How much would prescription drugs

[MidwestLovin]

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affect your changes of getting in? Say medical schools know you've been diagnosed with ADHD and take adderall?

 

[Long Way to Go]

How would the schools you applied to know that at all?

 

[Ismet]

Schools are legally not allowed to discriminate based on physical/mental illness/disability as long as you are able to meet the required competencies. That doesn't mean there's not a stigma against mental illness, subconscious or otherwise. That's why you do not want to disclose mental illness, and you are in no way required to.

 

[masaraksh]

OP may be worried since he/she may have snorted an adderal mid-interview in order to stay focused.

on a serious note: this is not something you have to disclose and for your own sake it may be good to talk to your doctor and ask how much impact this condition may have on you in the medical school environment.

 

[familyaerospace]

As someone else said the schools don't have to know. One of my doctors told me I would have to get off the meds before I started medical school.

 

[Ismet]

One of my doctors told me I would have to get off the meds before I started medical school.

Consider seeking a second opinion.

 

[familyaerospace]

Consider seeking a second opinion.

Two of my three doctors say get off the ADHD medications, both for different reasons. One says because medical schools will drug screen. The second says I don't have that disorder, I have another disorder. The one who writes for them obviously says stay on them and seems to be oblivious to the fact I know doctor 1 and doctor 2. I have been doing ok without them, but I cannot assume that would continue in medical school.

 

[Ismet]

Two of my three doctors say get off the ADHD medications, both for different reasons. One says because medical schools will drug screen. The second says I don't have that disorder, I have another disorder. The one who writes for them obviously says stay on them and seems to be oblivious to the fact I know doctor 1 and doctor 2. I have been doing ok without them, but I cannot assume that would continue in medical school.

I'm not going to give any specific advice because that's not what this forum is for. Just know yourself and don't be afraid to get help if you need it.

 

[Plecopotamus]

One says because medical schools will drug screen.

With regards to drug screening: when you get a drug screen, you fill out a form beforehand telling them what medications you take, and sometimes they will request to see a copy of your prescription if it is something that can be abused. Friends I have had who take a modest dose of Adderall have actually not turned the amphetamine portion of the drug screen positive when we have taken these tests at one of our rotation sites.

The offices that do these screens are sometimes completely independently contracted, but at the very least are completely separate from anybody you will be working with in the clinical setting -- they provide the rotation site/department with a "pass" or "fail" result. A positive test with a prescription that accounts for it would be reported as a "pass" although at some places you could be required to undergo a quantitative or more specific screening before they would give the "pass" (I would hypothesize that some places could want a note from a physician in addition to seeing the rx).

So many people in medicine are legitimately on Adderall that even if your instructors knew, they probably wouldn't care. I have trouble envisioning the scenario in which they would find out, short of you taking your meds in front of them. (as has been mentioned above this is not something to put in your app either).

Completely independent of any commentary on your need for the medication etc., I am disturbed and disappointed that a physician would give such an uninformed and incorrect piece of advice to you. Worse than any stigma of taking Adderall is the stigma of failing a course, year, or rotation, the financial consequence of having to repeat a year, or being hurt in the match by such a blemish on your academic record b/c you electively stop treating a medical condition for which you require treatment to maintain quality of life or mental function necessary to perform to the high demands of medical school.

 

[familyaerospace]

With regards to drug screening: when you get a drug screen, you fill out a form beforehand telling them what medications you take, and sometimes they will request to see a copy of your prescription if it is something that can be abused. Friends I have had who take a modest dose of Adderall have actually not turned the amphetamine portion of the drug screen positive when we have taken these tests at one of our rotation sites.

The offices that do these screens are sometimes completely independently contracted, but at the very least are completely separate from anybody you will be working with in the clinical setting -- they provide the rotation site/department with a "pass" or "fail" result. A positive test with a prescription that accounts for it would be reported as a "pass" although at some places you could be required to undergo a quantitative or more specific screening before they would give the "pass" (I would hypothesize that some places could want a note from a physician in addition to seeing the rx).

So many people in medicine are legitimately on Adderall that even if your instructors knew, they probably wouldn't care. I have trouble envisioning the scenario in which they would find out short of you taking your meds in front of them. (as has been mentioned above this is not something to put in your app either).

Completely independent of any commentary on your need for the medication etc., I am disturbed and disappointed that a physician would give such an uninformed and incorrect piece of advice to you. Worse than any stigma of taking Adderall is the stigma of failing a course, year, or rotation, the financial consequence of having to repeat a year, or being hurt in the match by such a blemish on your academic record.

I know. My grandmother has to do drug screens and that is what they make her do. I mentioned that to him I was pretty sure they asked what my meds are or at least what I've taken lately. He is a 70 year old who used to be a family doctor now is obgyn/endocrinology so given his age, it would not be surprising for him to be anti-ritalin/adderall. When I was inbetween PCPs, he said he would take over writing all my medications except ADHD meds until I obtained a new internist. I am not sure that doctor is supportive of medical school, for me at least.