Options for students with chronic illnesses

[Cyborg Ninja]

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I have syringomyelia, Crohn's disease and Graves disease, and I am seriously considering entering the medical field. Or at least I would like to. Unfortunately, if my situation breaks down, I don't know how I can get back to work easily. I have thought about getting a nurse to take care of me sometimes, but I don't know much more than that. What can I do to cope and survive?

 

[robertschuh]

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[crazydiamond]

I say if you really want to, go for it. No need to prematurely decide against medicine if you're up for it right now. Who knows what the future holds, ya know? I think the big thing is realizing that some specialites may not be practical and that you might have to stop practicing if your health declines too much.

That being said, I know someone who has MS and attended med school. Unfortunately, though, in the middle of his second year things really got worse and he became blind, forcing him to drop out of school. But no one could have predicted how fast his condition would have worsened or which specific symptoms he'd be afflicted with. He could have just as easily gone another 10 years without much change in his symptoms, with the proper treatment. So there's no reason to not go forward with your dreams as long as you're able, ya know?

 

[diosa428]

One of my preceptors in our practice course is a 90 year old man with Crohn's who is a retired anesthesiologist. He told us that he wanted to be a surgeon, but couldn't b/c of the Crohns, but he loved anesthesiology. So it may limit your career choices, but it shouldn't rule out medicine. Crazydiamond does bring up a good point though; if you have to drop out of medical school (or quit your job at any point) you may be looking at a huge pile of loans that you can't repay. Hopefully you can find a cheap option.

 

[Cyborg Ninja]

Well, I think what I want to do wouldn't be too physically grueling outside of the usual hard work that becoming a doctor requires. I worry about sudden bouts of illness that may leave me in the hospital, or getting necessary surgery. Or losing the ability to walk. My foot is going weak right now actually.

 

[crazydiamond]

Well, I think what I want to do wouldn't be too physically grueling outside of the usual hard work that becoming a doctor requires. I worry about sudden bouts of illness that may leave me in the hospital, or getting necessary surgery. Or losing the ability to walk. My foot is going weak right now actually.

I still think you should go for it. 🙂

While I can't understand all that you're going through, I have heard of other stories of people facing similar adversity and still becoming successful physicians.

Have you heard of Kellie Lim, a triple-amputee who just graduated med school?

There are plenty of opportunities for part-time work, if your health requires it. Or positions where you can more easily take time off for surgery or treatment. I read a lot about these opportunities at mommd.com where the focus is on having more time with family, but I don't see why something like this wouldn't work out for you too.

I used to watch way too much TV, but I've seen shows on doctors who are paraplegic, or have dwarfism, or some other condition that makes them different from most docs. Maybe their stories can be inspiring?

I hope I'm not coming across as patronizing. I really don't intend to. My philosophy on life is that we need to do what makes us happy. Life's too short to not at least try. So if you think you can do it, I say go for it.

Edited to add: I just wanted to mention of my friend I spoke about in my previous post. He was upfront with his illness and the school really tried to work with him. They even allowed him to complete med school in 5 years instead of 4 so that he'd have more time for treatment and the like. With some investigation, you might be able to find a school that would be more open to this sort of arrangement, should you need it.

 

[Cyborg Ninja]

No, it's not patronizing at all, I appreciate it. I had never heard of Kellie Lim, but her story is inspiring.

Unfortunately I went to college a few years, and because of my medical problems I didn't do well. I had a couple of semester withdrawals. At least now I'm more aware of what it takes to keep my health in check and what accomodations can be made for me. I'm going to try to get a handicap permit for one since it's too difficult for me to walk across campus. I don't know what else I can do. What if I miss labs?

 

[diosa428]

Try to find a school that has a flexible schedule - no mandatory class, no mandatory labs. I think that schools like that might be more common than you think. We weren't required to show up for anatomy lab, for example, and there were definitely some people who never came. Just realize that med school is a struggle and it will be more of a struggle for you than your classmates. As long as you're willing to put up with that, and do what it takes, I think it can be done.

 

[Cyborg Ninja]

I go to a college that already has mandatory labs for some of the science classes. I think one or two labs are mandatory. Would you have to alter your classes depending on which med school you'd like to go into? As in, do some require more classes and labs than others? I did take a Chem class (for majors) with a lab in the past and it was awkward. All the students there were science majors (I was a Comp Sci major, it was absurd for us to have to take that), and so they knew a lot more about doing labs than I did. Plus they had better concentration when given a demonstration. My mind wanders. But anyway, thanks again for the nice comments everyone. I feel like I might be able to do this.

 

[glamqueen]

Most med schools require one year of bio plus labs (2), one year of chem plus labs (2), one year of physics plus labs (2), and one year of organic plus labs (2). All of these should be science major classes. If you are pre-med, then it shouldn't be awkward, because you are in the same boat many of the bio majors are in. Just get it done, and then you will have options when picking med schools to apply to. Good luck!

 

[diosa428]

Try to find a school that has a flexible schedule - no mandatory class, no mandatory labs. I think that schools like that might be more common than you think. We weren't required to show up for anatomy lab, for example, and there were definitely some people who never came. Just realize that med school is a struggle and it will be more of a struggle for you than your classmates. As long as you're willing to put up with that, and do what it takes, I think it can be done.

Sorry, I'm not sure if I was clear in this post. I meant that you should try and find a MED school that doesn't have mandatory labs (which is possible). Unfortunately, you will have to take (and attend) labs as an undergrad, which was already pointed out. The labs you have to take as an undergrad are more about just following the lab manual and going through the motions. If you have a hard time paying attention to the instructor, just be sure to read your lab manual before hand to get an idea of what you're going to be doing that day. And you'll probably have a lab partner in some of the labs, which will make it easier. I wouldn't worry too much about it.