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- Apr 4, 2007
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A member asks:
I was admitted to medical school. During my M1 year, I was having a really hard time and was barely passing my classes. I had never really lived away from home and was miserable. I took a medical leave of absence my first year. The school will only state that I took a medical leave of absence although I told them it was for depression and stress.
I returned, completed my M1 year with grades around the middle of my class. I struggled all year and ultimately passed, but I was miserable. Within the first 8 weeks of the M2 year, I was called in to the dean for unprofessional behavior for the erratic behavior I had during the first few weeks of the school year. I was given the option of withdrawing or going in front of the disciplinary committee. After talking to an advisor, I decided to take the voluntary withdraw.
On my official transcript, it only shows that I withdrew from classes the first year, returned and completed the M1 year and then withdrew from the M2 year. It doesn't mention why I withdrew. The school told me that if anyone would call that the response would be that "I withdrew facing disciplinary action."
I had been updating the student health doctor about my depression and problems since the beginning of school. She had put me on antidepressants and had changed my Rx a few times. In my M2 year, when I told her that they were not working, she told me that I needed to see a psychiatrist to work my problems out and get on the correct meds. I had just started seeing this new doctor when I withdrew from school. After I withdrew, I continued with the therapy and meds. They found meds to help with my depression. They also sent me to a lady who specializes in adult adhd who gave me an official diagnosis and helped me to find meds and taught me techniques on how to study for longer hours than I had to in undergrad.
I want to go back to medical school, but I don't want to try again at the one I was at. I have been told that most US medical schools probably wouldn't give me a chance. I have thought about applying to international schools, but I don't want to go through school again if a residency wouldn't give me a chance. Do I have a future in medicine?
My advice would be to start by sitting down with the dean at your original school. You may not have had a good experience there and may be tired of it, but it will, BY FAR, give you the best chance of having a medical career.
Going to the Caribbean, or trying to get in elsewhere in the US are not strong options.
As far as the opportunity to practice, sure, lots of folks have had a rocky road in medical school and become practicing physicians. You may not become a dermatologist, but if you do well the rest of the time in med school, do well on Step 1 and come across well in the application process, you'll find somewhere that will take you as a resident and get you licensed. If you need more reassurance on that point, talk to a lawyer who specializes in medical licensing.
I was admitted to medical school. During my M1 year, I was having a really hard time and was barely passing my classes. I had never really lived away from home and was miserable. I took a medical leave of absence my first year. The school will only state that I took a medical leave of absence although I told them it was for depression and stress.
I returned, completed my M1 year with grades around the middle of my class. I struggled all year and ultimately passed, but I was miserable. Within the first 8 weeks of the M2 year, I was called in to the dean for unprofessional behavior for the erratic behavior I had during the first few weeks of the school year. I was given the option of withdrawing or going in front of the disciplinary committee. After talking to an advisor, I decided to take the voluntary withdraw.
On my official transcript, it only shows that I withdrew from classes the first year, returned and completed the M1 year and then withdrew from the M2 year. It doesn't mention why I withdrew. The school told me that if anyone would call that the response would be that "I withdrew facing disciplinary action."
I had been updating the student health doctor about my depression and problems since the beginning of school. She had put me on antidepressants and had changed my Rx a few times. In my M2 year, when I told her that they were not working, she told me that I needed to see a psychiatrist to work my problems out and get on the correct meds. I had just started seeing this new doctor when I withdrew from school. After I withdrew, I continued with the therapy and meds. They found meds to help with my depression. They also sent me to a lady who specializes in adult adhd who gave me an official diagnosis and helped me to find meds and taught me techniques on how to study for longer hours than I had to in undergrad.
I want to go back to medical school, but I don't want to try again at the one I was at. I have been told that most US medical schools probably wouldn't give me a chance. I have thought about applying to international schools, but I don't want to go through school again if a residency wouldn't give me a chance. Do I have a future in medicine?
My advice would be to start by sitting down with the dean at your original school. You may not have had a good experience there and may be tired of it, but it will, BY FAR, give you the best chance of having a medical career.
Going to the Caribbean, or trying to get in elsewhere in the US are not strong options.
As far as the opportunity to practice, sure, lots of folks have had a rocky road in medical school and become practicing physicians. You may not become a dermatologist, but if you do well the rest of the time in med school, do well on Step 1 and come across well in the application process, you'll find somewhere that will take you as a resident and get you licensed. If you need more reassurance on that point, talk to a lawyer who specializes in medical licensing.
