Generalized anxiety disorder/depression and licensure / career

[wbwyjfdo]

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Hi there,

I'm a third year medical student who will match into EM. I'm going to see a counselor and probably take SSRIs for depression and anxiety. My psych illness doesn't show in patient care, and my evals have been decent at my institution. I work well under pressure and leave most of my anxiety issues at home.

I know most boards ask questions like "have you ever been treated for mental illness" Polfliet, S. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 36:369 –74, 2008

I doubt this will be grounds for not giving me a license. But, will it hurt my chances at applying for residency or getting a job? Could this come up in lawsuits?

 

[dotcb]

One thing to be aware of is that in the next few years you'll likely want to apply for disability insurance. You'll need to list depression as a pre-existing condition, and it may make you less able to qualify for insurance, or they will just exclude mental health conditions as disabilities for you. Obviously better to get treatment than suffer, but just want to make you aware of something on the horizon.

One way this might make a difference (not necessarily your situation) is if you get burned out in residency (most do), consider going to a private psychologist for counseling and pay cash rather than use your health insurance.

 

[la gringa]

the wording almost always includes an impact on functioning... i had to cross such a bridge when discussing my back injury. for years, it had no impact. once it did, i didn't work and had treatment.

went to get a new license and had to mention it... wrote a letter, ran it by legal before sending, never heard anything further.

the disability insurance issue is real. i have had friends interrogated for ambien rx. i would assume an individual policy would be difficult if not impossible to get for a reasonable cost. insurance companies are looking at risk, it's a totally different viewpoint than an MD's.