Migraines and Registered Disability?

[SeaBreeze12]

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I was wondering if anyone out there has gone through the process of registering a disability when applying for step 1.... I wanted to know how difficult a process that would be.

I get mirgraines with auras and I worry about what would happen if I got one during step 1. I wouldn't be able to see the exam for one thing and the pain would be so bad I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Registering this as a disability is the only way I could think of avoiding potentially failing the exam or having to pay to retake if I happened to get one during the exam.

Anyone out there with thoughts or advice on this matter? 😕

 

[mules05]

I was wondering if anyone out there has gone through the process of registering a disability when applying for step 1.... I wanted to know how difficult a process that would be.

I get mirgraines with auras and I worry about what would happen if I got one during step 1. I wouldn't be able to see the exam for one thing and the pain would be so bad I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Registering this as a disability is the only way I could think of avoiding potentially failing the exam or having to pay to retake if I happened to get one during the exam.

Anyone out there with thoughts or advice on this matter? 😕

I don't know that this would count as a disability, since you may or may not experience one on test day. It probably depends how often you get them, and how you treat them. I get migraines, but they respond to high doses of excedrin migraine, so i brought a bunch of that with me to the test. I also don't get them very often. I think your best bet would be to talk to your doctor...he or she can let you try prescription meds that might help, or if you get them often, maybe give you a suppressive med. Seriously though, talk to your doctor, because aside from step 1, you'll be on rotations soon, and have to deal with it then. Take care of it now.

 

[njbmd]

I was wondering if anyone out there has gone through the process of registering a disability when applying for step 1.... I wanted to know how difficult a process that would be.

I get mirgraines with auras and I worry about what would happen if I got one during step 1. I wouldn't be able to see the exam for one thing and the pain would be so bad I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Registering this as a disability is the only way I could think of avoiding potentially failing the exam or having to pay to retake if I happened to get one during the exam.

Anyone out there with thoughts or advice on this matter? 😕

USMLE Step I is no better or worse than any exam that you take during your medical school coursework. If you have "accomodations" for your course exams, then you should have the same "accomodations" for USMLE Step I, II and III. This exam is not the "end all" of exams but another exam just like your course exams, that ask you to apply your knowledge acquired during first and second year to problems.

What happens when you get a migraine during your course exams? The same thing is likely to happen when if you get a migraine during USMLE (any step). You may want to have a discussion with your Dean of Student Affairs on this matter but whatever accomodations are made by your medical school, can be made by USMLE provided you have the proper documentation.

I have migraines with auras and this has never been an issue in any of my academic career. I take care of this problem like anything else. See if you can get what you need in terms of accomodations (if any) before you start worrying about "what if".