learning disability in personal statement?

[laveret35]

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So I’m in a pretty binding dilemma
See when I started undergrad(Fr) I had ok grades then it got harder…
After of about a year and a half of failing I decided to get treated for adhd
When I got treated then like magic I was getting >3.5 every semester.. problem is now I have to explain to adcoms when went wrong…
I know adhd is a stigmatized disorder but I have had problems with distractibility all of my life.
Should I include it in my PS?

 

[NovMSScr]

.

 

[Stephanopolous]

My opinion:
Use your personal statement to answer the question why medicine. Comment on the experiences that have led you to this decision. Highlight your strengths as an applicant.

I work with a couple of physicians who have ADHD and they are excellent providers though they do not let many people know of that diagnosis.

If you are able to handle the workload of school with your treatment then I wouldn't point out any reasons why you shouldn't be accepted, I.e. ADHD disorder. Whether we want to admit it or not some people will look down on this as a negative thing.

 

[laveret35]

I'm in a similar boat, however not quite as drastic of a grade turn around. In my case, I elected to just not mention it anywhere and hopefully they'll think it has something to do with maturity and making a conscious decision of what my goals are. I don't know if this is the best advice, personally I'm always a little nervous to tell people of my ADHD for fear that they'll assume I'm just another college kid faking it or something.

I wondering if any medical student cited a learning disability and got in, please tell stats or perhaps an admin can enlighten me on this topic

all responses are appreciated 🙂

 

[Goro]

No. There are other prompts for that.

So I’m in a pretty binding dilemma
See when I started undergrad(Fr) I had ok grades then it got harder…
After of about a year and a half of failing I decided to get treated for adhd
When I got treated then like magic I was getting >3.5 every semester.. problem is now I have to explain to adcoms when went wrong…
I know adhd is a stigmatized disorder but I have had problems with distractibility all of my life.
Should I include it in my PS?

 

[mathnerd88]

I would try to hide the fact you have ADHD. You can give a vague excuse that you had health issues which led to bad grades.

Schools don't need to know what exact health issues you have. It is protected information. Don't share it unless it is a need to know basis.

Do not write about it in your PS. That is not a good idea. You need to show your strengths, not your weaknesses, unless you can turn it into a learning experience. Having ADHD is not really something you can turn into a "learning experience."

 

[kinzav]

I would try to hide the fact you have ADHD. You can give a vague excuse that you had health issues which led to bad grades.

Schools don't need to know what exact health issues you have. It is protected information. Don't share it unless it is a need to know basis.

Do not write about it in your PS. That is not a good idea. You need to show your strengths, not your weaknesses, unless you can turn it into a learning experience. Having ADHD is not really something you can turn into a "learning experience."

Hmm, I'd say there are plenty of twists you can put on the diagnosis to make it look good. I don't think it'd be truthful unless you felt it was a learning experience but a ton of things come to mind: you better understand the importance of accurate diagnostics, the realm of the mind is still a difficult frontier to diagnosis and treat in the medical field, management of chronic conditions is something you can empathize with better now, the impact good medical managment can have on a person's quality of life, you have a new sense of compassion towards those dealing with conditions stigmatized by society (i.e. metabolic syndrome, ADHD, depression), etc. etc. etc.

But, OP, I think it's important you understand what the prevailing advice is here: don't use it in your personal statement unless it is crucial to explaining further your dedication to medicine. I am close to someone who has recently applied and had an ADHD diagnosis and ACL tear in a short time period, and it was crucial to explaining her dedication to medicine, but if it's a minor detail in an otherwise compelling personal statement, no need to force it. There are multiple sections on applications to explain "transcript discrepencies" or "grading outliers" or weaknesses in general, and many schools don't ask because it's not important to them, and maybe a school that doesn't consider it important isn't a good fit for you? Just my 2 cents 🙂

 

[Grace184]

Agree (of course) with Goro. Leave it out. PS is for why medicine, not why my grades were bad at first. Adcoms can see and appreciate upward trends, and, as said, there are prompts for that.

 

[costales]

It is never a good idea to draw attention to your personal issues in a med school app (or residency app for that matter).

 

[deleted480308]

don't mention disability if you can avoid it

 

[DanniD]

why would you mention something that they didn't even ask for...

the purpose of the personal letter is to answer "why medicine" not "why disable"

 

[j4pac]

So I’m in a pretty binding dilemma
See when I started undergrad(Fr) I had ok grades then it got harder…
After of about a year and a half of failing I decided to get treated for adhd
When I got treated then like magic I was getting >3.5 every semester.. problem is now I have to explain to adcoms when went wrong…
I know adhd is a stigmatized disorder but I have had problems with distractibility all of my life.
Should I include it in my PS?

I would avoid using in in a PS. If it gets asked in an interview, I would answer it honestly. You are going to want to have practiced your answer to this question about a million times, including to objective friends/family who you trust.

If I was an interviewer I would be reassured that you may be the only person entering my medical school who isn't ABUSING Adderall/Ritalin.