Outside medical care during HPSP

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

So how does this work?

I want to get my eyes zapped (place nearby gives a mil discount even for an HPSP student and I'd rather get it done now than wait til whenever I could get the mil to do it for me).

I'm also considering going back on Adderall or some other ADHD med; I was briefly on it 10+ years ago but quit because I wanted to pursue the military and I wasn't struggling academically or professionally without it. I do certainly have ADHD and have been tested etc. I'm doing fine academically but I have some trouble with the social effects of ADHD. I did disclose ADHD when I applied fyi, no lying. Would they remove me from HPSP for starting on a medicine that is disqualifying for initial commissioning? I don't *need* it to be successful but it would prob improve my QOL a lot.

Who do I contact? Anyone have similar experiences?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrMetal]

I'm also considering going back on Adderall or some other ADHD med; I was briefly on it 10+ years ago but quit because I wanted to pursue the military and I wasn't struggling academically or professionally without it.

Then you don't need it. If you've been getting by in this life > 10 years (including the completion of a pre-med curriculum and getting into medical school) without medications, then you're likely not that attention deficit. You can be anxious, depressed, have other mental health issues, and those should be addressed separately. 'Attention Deficit' may be a psychosomatic manifestation of said issues. Doesn't mean you have true ADHD, and nor will a script of Adderall fix anything.

Also this is likely not the best place for medical advice, albeit I just gave you some.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I'm more asking about the logistics of reporting / discussing this. I'm Army.

My husband is bothering me to discuss it with a healthcare provider. I don't feel like it affects me much but I would be willing to discuss it with a physician to make him happy. 🤷‍♂️

 

[DOswag]

Then you don't need it. If you've been getting by in this life > 10 years (including the completion of a pre-med curriculum and getting into medical school) without medications, then you're likely not that attention deficit. You can be anxious, depressed, have other mental health issues, and those should be addressed separately. 'Attention Deficit' may be a psychosomatic manifestation of said issues. Doesn't mean you have true ADHD, and nor will a script of Adderall fix anything.

Also this is likely not the best place for medical advice, albeit I just gave you some.

Dr. Metal, I salute you for giving this answer because I feel like I have this conversation or variations of it near daily in outpatient psychiatry (especially with so may people coming in saying "I watched a tik tok video and I think I have adhd"). Are you sure you're not a psychiatrist?

I'm more asking about the logistics of reporting / discussing this. I'm Army.

My husband is bothering me to discuss it with a healthcare provider. I don't feel like it affects me much but I would be willing to discuss it with a physician to make him happy. 🤷‍♂️

I agree with Dr. Metal regarding the medical advice. But once you're in, it takes moving mountains to get you out of the military, especially as a physician and an officer. An adhd diagnosis/treatment is not going to get you out of HPSP after you've signed. If something changes with your health it should be reported. When I was in med school we had to fill out some form each year updating them if anything had changed regarding our health or medical care such as new treatments/meds etc. I'm sure something like this still occurs today no matter which branch you're in.

 

[DrMetal]

Are you sure you're not a psychiatrist?

I am a Psychiatrist! (an armchair one, here on SDN)

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I appreciate the advice y'all. I was diagnosed by therapist > PCP having me do one of those computer tests > an actual psychiatrist so I'm fairly sure of my diagnosis. I did struggle earlier in my career and basically worked part time for a while figuring it out.

I spent a lot of time developing really great coping mechanisms but there are some things that I can't really fix with technology or 500 reminders pinned everywhere. I'm going to talk to a new psychiatrist about it here and we'll see what they say.

 

[Keona]

So how does this work?

I want to get my eyes zapped (place nearby gives a mil discount even for an HPSP student and I'd rather get it done now than wait til whenever I could get the mil to do it for me).

I'm also considering going back on Adderall or some other ADHD med; I was briefly on it 10+ years ago but quit because I wanted to pursue the military and I wasn't struggling academically or professionally without it. I do certainly have ADHD and have been tested etc. I'm doing fine academically but I have some trouble with the social effects of ADHD. I did disclose ADHD when I applied fyi, no lying. Would they remove me from HPSP for starting on a medicine that is disqualifying for initial commissioning? I don't *need* it to be successful but it would prob improve my QOL a lot.

Who do I contact? Anyone have similar experiences?

When I was wanting lasik right before med school the ophthalmologist said it should be considered malpractice to do it at that time in life because the amount of time you spend reading close up and endless hours of studying. I ended up getting intraocular contacts because they can be changed out in future as my vision likely changes as I age vs lasix you can’t have done repeatedly. My brothers who were not going into heavily reading fields he was fine doing surgery on.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

When I was wanting lasik right before med school the ophthalmologist said it should be considered malpractice to do it at that time in life because the amount of time you spend reading close up and endless hours of studying. I ended up getting intraocular contacts because they can be changed out in future as my vision likely changes as I age vs lasix you can’t have done repeatedly. My brothers who were not going into heavily reading fields he was fine doing surgery on.

That's interesting. I've never heard that before. I'll do some reading.

 

[DrMetal]

When I was wanting lasik right before med school the ophthalmologist said it should be considered malpractice

That's some lazy ophtho who didn't want your money. Surprising. Was he a gov't employee paid on salary? That'd make sense.

It's not malpractice. People get refractive eye surgery all the time (before college, before med school, etc). They certainly counsel you that your vision may deteriorate again, but that's true no matter when you get it done. But the fact that you're going to be a student soon is not a contraindication.

 

[militaryPHYS]

Intraocular contacts are ophtho surgery too. Just a different option.

To answer OP question. You can do whatever you want, a perk of being American. Just understand that if you obtain your own care in any form and it impacts your military service somehow it can be grounds for admin separation, loss of benefits, etc.