Experience with depression and getting into medical school??

[davematthews]

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I have almost finished my personal statement for AMCAS and I talk about being diagnosed with depression some years ago. Now, I know many people will say don't give em a reason, but the nature of my primary application does not allow me to not address it. I have to explain things that come up on my primary like grades, etc. Without addressing it, I am merely giving adcoms red flags which I have done in other application cycles. I am hoping to find some current students who can relate and may be able to help me out with advice or read my ps and let me know what he/she thinks.
Have a good memorial day.
🙂
Peace

 

[velo]

I don't understand your post after the first sentence, but I'm going to be the first to advise against mentioning it in your personal statment. Its not even that there's discrimination or a stigma or whatever, it just comes down to the fact that medical schools want to graduate all of the students that they accept. They don't want students failing (or as is more often the case, dropping) out. I don't have numbers to back this up, but I'll bet dollars to donuts that in this day and age the most common reason for not finishing med school is mental illness, and I know that deans of admission can all think of those handful of students who didn't make it because of psychiatric issues.

Let me make this clear--adcoms would like this information on all of their applicants but can't get it because its not a question that's easy to ask. Don't make it easier for them to not let you in by volunteering that information.

I am NOT saying that you can't make it through medical school having a history of depression. I'm not saying there aren't excellent medical students and physicians who suffer from mental illness. I'm just saying that from an adcoms point of view, a history of mental illness is soemthing that increases, however marginally, the chance that you won't graduate.

Unless you've written a personal statement that REALLY spins it into a positive, and something that is essential to making you a great doctor, I can only see it hurting you to mention it.

I say leave it out, good luck!

 

[Dunce]

. . . Without addressing it, I am merely giving adcoms red flags which I have done in other application cycles.
Peace

This makes me think that there are other issues or concerns that may complicate the issue at hand. Without understanding what these red flags are and your previous experience, I doubt you can get the proper advice that you seek.

I am only guessing that there may have been some lapse in performance or a period in your recent past that may have superficially appeared as the performance of a sub-average applicant, and you may be trying to address that and provide some explanation due to depression. If this is the case, then I can certainly see how you might want to make an adcom aware of the difficulties you have faced and how you have been able to overcome those obstacles (a good theme ro run with if you think it may help).
If this is not the case, I apologize. It is hard to assess your situation with limited information. Like the above poster, I would be wary in disclosing too much personal information.

 

[prana_md]

There's an excellent thread on this from a few weeks ago.

I'd advise against discussing depression in your personal statement. I'm a reapplicant, and I discussed it the first time around and left it out the second. It may be a coincidence, but I got a much better response the second time around.

It sucked ... I really wanted to be "out", but the reality is that there is still stigma out there regarding mental illness.

Most secondaries will give you space to comment on a fluctuation in grades ... this might be a better context to bring up depression in.

Check out that thread ... there's more good advice there.

Good luck!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I also experienced depression and post anxiety stress disoder. I talked about what caused my depression without discussing my depression; i sort of put a positive spin on it. It all depends on the way you present it. Feel free to PM me your PS abnd I'll give you my opinion, if you think it means anything. Good luck!

 

[theaggie07]

Great OP. I've been wondering the same thing because I have depression and I was debating talking about it as well. If you guys think that it adversely affects your app then should you mention it on secondaries either?

 

[red dot]

um. don't mention it. if you can.

 

[PuRpLeSwIrLzZz]

I know it's heavily advised against, but I was in a similar situation. I wished to explain some poor performance in my grades based upon a bout of depression. Therefore, I included it in my personal statement. I was able to put a positive spin on a negative situation and demonstrate how the struggle I had made me a stronger person. On that note, I was also able to get into both medical schools in my state. I think it's all about how your message comes across. Good Luck! 😉