Getting Accepted with Aspergers

[aspiepremed]

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Right now I feel like I am going through the roughest time in my life. Up until recently I really thought I was 100% like everyone else out there, but that I lacked self-confidence and was "shy." Recently, I have figured out that the shyness, plus my inability to read many non-verbal cues, and social withdrawal are due to me having aspergers. This is EXTREMELY difficult for me to handle in the current time for me because I have a lot of pressure on me to perform well by my girlfriend of 3 years.

I am currently a senior, and will have my degree in a few more semesters. I will be applying to medical school this summer and fall, and taking my MCAT in the summer. My dream is to be a doctor, and despite the fact that I probably have aspergers, I am still determined to give it my all even if I epically fail. The problem I foresee is obviously my inability to be social and have conversations with people. My main thing is initiation of new subjects, as I get focused on one subject and people get tired of listening to me because of this, plus my monotone voice probably doesn't help. My biggest fear is definitely SOM interviews... I feel as though these are going to be my demise because of my lack of social skills....

My GPA isn't all that bad for D.O., around 3.6 cum, and 3.7 science. Hopefully I can pull of around a 26-28 on the MCAT, but even if I do, I still feel like the interview is going to be the death of me, and that thought is literally spinning through my head everyday causing me anxiety out the ying-yang!

You might ask why I even would consider a medical career? A family member of mine is in the medical field and they have always been a role model to me. Although I probably do have aspergers, I have a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for other people... which is odd for most aspies but very true for myself.

What do you guys think I should do?? Will I stand even a small chance before the med school committees?? Will they mistake my lack of social skills for weakness? I want to be a medical pathologist, which requires little social skills except being able to entertain the dead, which shouldn't be an issue for me. Most people want to shoot themselves after being around me for a few hours anyways

Serious critiques are very much so welcomed, as I have everything to lose at this point if I cannot get into medical school. My girlfriend will destroy me if I don't, my parents college funding will runout soon, and my confidence will be even lower if I go through with this and fail miserably...

 

[OhioG]

While I cant give you much advice since I don't know anyone who has been through what you have but what I can say is if your girlfriend will "destroy you" if you dont get into medical school, then you need to find someone else.

 

[ManBroDude]

Right now I feel like I am going through the roughest time in my life. Up until recently I really thought I was 100% like everyone else out there, but that I lacked self-confidence and was "shy." Recently, I have figured out that the shyness, plus my inability to read many non-verbal cues, and social withdrawal are due to me having aspergers. This is EXTREMELY difficult for me to handle in the current time for me because I have a lot of pressure on me to perform well by my girlfriend of 3 years.

I am currently a senior, and will have my degree in a few more semesters. I will be applying to medical school this summer and fall, and taking my MCAT in the summer. My dream is to be a doctor, and despite the fact that I probably have aspergers, I am still determined to give it my all even if I epically fail. The problem I foresee is obviously my inability to be social and have conversations with people. My main thing is initiation of new subjects, as I get focused on one subject and people get tired of listening to me because of this, plus my monotone voice probably doesn't help. My biggest fear is definitely SOM interviews... I feel as though these are going to be my demise because of my lack of social skills....

My GPA isn't all that bad for D.O., around 3.6 cum, and 3.7 science. Hopefully I can pull of around a 26-28 on the MCAT, but even if I do, I still feel like the interview is going to be the death of me, and that thought is literally spinning through my head everyday causing me anxiety out the ying-yang!

You might ask why I even would consider a medical career? A family member of mine is in the medical field and they have always been a role model to me. Although I probably do have aspergers, I have a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for other people... which is odd for most aspies but very true for myself.

What do you guys think I should do?? Will I stand even a small chance before the med school committees?? Will they mistake my lack of social skills for weakness? I want to be a medical pathologist, which requires little social skills except being able to entertain the dead, which shouldn't be an issue for me. Most people want to shoot themselves after being around me for a few hours anyways

Serious critiques are very much so welcomed, as I have everything to lose at this point if I cannot get into medical school. My girlfriend will destroy me if I don't, my parents college funding will runout soon, and my confidence will be even lower if I go through with this and fail miserably...

RELAX! It's going to be okay. You didn't make it this far due to your Aspergers, you did it because of hard work and perseverence in reaching your dream. Don't sweat the interviews at all. I interviewed with this kid who was probably more socially awkward than you and who had lakers-colored sweat pants showing under his suit pants (!!). He had a great MCAT and probably great grades, and he got the acceptance and I didn't. I like to think of myself as a social guy (sales for 2 years will do that to anyone), and clearly I wasn't what the school was looking for. There's plenty of doctors out there who are just like you, and they never used their diagnosis as a crutch or an excuse to fail. I hope you don't either. Keep your head down, rock the MCAT, tell your gf to give you a break, and you'll be just fine.

Don't let ANYONE tell you you can't pursue your dream.👍

 

[Iliketoytles]

Right now I feel like I am going through the roughest time in my life. Up until recently I really thought I was 100% like everyone else out there, but that I lacked self-confidence and was "shy." Recently, I have figured out that the shyness, plus my inability to read many non-verbal cues, and social withdrawal are due to me having aspergers. This is EXTREMELY difficult for me to handle in the current time for me because I have a lot of pressure on me to perform well by my girlfriend of 3 years.

I am currently a senior, and will have my degree in a few more semesters. I will be applying to medical school this summer and fall, and taking my MCAT in the summer. My dream is to be a doctor, and despite the fact that I probably have aspergers, I am still determined to give it my all even if I epically fail. The problem I foresee is obviously my inability to be social and have conversations with people. My main thing is initiation of new subjects, as I get focused on one subject and people get tired of listening to me because of this, plus my monotone voice probably doesn't help. My biggest fear is definitely SOM interviews... I feel as though these are going to be my demise because of my lack of social skills....

My GPA isn't all that bad for D.O., around 3.6 cum, and 3.7 science. Hopefully I can pull of around a 26-28 on the MCAT, but even if I do, I still feel like the interview is going to be the death of me, and that thought is literally spinning through my head everyday causing me anxiety out the ying-yang!

You might ask why I even would consider a medical career? A family member of mine is in the medical field and they have always been a role model to me. Although I probably do have aspergers, I have a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for other people... which is odd for most aspies but very true for myself.

What do you guys think I should do?? Will I stand even a small chance before the med school committees?? Will they mistake my lack of social skills for weakness? I want to be a medical pathologist, which requires little social skills except being able to entertain the dead, which shouldn't be an issue for me. Most people want to shoot themselves after being around me for a few hours anyways

Serious critiques are very much so welcomed, as I have everything to lose at this point if I cannot get into medical school. My girlfriend will destroy me if I don't, my parents college funding will runout soon, and my confidence will be even lower if I go through with this and fail miserably...

Hey OP,

First, I truly empathize for your situation; however, a friend of mine has aspergers and he is one of the most genuine people I know and is a great guy. He shares the exact same qualities you described... monotone voice and tends to rant. But that's what makes him cool, haha. I'm sure people feel the same way about you, so no worries.

Anyway... medical pathologist would be a good field for you to go into, but medical school may be difficult with your shyness and lack of social skills. If you don't mind me asking... why in the world is your girlfriend pressuring you to go into medicine? That's sort of ridiculous. However if you have a passion for science and you genuinely want to pursue medicine because it will make you happy... then I'd say you should do it. You have the smarts for it given your GPA.

What's your opinion on doing research as a profession?

 

[shamwowzer]

I actually can understand what the OP is talking about since one of my best friends has aspergers. I've talked to him a lot about it because he also feels inadequate and despises the fact that regardless of how hard he tries he comes off as terribly awkward in just about any social situation.

In reality, this friend of mine is extremely smart and can work as hard at school as anyone I've ever seen.

OP: you're only looking at the negative side of this; unlike many others, you can become absolutely engrossed with a subject and live/eat/sleep/breath it without it bothering you. If you truly do this, it doesn't matter how awkward you look to an adcom because they'll know you're extremely passionate about medicine. A lot of famous people (newton and einstein, for example) were suspected/diagnosed with aspergers and did just fine in their field of study to say the least. Work hard and hope for the best and you'll be just fine.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[Helen Wheels]

Having worked in psychiatry for 16 years and met many people with Asperger's as well as other issues, I question that you really have this. I suggest that you may really just be shy or have social phobia or perhaps maybe just need a little work on social skills. Most people with Asperger's wouldn't necessarily realize that they have these problems - they wouldn't consider their behavior unusual, would see their behavior as just fine, and have trouble seeing things from another's point of view. Also, arguing against this diagnosis is your empathy and having relationships (a girlfriend). A monotone voice is often found in Asperger's but is by no means a definitive indicator. Also, sometimes people with other mental health issues get hyper-focused one subject (ADHD and Bipolar come to mind). Anyway, maybe getting a professional evaluation would be helpful? With a proper diagnosis they can steer you to the right resources.

However, I will add that not all physicians are social dynamos, so your worries about interviews may be somewhat unfounded!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

You would probably be better off being a hacker. I just listened to a TED that talked about the large number of hackers that have aspergers.

In all seriousness, you will be fine if you force yourself to be fine. As the old cliche sayings go, whether you think you can or you can't, you are right,

 

[aspiepremed]

Hey OP,

First, I truly empathize for your situation; however, a friend of mine has aspergers and he is one of the most genuine people I know and is a great guy. He shares the exact same qualities you described... monotone voice and tends to rant. But that's what makes him cool, haha. I'm sure people feel the same way about you, so no worries.

Anyway... medical pathologist would be a good field for you to go into, but medical school may be difficult with your shyness and lack of social skills. If you don't mind me asking... why in the world is your girlfriend pressuring you to go into medicine? That's sort of ridiculous. However if you have a passion for science and you genuinely want to pursue medicine because it will make you happy... then I'd say you should do it. You have the smarts for it given your GPA.

What's your opinion on doing research as a profession?

"RELAX! It's going to be okay. You didn't make it this far due to your Aspergers, you did it because of hard work and perseverence in reaching your dream. Don't sweat the interviews at all. I interviewed with this kid who was probably more socially awkward than you and who had lakers-colored sweat pants showing under his suit pants (!!). He had a great MCAT and probably great grades, and he got the acceptance and I didn't. I like to think of myself as a social guy (sales for 2 years will do that to anyone), and clearly I wasn't what the school was looking for. There's plenty of doctors out there who are just like you, and they never used their diagnosis as a crutch or an excuse to fail. I hope you don't either. Keep your head down, rock the MCAT, tell your gf to give you a break, and you'll be just fine.

Don't let ANYONE tell you you can't pursue your dream."

Thank you very much for this, you have given me a glimmer of hope and that is exactly what I need right now! Haha, that is one of the funniest things I have heard in awhile about those lakers-colored sweat pants XD you had me rolling on the floor!

"Hey OP,

First, I truly empathize for your situation; however, a friend of mine has aspergers and he is one of the most genuine people I know and is a great guy. He shares the exact same qualities you described... monotone voice and tends to rant. But that's what makes him cool, haha. I'm sure people feel the same way about you, so no worries.

Anyway... medical pathologist would be a good field for you to go into, but medical school will be quite difficult with your shyness and lack of social skills. If you don't mind me asking... why in the world is your girlfriend pressuring you to go into medicine? That's sort of ridiculous. However if you have a passion for science and you genuinely want to pursue medicine because it will make you happy... then I'd say you should do it. You have the smarts for it given your GPA.

What's your opinion on doing research as a profession?"

Hey there! Well, I can only hope that other people find my weirdness as "cool" but I highly doubt it haha. My girlfriend isn't necessarily pressuring me. She really put herself in a huge mess to be honest. She originally was wanting to go into the medical field or pharmacology when we met. After about a year of living together she decided that I was clearly intelligent enough and determined to get into medical school, saw it as a given, and changed her major to wildlife bio... so now she feels as though if I fail, it will be the death of us both... and that all her faith in her man was false.. which obviously, having a lack of self-confidence already, will not be a good situation as it will make me feel even more inferior.


As for the research - I currently do research and I can say that although it does have its ups, I cannot see myself commanding others and recruiting new people constantly to help me with the research. Not only that, but they pay is definitely not alluring, and I feel as though I would get bored with doing research after a sustained period of time. I have shadowed a pathologist and loved what they did, looking at different tissue samples and doing autopsies... its a little more engaging and hands on than research IMHO. I really love the idea of being a pathologist one day... or maybe a radiation onco?logist. But really though, the thought of interviews will kill me up until they commense!

 

[rafman]

Your gpa looks good, and if you can pull of a decent mcat score, all you have to do is try your best to be social for 30-45 min with the interviewers. I'm pretty sure there are many people more socially shy or akward than you who get in to medical school. Looks like you have come a long way and there is no doubt that this will hinder you in medical school (unless if you let it) its all about the determination and will. Good luck OP!!

PS. Dump the gold-digger, plenty of girls out there who will like you for you, and not your profession lol

 

[aspiepremed]

Having worked in psychiatry for 16 years and met many people with Asperger's as well as other issues, I question that you really have this. I suggest that you may really just be shy or have social phobia or perhaps maybe just need a little work on social skills. Most people with Asperger's wouldn't necessarily realize that they have these problems - they wouldn't consider their behavior unusual, would see their behavior as just fine, and have trouble seeing things from another's point of view. Also, arguing against this diagnosis is your empathy and having relationships (a girlfriend). A monotone voice is often found in "Asperger's but is by no means a definitive indicator. Also, sometimes people with other mental health issues get hyper-focused one subject (ADHD and Bipolar come to mind). Anyway, maybe getting a professional evaluation would be helpful? With a proper diagnosis they can steer you to the right resources.

However, I will add that not all physicians are social dynamos, so your worries about interviews may be somewhat unfounded!"

Someone did once tell me that I act like I have bipolar disorder, but I never really thought much of it... I tend to have a lack of motivation some days and never even want to get out of bed so I just force myself to drink coffee and study my arse off... and then other days constant bursts of energy.. but why the heck am I so socially awkward even when I actively try to not be? I have a few problems with verbal recognition and executive functioning also... which seems to line up more with aspergers... but maybe my lack of attention is the real culprit in all the above? Thanks for this insight, I probably should go see a professional but since I tend to worry about things I will probably be too nervous to ever do so 🙁

 

[Iliketoytles]

Hey there! Well, I can only hope that other people find my weirdness as "cool" but I highly doubt it haha. My girlfriend isn't necessarily pressuring me. She really put herself in a huge mess to be honest. She originally was wanting to go into the medical field or pharmacology when we met. After about a year of living together she decided that I was clearly intelligent enough and determined to get into medical school, saw it as a given, and changed her major to wildlife bio... so now she feels as though if I fail, it will be the death of us both... and that all her faith in her man was false.. which obviously, having a lack of self-confidence already, will not be a good situation as it will make me feel even more inferior.


As for the research - I currently do research and I can say that although it does have its ups, I cannot see myself commanding others and recruiting new people constantly to help me with the research. Not only that, but they pay is definitely not alluring, and I feel as though I would get bored with doing research after a sustained period of time. I have shadowed a pathologist and loved what they did, looking at different tissue samples and doing autopsies... its a little more engaging and hands on than research IMHO. I really love the idea of being a pathologist one day... or maybe a radiation onco?logist. But really though, the thought of interviews will kill me up until they commense!

Ah I see where your girlfriend is coming from... sort of. But either way, it's clear now that medicine is where you want to be.

Like everyone else said, I think you'll be surprised with how many "social outcasts" there are in the medical field. I've met many different personalities among doctors during my clinical volunteering years, and each doctor brought something different, yet great to the table. You say you empathize with people well... I think this will shine during your patient visits despite your social shyness. People can tell when someone is genuine or not, and if you really feel it, it'll show.

Anyway, I wish you the best this application season. You may have some social obstacles to overcome the next few years, but it's nothing you won't be able to handle. Medschool is a great opportunity to let your actions speak louder than your words... so in your case, it's a win-win situation! But seriously, you'll do great. 👍

 

[Druggernaut]

Someone did once tell me that I act like I have bipolar disorder, but I never really thought much of it... I tend to have a lack of motivation some days and never even want to get out of bed so I just force myself to drink coffee and study my arse off... and then other days constant bursts of energy.. but why the heck am I so socially awkward even when I actively try to not be? I have a few problems with verbal recognition and executive functioning also... which seems to line up more with aspergers... but maybe my lack of attention is the real culprit in all the above? Thanks for this insight, I probably should go see a professional but since I tend to worry about things I will probably be too nervous to ever do so 🙁

I also have my doubts that you have Aspergers. What you've described is true of lots of "normal" people. Go get evaluated by a professional. There's nothing to be anxious about, it could only make things better. Maybe you just need to force yourself to be social. It's a skill that can be studied and practiced just like anything else. Unless you have certain diagnoses (which you aren't qualified to determine, and won't know unless you see someone), you should be able to get better with it, even if it will feel unpleasant for a while.

On the brighter side, your GPA is more than good enough for any DO program, and could also possibly get you into an MD school if you did well enough on the MCAT.

 

[GlimmerGlass]

OP you say in your original post that you "probably" have this disease. Are you self diagnosing or did you have a professional evaluation? You should definitely see a physician and get a real diagnosis bc there may not actually be anything wrong with you and wouldn't it be nice to know for sure either way.

As others have said there are plenty of terrible interviewees out there so don't worry about it and be yourself bc that is who they want to see. You may try mock interviews to help you prep; most schools offer this service.

 

[TriagePreMed]

So do you actually have aspergers or is this some guess of yours? The latter is how it came off. I'd suggest actually visiting a specialist if you think this is the case.

What have you done in terms of EC? That would reveal more of your ability to interact with people than your self-assessment.

 

[UTsksk]

Right now I feel like I am going through the roughest time in my life. Up until recently I really thought I was 100% like everyone else out there, but that I lacked self-confidence and was "shy." Recently, I have figured out that the shyness, plus my inability to read many non-verbal cues, and social withdrawal are due to me having aspergers. This is EXTREMELY difficult for me to handle in the current time for me because I have a lot of pressure on me to perform well by my girlfriend of 3 years.

I am currently a senior, and will have my degree in a few more semesters. I will be applying to medical school this summer and fall, and taking my MCAT in the summer. My dream is to be a doctor, and despite the fact that I probably have aspergers, I am still determined to give it my all even if I epically fail. The problem I foresee is obviously my inability to be social and have conversations with people. My main thing is initiation of new subjects, as I get focused on one subject and people get tired of listening to me because of this, plus my monotone voice probably doesn't help. My biggest fear is definitely SOM interviews... I feel as though these are going to be my demise because of my lack of social skills....

My GPA isn't all that bad for D.O., around 3.6 cum, and 3.7 science. Hopefully I can pull of around a 26-28 on the MCAT, but even if I do, I still feel like the interview is going to be the death of me, and that thought is literally spinning through my head everyday causing me anxiety out the ying-yang!

You might ask why I even would consider a medical career? A family member of mine is in the medical field and they have always been a role model to me. Although I probably do have aspergers, I have a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for other people... which is odd for most aspies but very true for myself.

What do you guys think I should do?? Will I stand even a small chance before the med school committees?? Will they mistake my lack of social skills for weakness? I want to be a medical pathologist, which requires little social skills except being able to entertain the dead, which shouldn't be an issue for me. Most people want to shoot themselves after being around me for a few hours anyways

Serious critiques are very much so welcomed, as I have everything to lose at this point if I cannot get into medical school. My girlfriend will destroy me if I don't, my parents college funding will runout soon, and my confidence will be even lower if I go through with this and fail miserably...

dump her on the corner for considering to leave you if you don't pursue medicine

 

[UTsksk]

You would probably be better off being a hacker. I just listened to a TED that talked about the large number of hackers that have aspergers.

In all seriousness, you will be fine if you force yourself to be fine. As the old cliche sayings go, whether you think you can or you can't, you are right,

My favorite quote is: "If you can dream it, you can do it"

 

[SpecterGT260]

self diagnosis of psychiatric issues is.... well it is really irritating. get a professional opinion and dont self-diagnose just because you identify with a couple symptoms or because a "syndrome" would just explain away something you dislike about yourself. The nonchalant "I have ADD" comments burn me pretty good. Nobody just comes out like that who has known the stigma of being a medicated kid and having the school nurse bring you aside in class every day at a developmental period when anything that makes one "different" is highly noticeable and usually attacked.

 

[deleted398564]

.

 

[UTsksk]

Don't worry man, I shadowed a doctor with Aspergers a few summers ago. I actually never heard of it until I met him. I think admissions committees would much rather see you shy or "awkward" than cocky and arrogant. If you really want to be a doctor, than GO FOR IT!

A friend of mine is as arrogant as they come and he interviewed at UTMB and UTH and he eventually got into UTMB. It pretty much shocked us all since he had the numbers(good gpa but not so great mcat), but his personality was severely lacking. We make fun of him since he always brags about his kd for COD.

 

[SpecterGT260]

People can fake "nice" for a 4-8 hr interview day

 

[NurWollen]

People can fake "nice" for a 4-8 hr interview day

True, yet so many people get rejected because they choose not to.

 

[SpecterGT260]

Ur right lol. There are also the royal douchers that can put on a show for adcoms lol. All walks of life in medicine.... Except normal people apparently lol

 

[tryp]

If you think you have a psychiatric disorder, you really REALLY need to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist so that you can get the proper treatment.

I have a psychiatric disorder and I am making it in medical school so far, but the only reason I am is because I got a proper diagnosis and proper treatment (medication plus regular therapy). Diagnosing yourself never works out well, trust me. You just don't have the training or the objectivity.

Best of luck to you.

 

[deleted398564]

.

 

[Missorleans]

Get evaluated, don't go on self diagnosis. If you don't have it then you're holding yourself back by telling yourself that your personality is not in your control. I have the same qualities you mentioned (especially eye contact and the monotone voice, I still get called out for that). I was worried about interviews, the best thing I did for myself last year was practicing initiating and holding conversations. It's awkward putting yourself out there and talking to people you don't know, but it's just like any other skill, you won't get better if you don't practice.
Also, if you do have aspergers I'm pretty sure I read that there's therapy that can help with picking up on social cues, conversation, eye contact, those things.