Disclosing Mental Illness on Applications

[Max Power]

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Firstly I reviewed older posts that mention this topic but some are very old and I'd like some more advice, times have changed even since the early 2000's

Hello all,

I'm going through the application process right now (AUC and SGU at the moment) and am completely confused with whether or not I should disclose the fact that I have bipolar disorder and am on medication and will be for life. I have had two hospitalizations.

I tend to keep this on a need-to-know basis but #1) I believe honesty is the best policy #2)Lying on your application, if found out, can get you in a lot of trouble #3) I have to explain a break in my education, and why I did horrible in school for one semester (I have a 3.5 overall and usually get all A's) and #4) my success in my recovery is the very reason I want to go to med school to be a psychiatrist.

My application demands explanation, otherwise I'd keep it to myself (which I HATE b/c the fact millions of us do this is huge part of the continuation of the stigma). I don't need to prove to myself I can succeed, I've done that already. I have a handle on it, and have maintained a 4.0 for two semesters. Life has been great. However, they need to know this.

Blah Blah Blah, anyway, thanks for any help guys.

 

[CCLCMer]

Sometimes too much honesty is not the best policy. Just say that you had to take a medical leave for an illness that no longer affects your ability to work or go to school. That's all you have to say, and it's no one else's business what the illness was. Good luck with your apps. I'm on psych right now, and there are lots of patients who could use a doctor like you.

 

[synapse lapse]

Sometimes too much honesty is not the best policy. Just say that you had to take a medical leave for an illness that no longer affects your ability to work or go to school. That's all you have to say, and it's no one else's business what the illness was. Good luck with your apps. I'm on psych right now, and there are lots of patients who could use a doctor like you.

I agree with this. I'm also on pysch now, and was just talking with the attending and resident who mentioned that even today doctor's have licensing issues for admitting they have been treated for depression or taken anti-depressants. They said it wouldn't keep you from being licensed, but you were very heavily critiqued. I suggest you not disclose you specific diagnosis, continue to take your medications, and work your way through school.

 

[GH253]

I took psychiatric drugs during my teens and early twenties. No way I will disclose this on my application.

 

[Rebs28]

.

 

[MadEvans]

keeping your diagnosis out of your apps would not be considered dishonesty

I totally agree with this. I've had a few people look over my PS (one resident MD), and they all agreed I was "too honest" in describing my personal illness. Vague references, good; total disclosure, bad. It will only serve to overshadow the rest of your accomplishments.

 

[Max Power]

Thanks everyone...hearing a little bit of everything helps me figure out how I'll handle this.

That's why I love this place!😍

 

[TMP-SMX]

Nothing good can come out of giving them this information.

 

[YanksFan02]

agreed that nothing good could come out of telling them anything. i'm a medical student at a tier one school and i have generalized anxiety disorder. i didn't mention it anywhere on my application, haven't told a single faculty member (or most of my classmates, for that matter)...and i'm more comfortable with people not knowing and making assumptions.

the one thing i would say, though, is to keep in the back of your head a potential opportunity when you would want to let someone know, IF it would be helpful for someone to know. example -- i once got a little anxious during a practical exam, which sucks because you only have a minute per question and can't stop to take a break or go back...i was afraid i'd blow the entire rest of the test, but i 'took a few questions off' and got 5 or 6 in a row wrong to calm down. med school is pass fail, so that really didn't matter in the long term, but i remember thinking that had i failed it, telling someone might have been useful. it never came into fruition tho, so i'm not sure how it would have panned out.

in any case good luck with it, and don't ever let anyone tell you it's a disadvantage or that it impairs you for medicine.

 

[silas2642]

I totally agree with this. I've had a few people look over my PS (one resident MD), and they all agreed I was "too honest" in describing my personal illness. Vague references, good; total disclosure, bad. It will only serve to overshadow the rest of your accomplishments.

Just out of curiosity, do you have any idea why you haven't been accepted anywhere? Your stats look solid. Did you apply late?

To the OP: I definitely agree with the others that you need to be very, very careful in disclosing something like bipolar disorder in your application. I would also recommend applying to osteopathic schools if you don't think that you are competitive at US allopathic schools-- you may find it helpful to be in the US and that osteopathic schools are more supportive of their schools than Caribbean schools with a lower attrition rate.

 

[Max Power]

At SGU, and with all due respect, there was ALOT of student support, medical, emotional, and academic. I can't speak for the others but I'm not going to make any assumptions.

My illness by itself doesn't mean I'm not as competitive, or that I won't be able to handle a MD program just b/c pre-treatment I struggled briefly. I often joke that despite my illness that with medication I'm more sane than 90% of people I know lol. I live in WV and am a WVU graduate and am fairly confident I can get in there pending mcat scores (I think I did pretty well but lets not jinx myself). I think DO schools have their place, but Lewisburg (in my state) took a classmate that scored a 14 than a 17 on the MCAT, with slightly above a 2.5. She was bairly passing Anatomy and Immunology at the time (and they weren't challenging at all). Essentially my conclusion is that if you work hard you can succeed anywhere.

The caribbean for me has to do with a lot of other reasons. I loved it there, the diversity of the student body, the student support, the culture, of course the beach, and even the caliber of my classmates academically. Half of the MDs and DVMs I know graduated from a caribbean school. Sure we had the few that didn't do as well but most had very impressive backgrounds (I know vet school is a little different, less than 30 schools, etc). For me it's about timing, a once in a lifetime experience, etc.

But definately I'm keeping the options open, just gotta apply now down there b/c of rolling admissions. Can always change my mind come august.

Thank you all for your advice. I hope in 20 years I won't have to ask these questions. But this is the world we still live in.

 

[majahops]

... despite my illness that with medication I'm more sane than 90% of people I know

👍