Drug Testing

[mandrake]

Do US Medical School drug test their students? I've heard rumors about this happening, anyone have any specifics? By drugs, I mean of the recreational variety, and am mostly curious about marijuana.

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[abraxas]

yes and you will fail most likely from the fact that u posted this... [sarcasm]

 

[BaylorGuy]

Ask....there is probably something about drug testing....i think they would test at matriculation and perhaps once a year.

Personally, if i was given the chance i wouldn't smoke during med school...perhaps a couple times a month...i think the rigors of class and studying would worry me too much to even think about a drug test....plus, i dont think the forgetful nature of it would help me.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

I was thinking about asking but wasn't sure who would be the appropriate person to ask. Maybe student health?

Ask....there is probably something about drug testing....i think they would test at matriculation and perhaps once a year.

Personally, if i was given the chance i wouldn't smoke during med school...perhaps a couple times a month...i think the rigors of class and studying would worry me too much to even think about a drug test....plus, i dont think the forgetful nature of it would help me.

 

[mandrake]

Yea, I'm mostly worried about matriculation time. I'm not a smoker (smoked once), so I don't plan on doing it during school, but I did want to smoke with some friends before I left.

Thanks to those of you who actually answered. Anyone else have any info to add?

 

[logos]

My school hasnt mentioned anything about it yet...and we have recieved all of the health forms.

To be honest, I kinda doubt that many if any schools do drug tests....

 

[xSTALLiONx]

I've never heard of med schools doing a drug test and know that several med students who smoke "medicinal" marijuana throughout med school.. but you have to be able to have your priorities straight.. (ie. not before exams, classes, etc.. but maybe while you and your friends go out on an alumni's yacht for the weekend)

 

[nicholonious]

Do US Medical School drug test their students? I've heard rumors about this happening, anyone have any specifics? By drugs, I mean of the recreational variety, and am mostly curious about marijuana.

I do not have an answer to your question. But you do know that it takes months for mary-j to leave your system...

 

[it.]

I do not have an answer to your question. But you do know that it takes months for mary-j to leave your system...

hey! you know mary j too?! isn't she the greatest?! and she's such a party girl! anyway, i talked to her yesterday and....

 

[JamesNunez]

hey! you know mary j too?! isn't she the greatest?! and she's such a party girl! anyway, i talked to her yesterday and....

LOL you're too funny man.

 

[tigress]

I do not have an answer to your question. But you do know that it takes months for mary-j to leave your system...

Only if you're a heavy smoker. If you smoke once it will only take a few weeks at the most.

Anyway, I'm not sure about drug tests. I know Drexel doesn't for the first two years. They do a background check before second year, but I have no clue whether they also do drug testing at that point.

 

[nicholonious]

hey! you know mary j too?! isn't she the greatest?! and she's such a party girl! anyway, i talked to her yesterday and....

Many of us know mary j. when was the first time you met her?

 

[Dookter]

Washington University in St. Louis tests!

 

[it.]

Many of us know mary j. when was the first time you met her?

boy, she gets around doesn't she? i first met her in college through some friends. but i only saw, never touched...sure she was smokin' hot ( ), but i had already had a feeling about her and her promiscuous ways

 

[BaylorGuy]

I do not have an answer to your question. But you do know that it takes months for mary-j to leave your system...

Sorry to have to call you out on this, but this is so not right. If you are a constant smoker (I.E. more than 3 or 4 times a week for 2 months or so) it will take about 6 weeks to totally leave your system depending on your metabolism, fat content, and strength of Mary J. It may take more or less time but usually takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks (kind of like those mail in order rebate forms....which makes you think a little)

If you smoke rarely....like at a party with one of your friends or something, it will take like a week. its not something that you have to drink gallons of water or toxic remover to get rid of. If you know u are going to take a drug test....stop a month in advance....if you aren't very active, take that into account and stop earlier.

 

[45408]

STOP WITH THE BLUNTS, YOU HIPPIE-LOVING, POT-SMOKING DETRIMENT TO SOCIETY!

 

[it.]

STOP WITH THE BLUNTS, YOU HIPPIE-LOVING, POT-SMOKING DETRIMENT TO SOCIETY!

who? me?

 

[emills]

who? me?

I'm sorry, the thought of drug testing never even crossed my mind. I have never heard of any school drug testing, EVER, although I can understand why one would expect medical school to do so.
Who told you that this was a possibility?
I've just done an informal poll among friends, pre-med and medical students, and most answered with a laugh.

 

[tigress]

I'm sorry, the thought of drug testing never even crossed my mind. I have never heard of any school drug testing, EVER, although I can understand why one would expect medical school to do so.
Who told you that this was a possibility?
I've just done an informal poll among friends, pre-med and medical students, and most answered with a laugh.

Yeah, and this is what, your 3rd post? Don't laugh. People have posted in the past few months that they have been required to get drug testing before going to school. Some schools do require it.

 

[Bfriccia1]

Yeah, and this is what, your 3rd post? Don't laugh. People have posted in the past few months that they have been required to get drug testing before going to school. Some schools do require it.

Mount Sinai flat out tells you that they do at their interview day.

 

[LabMonster]

Sorry to have to call you out on this, but this is so not right. If you are a constant smoker (I.E. more than 3 or 4 times a week for 2 months or so) it will take about 6 weeks to totally leave your system depending on your metabolism, fat content, and strength of Mary J. It may take more or less time but usually takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks (kind of like those mail in order rebate forms....which makes you think a little)

If you smoke rarely....like at a party with one of your friends or something, it will take like a week. its not something that you have to drink gallons of water or toxic remover to get rid of. If you know u are going to take a drug test....stop a month in advance....if you aren't very active, take that into account and stop earlier.

If you smoke occasionally (once or twice a month), 3-4 days with proper hydration will yield urine analytes with lower than detectable limits.

If you smoke more, consider a different profession perhaps?

 

[uwalum]

this post is hilarious.

 

[ramblinwreckie]

If you smoke occasionally (once or twice a month), 3-4 days with proper hydration will yield urine analytes with lower than detectable limits.

If you smoke more, consider a different profession perhaps?

yup. they must be referring to the hair test though.

 

[it.]

yup. they must be referring to the hair test though.

what does the hair test entail?

 

[nicholonious]

Sorry to have to call you out on this, but this is so not right. If you are a constant smoker (I.E. more than 3 or 4 times a week for 2 months or so) it will take about 6 weeks to totally leave your system depending on your metabolism, fat content, and strength of Mary J. It may take more or less time but usually takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks (kind of like those mail in order rebate forms....which makes you think a little)

If you smoke rarely....like at a party with one of your friends or something, it will take like a week. its not something that you have to drink gallons of water or toxic remover to get rid of. If you know u are going to take a drug test....stop a month in advance....if you aren't very active, take that into account and stop earlier.

Yup, my friend was tested 3 months after smoking and trace amounts were found.

 

[FloridaMadame]

Mount Sinai flat out tells you that they do at their interview day.

The drug testing form is also in their health packet and must be completed before you matriculate.

 

[BaylorGuy]

Besides the point, I think it makes sense that if you are starting a new profession it would be wise to cut out the wacky tobacky. Just like starting any new job, they are going to give you the "piss test"....it would only make sense if they did it prior to matriculation at med school. My two cents....if you are still smoking now and are matriculating in the fall, STOP. Not only will you not have problems getting into schools, but it will help you in the long run.

I would much rather have a doctor who actually studied during med school and blazed occasionally, than a doctor who blazed all the time

 

[mandrake]

Well, if you had bothered to read the post you would have seen that im not an avid smoker. I've smoked once, and would like to smoke again with friends before I leave. I asked about the drug testing to weigh in whether I should smoke or not, I do not want to jeopardize my future because of something that I consider harmless, but that a school takes seriously and might actually test for.

To be honest, I am 100X more worried about students taking stimultants (see speed) in order to get their studying done, than about students getting high on weed.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

I've heard (adjusts for body fat content)
chronic (pun) users (multiple times per day): up to and sometimes over 1 months
occasional (several per week): ~2 weeks
sparse: several days to 2 weeks

I knew a chronic user who was one the heavy side who passed a test after a couple days less than 1 month.

To be honest, I am 100X more worried about students taking stimultants (see speed) in order to get their studying done, than about students getting high on weed.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

I feel like the thrust of this conversation should be if there are schools that test WITHOUt WARNING you. Both schools that I've been told of (MSSM and WashU) wrote that in the conditions of matriculation. Maybe this is because no one has matriculated this year yet. I don't think a school would do a surprise test on the first day of orientation though. That would be ridiculous, right???

 

[logos]

Mount Sinai flat out tells you that they do at their interview day.

I bet that makes for an awkward inverview day..."Now tell me about why you want to be a doctor....while you pee in this cup..."

 

[Nutmeg]

Yup, my friend was tested 3 months after smoking and trace amounts were found.

I find this very hard to believe. My professor in MCB 165 talked about the lipophilicity of THC and said that only if a person was sedentary, fat, and a heavy smoker would anything be in theoir system after a month. Although there are some hemp products (cereal and salad oil and crap that they probably only sell in california) that he said could make a person test positive, much as poppy seeds come up on the test as opinium derivatives. A hair test can keep traces from as far back as your hair is long, but there's no way in hell a urine sample would show any trace of THC after three months, unless your friend had spent a lot of time in areas where other people were smoking and he was breathing second hand smoke.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Mount Sinai flat out tells you that they do at their interview day.

that's so they can weed people out right away

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Well, if you had bothered to read the post you would have seen that im not an avid smoker. I've smoked once, and would like to smoke again with friends before I leave. I asked about the drug testing to weigh in whether I should smoke or not, I do not want to jeopardize my future because of something that I consider harmless, but that a school takes seriously and might actually test for.

To be honest, I am 100X more worried about students taking stimultants (see speed) in order to get their studying done, than about students getting high on weed.

you plan a couple months in advance when you're going to smoke?

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I bet that makes for an awkward inverview day..."Now tell me about why you want to be a doctor....while you pee in this cup..."

"could you please turn your head as i answer that?"

 

[mandrake]

you plan a couple months in advance when you're going to smoke?

Actually, about 2 weeks in advance, yes. Have to wait till finals end.

 

[LocutusofBorg]

Mary J. Feelgood is detectable in urine for up to 30 days (according to my Drugs & Behavior book), and in hair samples much longer. But hair samples are expensive, so most screeners employ the urine analysis.

 

[EllieElle]

Yup, Sinai tests. I would assume that many others do as well, right?

The PI on my last research study once told me that pot takes 1 month to leave your system. He also recommended the supplement Goldenseal (also used holistically to treat bronchitis- that was the why we were discussing it in the first place, I promise) to speed up the process. I have no idea why that would help, but who knows...

 

[nicholonious]

I find this very hard to believe. My professor in MCB 165 talked about the lipophilicity of THC and said that only if a person was sedentary, fat, and a heavy smoker would anything be in theoir system after a month. Although there are some hemp products (cereal and salad oil and crap that they probably only sell in california) that he said could make a person test positive, much as poppy seeds come up on the test as opinium derivatives. A hair test can keep traces from as far back as your hair is long, but there's no way in hell a urine sample would show any trace of THC after three months, unless your friend had spent a lot of time in areas where other people were smoking and he was breathing second hand smoke.

Yeah, I understand. Someone pointed out earlier, hair follicles retail trace amounts of thc although urine lasts approximately 1 month.

 

[prana_md]

http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/testing/testing.shtml

Excellent source of information about drug testing.

 

[Scubadoc]

I'd say you definitely need to see whether the hair test or the urine test is being used. Where I work, they do a hair test on you. They snip out a section of the hair which basically is about the size of a pencil lead (width) and test on the first few cms for the most part. They told us that ingested chemicals will show up in the hair for months (or longer, if you have longer hair and they were to test that part). They did say they usually only test the first 3 cm or so because that shows the months right before the test and can show usage patterns-the more you used, the more chemical is found. I actually asked them what they do if they are testing say, a bald man. They said they can use body hair in that case and it is just as effective.

 

[emills]

Yeah, and this is what, your 3rd post? Don't laugh. People have posted in the past few months that they have been required to get drug testing before going to school. Some schools do require it.

chill out, 1000+ poster. didn't mean to piss you off - i was laughing b/c it was a concept *I* had not even thought of. maybe you should spend less time on this website...

 

[domukin]

chill out, 1000+ poster. didn't mean to piss you off - i was laughing b/c it was a concept *I* had not even thought of. maybe you should spend less time on this website...

lol, i think you two should smoke a joint together and get rid of that bad karma

 

[tigress]

chill out, 1000+ poster. didn't mean to piss you off - i was laughing b/c it was a concept *I* had not even thought of. maybe you should spend less time on this website...

yeah, sorry, your post struck me as rude, and I just reacted a bit strongly

and I should spend less time on this website, but since I can't find a job and I'm waiting for my MCAT score and submitting AMCAS soon, this is one of the few places that holds my interest right now

 

[newhavenjake]

that's so they can weed people out right away

did anyone else catch the unintentional hilarity of this post?

 

[domukin]

did anyone else catch the unintentional hilarity of this post?

 

[tigress]

did anyone else catch the unintentional hilarity of this post?

lol, yeah, but I wonder if it was maybe intentional?

 

[rme04]

this thread would be more helpful in the Allopathic or Osteo section, since current students would know better.

 

[FutureScaresMe]

This doesn't really apply to you, but it just reminded me of someone with great stats who submitted their primary the last possible day!! I don't think things are going well for him.

edit: bleh, this is what I get for having 20 tabs open... replying to the wrong thread...

 

[koffein]

Actually, about 2 weeks in advance, yes. Have to wait till finals end.

I'm planning ten months in advance actually. I get quite excited about it....

Edit:
If anything, you should get extra points for doing weed.. Weed + successful premed is not easy to pull off.