Mentioning Learning Disability in Personal Statement

[MedGrl@2022]

As a child I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This was the spark that got me interested in medicine and health care. I based my personal statement on how my experience as a child ultimately led me to pursue a career in health care. I have been able to overcome the challenges and I did very well in high school and college. I have a very high GPA in college and almost never had any special accommodations during school.

Some of my peers have recommended that I should not mention my learning disability because the ADCOMs will look down on me. I don;t want the ADCOMs to think that I cannot succeed in medical school due to ADD. Nor, do I want them to sympathize. My ADD is part of me and I have overcome it (and can manage it) and it has led me to pursue an interest in medicine especially mental health and the intersection of behavior/psychology and psychological health.

I thought it might be also good to show medical schools that I can overcome challenges and can be successful in medical school because I have been successful so far. However, we all have struggles. My struggle is just my own and may be a lot less than others.

What do you all think? Is there someone professional that I can ask to get a definite answer on this? I want a strong personal statement but I don't want what I say to hurt my chances of getting into medical school.

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[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Best to play it safe in PS. Did you have an MCAT accommodation?

 

[MedGrl@2022]

Best to play it safe in PS. Did you have an MCAT accommodation?

No... but I feel like it is the thread that starts everything and it will not be anywhere else on my AMCAS... but if it really going to hinder me then I need a major personal statement rewrite... :-/

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Unless you were a child soldier in Africa, I think your goal in the PS is to write something decent and vanilla that doesn't harm you. If you feel like you've done that,nthen move forward with what you have. Your grades and MCAT support your case that you can hack med school.

 

[Gauss44]

As a child I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This was the spark that got me interested in medicine and health care. I based my personal statement on how my experience as a child ultimately led me to pursue a career in health care. I have been able to overcome the challenges and I did very well in high school and college. I have a very high GPA in college and almost never had any special accommodations during school.

Some of my peers have recommended that I should not mention my learning disability because the ADCOMs will look down on me. I don;t want the ADCOMs to think that I cannot succeed in medical school due to ADD. Nor, do I want them to sympathize. My ADD is part of me and I have overcome it (and can manage it) and it has led me to pursue an interest in medicine especially mental health and the intersection of behavior/psychology and psychological health.

I thought it might be also good to show medical schools that I can overcome challenges and can be successful in medical school because I have been successful so far. However, we all have struggles. My struggle is just my own and may be a lot less than others.

What do you all think? Is there someone professional that I can ask to get a definite answer on this? I want a strong personal statement but I don't want what I say to hurt my chances of getting into medical school.

I suspect that this might be a great idea, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT (and ONLY if you do it right).

1. If I were writing something like that, I would make sure that the essay was extremely clear about how that obstacle was OVERCOME, so they don't think that it could cause problems for the medical school. Or make sure to include clear and plausible information to contradict any notion that it would be a problem for the medical school.

2. Be ready for questions about it come interview time.

I suspect that admissions is looking for brave independently minded candidates, who are also diverse in their understanding of patients' needs, and who are caring and understanding towards learning disabilities. This essay might make you stand out in a wonderful way. It shows courage. Just do it right.

Maybe someone from admissions will reply and either confirm or contradict this.

 

[askamsky51]

So let me just say this, which is entirely anecdotal--but something to keep in mind.

I have talked to a lot of physicians about ADD (I work with them daily, and with all spectrums of specialties). At least from my own personal experiences, most doc's scoff a bit when they hear the term ADD.

While I don't doubt you may have this condition, I think it is the fact that it is/was overly diagnosed. I think shaping a personal statement around ADD will not have the effect you believe it will, or hope it will. I feel you may get a lot of *eyerolls* when reading that it is "the reason you wanted to persue medicine."

ADD unfortunately has a negative stigma to it. I think shaping your PS around it has the potential to do more harm than good... Not only in the sense that adcoms may not take it seriously, but also in the event that they do and feel it may hinder you in medical school. (all things considered i realize you may have an awesome gpa to counter this--but for all they know you were able to take exams in testing centers, etc)

I disagree that you can't put risky material in a PS. I certainly did (vanilla is boring, take a risk). Though tbh I also think that this has the potential to be lose-lose.

1. If I were writing something like that, I would make sure that the essay was extremely clear about how that obstacle was OVERCOME, so they don't think that it could cause problems for the medical school. Or make sure to include clear and plausible information to contradict any notion that it would be a problem for the medical school.

2. Be ready for questions about it come interview time.

The above statement is 100% correct though. IF you are going to put risky stuff in your PS, definitely include how it is no longer an issue, why, how you learned from it, etc. It must be perfectly clear that you are better because of the issue, and for some reason or another actually puts you potentially (be humble 😛) ahead of your peers because you experienced it.

 

[freshbagels]

I have ADHD and definitely mentioned in my PS, although my situation is different than yours: I struggled academically as an undergrad and was only diagnosed before my 5th year, and I have to justify 4 years of very poor performance. I also use it as an opportunity to explain how I was able to generate productive study and work habits and pull out a 4.0 SMP and 39 MCAT from a <3 uGPA.

I've spoken to several adcoms or former adcoms, and while they generally recommend against highlighting any black marks on your app, I have such a glaring deficit that I would be remiss in failing to bring it up, and they felt I did so relatively well.