Personal question...

[closertofine]

Ok, I have a question...if someone has had emotional problems, should they forget about applying to med school? I'll admit it, I've struggled with depression throughout college, though it hasn't affected my grades. I do my best to handle it, but it always seems to recur.

I know the stress of med school is huge...would you think a history of depression would make dealing with it impossible?

Thanks,

Karen

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[imtiaz]

no, this shouldn't rule you out immediately. i mean, during orientation every person that talked to us for the first day mentioned depressoin and stress!! they have people in place to deal with this kind of stuff. good luck!

 

[ckent]

Unless you get depressed by the prospect of studying medicine, I don't see why it should hold you back. Depression is actually very prevalent among med students, and a lot of students are treated for various psychiatric ailments throughout med school.

 

[lll505]

I don't think it should deter you from applying to medical school- especially if you think you can maintain your grades, and function pretty well.

Check out Kay Jameson's book, The Unquiet Mind. She is bipolar and writes about being suicidal while in med school, yet she got through it and now is a famous, well-respected doc.

Also, I volunteered at a psych ward and two of the patients were med student - one was alcoholic, the other depressed.

I'm sure a lot of med students have struggled w/ problems-

I would only advise against it if you think your depression will interfere w/ your ability to give the best possible care to your patients and you can keep your depression separate from your work.

Good Luck, whatever you choose!!

 

[none]

How well is the depression being treated? That should be the main issue, not that you have been depressive in the past...

 

[Katie]

Originally posted by none
How well is the depression being treated? That should be the main issue, not that you have been depressive in the past...

I agree.. as someone who is manic-depressive I can say that it is crucial to have the right medications and in some cases therapy for any psychiatric illness. One classmate of mine who had an anxiety disorder was on the wrong kind of meds and because the meds had a sedative effect on him he would not take them for a while before exams then would freak out and fail the exam. He had to take a leave of absence during second semester (after failing 2 classes first semester) because he was doing so badly and is now part of the M'06 class. But I agree that it is totally possible for someone with a psychiatric condition to survive in med school as long as their illness is managed well, just as it is possible for a diabetic student or pregnant woman to handle med school.