Diagnosed with bipolar disorder- drop out of medical school?

[Pink3045]

.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ar2388]

I;m sure there must be bipolar doctors out there. you went through a horrible period but maybe you can figure out how to go to med school and plan out your studying with a good mix of exercise and proper diet and stay on top of your meds while seeing the proper doctors and jsut taking it one day at a time?
i feel like every day in med school has the potential to be planned wisely but i never find myself doing it. I will be trying harder this upcoming semester bc step 1 isnt far away.
maybe ask your psychiatrist for support groups that can be helpful too?

i wish you all the best! stay strong

 

[thepoopologist]

I'm not bipolar.

However, if I were, and all I've ever wanted to be was a doctor, then I'd give it another go; take my medicine, study hard, try to eat and sleep well, and if I suffer another attack then I'll deal with it when it happens.

The difference between your first attempt and this attempt is that you're now getting treatment and that should help somewhat.

And try to forget about that guy. Focus on hanging out with different groups and making as many friends as possible.

 

[VenusinFurs]

What a bloody **** your ex is (no offense to bloody ****s).

I'd go back. It's completely possible to have a low stress life in medical school and it's completely possible to sleep well.

 

[Scorpiomd]

I would also look into the 5 year plan. That way you can take it a little slower and not be too stressed. Don't let one episode take away your dreams. You've already started so you owe it to yourself to at least try. My prayers are with you and your ex, he'll have a severe price to pay!

 

[45408]

I would be up front with your school administration, talk to the dean of students or whoever deals with things like this, and see what they think. It would be unfortunate if in 2010, a person with a single manic episode couldn't try to get their life back in order. If your disorder becomes uncontrolled or you ever became a danger to your patients, then it would be time to abandon medicine, but I don't see why you should have to do so now.

Be honest with yourself: it only gets harder and more stressful from here on out. Can you handle it?

 

[peppy]

There is another poster here who has blogged about her experiences with being bipolar in med school: http://bipolarinmedschool.blogspot.com/

 

[ArcGurren]

I have a friend who has an anxiety disorder which can be debilitating but he's doing fine with medication. I think you can make it but talk to your doctor and to your school counselors.

Your ex is a giant douche-turd by the way.

 

[WellWornLad]

What does your psychiatrist think?

If I were you I'd definitely keep going with med school. Just clarify with your school what the disability insurance situation is. American medical schools are required to carry disability insurance to cover tuition/loans up to at least $200k, so as long as you're below that you should have protection in case you don't make it through.

Maybe it'll work out, maybe it won't, but what do you have to lose by trying? Just don't fall into that trap of thinking you're fine and that you don't need your meds. That was a very common refrain on the inpatient ward during my psych rotation.

 

[nitemagi]

I know a decent number of physicians and even psychiatrists with bipolar. I'd stick with it, but consider a 2-prong approach.

1. Frequent visits with your psychiatrist at first as you re-integrate into school.
2. Have someone you trust, a friend in school, keep an eye on you for early warning signs of a manic or depressive episode. The last thing you need is to get into a major depressive episode and have a problem on a big test when you might have caught it.

And a very good friend is a physician and bipolar. It's quite doable.

The sneaky truth is that mental illness is very prevalent throughout medicine, it's just that no one ever talks about it. You probably already know a handful of attendings with unipolar or bipolar disorder.

 

[fozzy40]

Here is my advice:

1) Let the dust settle and allow yourself sometime to readjust to everything again. I assume that you are no longer in acute care and at home by yourself and/or with family again.
2) Talk with your school regarding your options for returning to school. Perhaps you can take the year off and return in the Fall. If I were in your shoes, you've undergone 2 major life stressors. I don't know you personally (obviously) but my guess is that you might need some more time to recover.
3) When and if you decide to return to school, I would think that having a good social support system is going to be vital to help you through. Perhaps you can transfer to a school to a school where you will have more support if there isn't much in your current situation.

All the best...

 

[robu058]

Some schools have a 5 year MD program, where students are given the opportunities to finish their MD education in 5 years instead of the typical 4 years. Their schedule are much less dense and are quite doable. My advice is to ask your school whether they can allow you to complete your MD in 5 years. But regardless, you need to talk to your dean!

PS: One of the stressors that lead to depression or the crisis you describe above especially in 1st year of medical school is BEING anxious of your first exam (yes, anatomy)! What one of my professors have said and it happens to be true is that you would be surprised that you are not alone in being anxious (at least half of your classmates are)!! Thus, the best thing to do is to involve in group study! I have a sense if you do the latter and in top of taking your medications, you would do fine!

 

[ar2388]

Some schools have a 5 year MD program, where students are given the opportunities to finish their MD education in 5 years instead of the typical 4 years. Their schedule are much less dense and are quite doable. My advice is to ask your school whether they can allow you to complete your MD in 5 years. But regardless, you need to talk to your dean!

PS: One of the stressors that lead to depression or the crisis you describe above especially in 1st year of medical school is BEING anxious of your first exam (yes, anatomy)! What one of my professors have said and it happens to be true is that you would be surprised that you are not alone in being anxious (at least half of your classmates are)!! Thus, the best thing to do is to involve in group study! I have a sense if you do the latter and in top of taking your medications, you would do fine!

in all honesty it has taken me slightly over a year to finally not feel anxious before an exam... ive given up on the idea of knowing everything. its really impossible to learn everything in the time allotted.

 

[Serotonergic]

.

 

[infarct]

take your medication, listen to your psychiatrist...stay in school. good luck

 

[Belleza156]

Hello everyone,

So I made it through undergrad, survived the MCAT's, applied to medical school, and was thrilled to be accepted to 6. I was waitlisted at my number one and two choice and unfortunately did not get off the waitlists, but was still thrilled to be attending a medical school that was my 3rd favorite. Life was so good- I had a year off prior to starting school and I backpacked through Europe with the love of my life- my boyfriend and best friend of 7 years. We returned from Europe and he started medical school. I worked full time doing research until my medical school started. He said we'd get married sometime soon- hopefully after medical school. Everything seemed to be happening the way I had always dreamed it would be.

2 months into medical school I suffered from a severe manic attack. I was hospitalized for 3 months- the lowest point of my life. I was disabled- nurses had to shower me as I was unable to attend to basic needs on my own. They performed electroconvulsive therapy on me- only then did I return to normal. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I left the hospital with the greatest state of confusion in my life. How did I go from first year medical student with hopes of engagement to bipolar and a lecture on how to file for disability? My boyfriend of 7 years- the man I thought I'd marry- the man who is himself a medical student- left me to rot. He didn't visit at the hospital. He didn't return my calls from the hospital. He phoned my parents and said "there's something wrong with her and I'm done" and that's the last I ever heard from him.

As if all this wasn't enough, I have to make the decision as to whether or not to return to medical school. My leave of absence ends soon. My psychiatritst explained the need for low stress and a normal sleep schedule along with adherence to my medications to prevent future manic episodes.

I've wanted to be a pediatrician since I was 8 years old. Is giving up on my dream what I need to do? Has anyone ever made it through medical school bipolar? What would you do if you were in my shoes? What alternative career path would you recommend if medicine was not the ideal choice with my condition?

Please advise. I want to be a doctor, but with this bipolar condition I'm not confident that it's possible.

I say give it another shot. There's plenty of med students with mental disorders. They just keep it hush with the faculty, and make arrangements to postpone exams when they can't handle the pressure. And yet, they still stay on track with everyone else so you don't notice. I've seen at least 2-3 ppl like that and it was only 1st semester of MS year 1. No one in the class has noticed them. Not sure how I did, but I did.

Definitely get on some meds if the pressure is driving you into needing hospitalization. But a word of advice....don't tell your fellow peers that you are bipolar. Most ppl will steer clear of you, because you may seem like a potential liability (i.e. friend who needs constant pep talks during high stress study weeks, friend who can't do his assigned reviews transcriptions etc.). We have such little time in med school that most people don't want their free time towards going into being someone's counselor, or depending on a undependable peer when studying in groups.

 

[trichomaV]

You should consider another profession where workload would be less and you be able to handle your disease

 

[KeyzerSoze]

take your medication, listen to your psychiatrist...stay in school. good luck

It's unclear whether the OP's psychiatrist wants her to stay in school. I think the prudent thing is to take some time off, think about it very carefully, and discuss it with her doctors before making a decision.

 

[ThePhysicist]

it is normal , i completed my pharmacy school with high grades in spite of severe depression and schizophrenic disorder

 

[Smurfette]

FYI, In some states, you may be required to disclose your diagnosis and have your psychiatrist and any other treating physician in a given timeframe provide documentation stating you are fit to practice in order to obtain licensure. Most states ask about any illness causing impairment; depending on how the question is worded, you need to be careful as to your response.

 

[ArcGurren]

You should consider another profession where workload would be less and you be able to handle your disease

Oh give me an effing break. There's people who've gone through med school in wheelchairs or on crutches.

 

[nitemagi]

Oh give me an effing break. There's people who've gone through med school in wheelchairs or on crutches.

Agreed. I don't think it'll be harder, you just have a little less of a reserve and have to be mindful of your needs more often. Taking overnight call might be tough if done too often. So you'd just have to plan ahead.

 

[gryslvr]

How were you able to do this? I would imagine that depression and any schizophreniform conditions would lower one's motivation. Would be very interested in knowing, because I took a leave of absence from an M.D. program when my grades were suffering, I had mild depression and anxiety, and could not organize my time/studies and felt disconnected from my purpose. I have since been progressively diagnosed with depression, ADD, and the lately, bipolar II...am doing a lot better but still struggling with executive function/motivation and am wondering if there is any way to get back on track!!!

 

[Marcus Brody]

Sounds like a troll

 

[myhandsarecold]

oh ****, r u manic right now, take ur pills!

we had a lecturer tell us psychiatrists have one of the highest suicide rates. c u can be a doctor even with all of that, people have done it before.

 

[nitemagi]

we had a lecturer tell us psychiatrists have one of the highest suicide rates. c u can be a doctor even with all of that, people have done it before.

Myth.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4345/is_7_36/ai_n29453464/

 

[ucsfstudents]

There are physicians with bipolar disorder. See if you can learn from their experiences. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your physical and mental health. If being in medicine is stressful enough to propel you into a manic attach, you might want to consider other options. But first, see if there are physician models for you out there to learn from.

 

[ilsa]

Hello everyone,

So I made it through undergrad, survived the MCAT's, applied to medical school, and was thrilled to be accepted to 6. I was waitlisted at my number one and two choice and unfortunately did not get off the waitlists, but was still thrilled to be attending a medical school that was my 3rd favorite. Life was so good- I had a year off prior to starting school and I backpacked through Europe with the love of my life- my boyfriend and best friend of 7 years. We returned from Europe and he started medical school. I worked full time doing research until my medical school started. He said we'd get married sometime soon- hopefully after medical school. Everything seemed to be happening the way I had always dreamed it would be.

2 months into medical school I suffered from a severe manic attack. I was hospitalized for 3 months- the lowest point of my life. I was disabled- nurses had to shower me as I was unable to attend to basic needs on my own. They performed electroconvulsive therapy on me- only then did I return to normal. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I left the hospital with the greatest state of confusion in my life. How did I go from first year medical student with hopes of engagement to bipolar and a lecture on how to file for disability? My boyfriend of 7 years- the man I thought I'd marry- the man who is himself a medical student- left me to rot. He didn't visit at the hospital. He didn't return my calls from the hospital. He phoned my parents and said "there's something wrong with her and I'm done" and that's the last I ever heard from him.

As if all this wasn't enough, I have to make the decision as to whether or not to return to medical school. My leave of absence ends soon. My psychiatritst explained the need for low stress and a normal sleep schedule along with adherence to my medications to prevent future manic episodes.

I've wanted to be a pediatrician since I was 8 years old. Is giving up on my dream what I need to do? Has anyone ever made it through medical school bipolar? What would you do if you were in my shoes? What alternative career path would you recommend if medicine was not the ideal choice with my condition?

Please advise..

First of all, I want to say how sorry I am about what you're going through. I know what it feels to have hopes and dreams of becoming a pediatrician. I've been there. I was in medical school, spiralled into a severe depression which paralyzed me from returning. I wanted so badly to return but I knew deep down in my heart that I had nothing left in me. I needed to heal first. 2 years later I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that explained everything.

In a way you're blessed that this happened when it did because you've gotten your diagnosis early in your career. Better now than during your residency, right? I'm just trying to reach for the positives here. I'm in no way trying to discount anything that you're going through. I will say that I do believe that YOU CAN BE A DOCTOR. Before you return to school make sure that you and your psychiatrist have found the meds that work best for you. Now, I know that you said that your leave of abscence will be coming to an end soon. Don't let that deadline affect you. Focus on healing first. You can always reapply to other schools later on. You need to make sure you''re feeling emotionally strong enough to take med school on. I believe you will get there. Also, my cousin was in vet school at cornell a few years back. she had a free ride and everything but she hated their teaching methods so she left school. She ended up contacting all of the schools that had accepted her before and a few of them were willing to re-open her file so she didn't even have to re-apply. I don't know if med schools are like that but it's worth a shot if you feel you need more time.

Sorry this was so lengthy. I just know that although you may feel like your future seems grim, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

As far as your ******* "ex" is concerned, he never deserved you.

good luck to you,

ilsa

 

[sylph]

One of my friends had to spend a year on LOA to stay in an anorexia ward. She returned and finished med school. I think you should try to persevere. Just make sure that you take your medication and take care of yourself. As for your ex, good riddance--he sounds like a jerk who doesn't understand the realities of mental illness.

 

[reedman]

just take your medicine and you will be fine! go to med school.