other mental illness, and the schools don't really care as long as it doesn't affect your performance significantly (hence why we are medicated to manage it). If you have accommodations at your school, there is no way the medical school would have access to your record to find out if you did. Accommodations at schools are kept completely separate from academic records. If you had accommodations on your MCAT, however, they will see that you took it "under non-standard conditions."

The only way med schools would know about your ADHD is if you mention it in your essays. Actually, my main topic for my personal statement was my experience with ADHD and how it has shaped me. Basically, I discussed how I basically grew up in doctor's offices all my life (i.e. I went to a doctor at least once a month), and how my own treatment outcome relied upon the creativity of my physician. I took a risk writing my personal statement like this, but I think it worked out well since I have multiple acceptances with a very modest MCAT score.