Just got diagnosed with ADHD!

[pancakespls]

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I just got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 20 in the middle of undergrad. This semester has been rough, and I've decided to drop 2 classes because I'd rather take the 2 W's then have the classes I'm dropping affect my GPA. I have a few questions for y'all.

1) For all of y'all struggling with ADHD, what are things you are doing to stay on track of our hectic lives as pre-meds? I've been taking vyvanse for the past week which is helping tremendously, but I know it isn't a magic pill that's going to fix everything. What other things have you found that have helped study habits, etc.

2) I've been researching this and getting mixed messages. Is the ADHD diagnosis something I could potential bring up when applying to medical schools? To acknowledge the 2 W's and how I'm living everyday with a brain that I basically don't have full access to? lol. I know mental health in physicians is a sorta tricky subject in the medical world, but it's a major factor in my life and why I chose to pursue medicine.

Thanks!

 

[leonardoson]

I just got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 20 in the middle of undergrad. This semester has been rough, and I've decided to drop 2 classes because I'd rather take the 2 W's then have the classes I'm dropping affect my GPA. I have a few questions for y'all.

1) For all of y'all struggling with ADHD, what are things you are doing to stay on track of our hectic lives as pre-meds? I've been taking vyvanse for the past week which is helping tremendously, but I know it isn't a magic pill that's going to fix everything. What other things have you found that have helped study habits, etc.

2) I've been researching this and getting mixed messages. Is the ADHD diagnosis something I could potential bring up when applying to medical schools? To acknowledge the 2 W's and how I'm living everyday with a brain that I basically don't have full access to? lol. I know mental health in physicians is a sorta tricky subject in the medical world, but it's a major factor in my life and why I chose to pursue medicine.

Thanks!

ADHD student here. I will not be bringing it up in applications since it is easily overcome through better time allocation. There are people who have actual hindrances that aren't easily overcome.

As to dealing with it, allot more time to account for being distracted easily. Force yourself to focus. Find ways to not be distracted (studying in different locations is an example). I would always ask myself if I wanted to be a doctor or not, which helped. Didn't take medication in college after being medicated my entire life. You do have control.

Don't let this turn you into a victim.

 

[DokterMom]

It's nice that you've been able to quit your ADHD medication and still succeed @leonardoson , and I hope you continue to succeed through medical school. But I'm going from the assumption that @pancakespls went ON medication because he found himself struggling academically and not succeeding to the best of his abilities.

I'm sure this thread will eventually devolve into the usual "ADHD is overdiagnosed / ADHD isn't real / medication is a crutch / medication is 'cheating' since everyone could benefit from it" flame war -- but before it does --

OP, if you find that medication really helps you and you have a valid diagnosis that you believe is accurate -- then take it [only] as directed and succeed. Guilt free. Know that many medical students are in the same situation. It's not something I would advertise; but if asked about the 2 Ws, you can acknowledge your late diagnosis if you also can comment on the non-drug things you have done (see below).

At the same time, work on organizing and structuring your habits and finding your most effective learning and studying modes. That may enable you to someday discontinue your ADHD medications at a time when you have achieved greater mastery of your life tasks

 

[Lucille95]

Congrats on your diagnosis! I’m glad meds are helping. When I was studying for the MCAT I found this app, Focus Keeper really helped. I could set a goal for the total time I wanted to study each day, and set intervals for how long I would study before I got a break, and a timer for the break. Once I got in the habit of really focusing for that fixed amount of time and then getting short breaks and long breaks, I felt like I got really efficient with my studying.

For executive dysfunction stuff, (if you don’t know what that is yet, look it up, first time I did I had an aha moment of “ohhh all this stuff that is way easier for other people but hard for me is an ADD thing, and other people find ways to work on it too)
I find that if I really need to remember to bring something, I should put it so it physically blocks a door so I have to move it and notice it to get out the door. Or for work, I have a lot of stuff that has to go on my uniform (badge, stethoscope, pen, shears, penlight, other badge), so I put it all in one bin so that in the morning when I’m getting ready I know where it all is, and I know that once the bin is empty, I’ve got everything. And for appointments, I find that I have to not only have a calendar event on my phone that reminds me 30 min before, I have to put an event on the day before so it’s on my mind and on the day of I don’t go off on errands or a long walk and only remember the event 30 minutes before and I’m in a bad situation.

This might be all super specific to me but there’s lots of resources out there to help you figure out your own coping mechanisms! This blog “ActuallyADHD” (google actuallyadhd tumblr, sorry I can’t post links yet lol) has some good stuff. Look up RSD as well, I don’t have any advice for you on that but it’s something that I know a lot of people with ADHD have “aha! That’s not just me?!” moments when they first learn about it.

 

[dr_kateb]

Ayo pop that addy bruh