Should I mention mothers mental illness in PS?

[MamaKat]

My mother's bipolar disorder has greatly influenced why I want to go into medicine. As a single mother on Medi-Cal I know my mom didn't get the quality or continuity of care that she would have had with private insurance. I really want to write about this in my PS but my mentor and another advisor have told me they don't recommend it for the following reasons:
1. Manic depression is genetic and a conservative ad com may see is as a red flag (i.e. that I might have a mental disorder).
2. The ad com may be concerned that I still have to care for her and it would detract from my studies.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

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[greendot]

Your mothers illness had a big impact on your decision to become a doctor, and I think that it is important for you to express it. If you don't, you're going to have to make up other reasons for your interest in medicine, which may seem contrived to adcoms.

 

[pseudoknot]

I am briefly mentioning my mother's mental illness in the personal statement. It didn't have much direct influence on my decision to pursue medicine, but it did play a big role in my becoming involved with an activity that itself was important in the decision.

As for those reasons:
1. F*** them. That's ridiculous.
2. Well, you've gotten this far despite that burden, right? You might be able to tell this story so that it demonstrates your ability to deal with stress, etc.

 

[primadonna22274]

There is no consensus that bipolar disorder is genetic. There is certainly an increased risk (just as in my brother's schizophrenia and my mother's cyclothymia) but you are not cursed. With most mental illness, and I think with most medical illness, there is a complex interplay of genetics + stress/trauma that precipitates an event and perpetuates the illness. All those long words aside, what I'm trying to tell you is this: if your mother's illness affected you (duh), mention it. Did my brother's illness affect me? You bet it did. I didn't think to mention him but only because I have other fish to fry with my own PS.
Remember: above all else, "to thine own self be true" (Polonius, right?).
Good luck,
Lisa PA-C

I am briefly mentioning my mother's mental illness in the personal statement. It didn't have much direct influence on my decision to pursue medicine, but it did play a big role in my becoming involved with an activity that itself was important in the decision.

As for those reasons:
1. F*** them. That's ridiculous.
2. Well, you've gotten this far despite that burden, right? You might be able to tell this story so that it demonstrates your ability to deal with stress, etc.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Do not mention it. Adcom members will likely be as bigotted as the general population against people with "mental illness." Add to that the alleged genetic connections, and it won't look good.

Physical illness is OK, but there is a lot of bias against "mental illness." I suggest you fish out some other plausible reasons of why you want to study medicine.

 

[Flopotomist]

My vote (based on absolutely no knowledge about what the heck happens in an adcom) is to leave this out.

It could serve to hurt you in a few ways. First, it could be viewed as a possible distraction from your studies. Second, their is a huge amount of prejudice against people with mental illness in society. Imagine the potentially horrible interview where you have to argue about whether this illness is "real" or not with some bastard with barbaric views of mental illness.

I would find some other subject - but then again, what do I know.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

My vote (based on absolutely no knowledge about what the heck happens in an adcom) is to leave this out.

It could serve to hurt you in a few ways. First, it could be viewed as a possible distraction from your studies. Second, their is a huge amount of prejudice against people with mental illness in society. Imagine the potentially horrible interview where you have to argue about whether this illness is "real" or not with some bastard with barbaric views of mental illness.

I would find some other subject - but then again, what do I know.

I'm not going to bite on this crappy post.

 

[Brain]

I'm not going to bite on this crappy post.

You just did.

To the OP: talk about it if it is important. Adcoms do not consist of members of the general population. They are made up of physicians and scientists. I doubt if they would be faculty of a medical school if they were as *****ic as, say, Tom Cruise is on the subject of mental illness.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

I'm not going to bite on this crappy post.

Too bad. Your others are priceless.

That aside, I would say that if you decide to mention it, I think the danger wouldn't be perception of you or your possible time constraints, it would be the way you present it in the essay. Just tread carefully, and make sure the way the essay sounds doesn't come off as manipulative- which I don't mean to say you would do intentionally- just have people read it for initial impressions. The focus should be positive- that out of something really bad, you are doing something really great. My personal feeling is the same as Brain. Adcoms didnt just get their views on mental health from the Today show.

 

[rjb]

Do not mention it. Adcom members will likely be as bigotted as the general population against people with "mental illness." Add to that the alleged genetic connections, and it won't look good.

Physical illness is OK, but there is a lot of bias against "mental illness." I suggest you fish out some other plausible reasons of why you want to study medicine.

shut up b**** merc.

Dont listen to this guy, he drank his hatorade and is a republican.
Your mother's "experiences" are definitely important, and maybe you should open your PS with a story, explaining your life with her in it. From personal experience, I know it is difficult and how it has made you more senisitive and compassionate toward others. schools care about this, and will DEFINITELY want to talk to you about this during your interviews. Go with your heart, but make sure to do your mother justice and write a KICK ASS essay.

good luck, PM if you have any questions.

Bob

 

[blue2000]

When you include it in your PS (which I think you should), I think the tone you should set is "this is this thing that is so important to me, and my identity as a future physician, because of the growth that came of it," the message I would try to send is that you are continuing to successfully deal with it.

As a member of an adcom, people who dealt with real issues in thier lives, struggles that made them stronger people, are people who I really liked. As long as your attitude is positive rather than pitying, you should do fine.

And adcoms are not monolithic faceless horribly conservative groups. There are a lot of people on ad coms who have family members who've struggled with mental illness, addiction, poverty, etc.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

shut up b**** merc.

....and is a republican.

Ouch! Also, a lie.

 

[Turkeyman]

If it influenced you to go into medicine, it's worth a mention.

 

[duqdoc184]

You should definitely put it in there because it is one of the main reasons you want to be a physician. It also shows that you can overcome adversity and as an earlier poster said you made it this far, why would it distract in medical school. It just shows how strong you are as a person. Good Luck and PM me if you have any questions

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I repeat, DO NOT put this in your statement. People are not sympathetic, they may draw conclusions about you, your genetics, etc. Don't lay these things before an adcom that may not understand. Try to find other factors that pushed you into medicine.

 

[DrBowtie]

If you do decide to focus your PS around your mother's illness TRY your best not to make it the trite "I was sick and then cured by the doc so I want to be a doc" or "Seeing my XXX struggle with XXX makes me want to be a doc."

 

[stinkycheese]

Do not mention it. Adcom members will likely be as bigotted as the general population against people with "mental illness." Add to that the alleged genetic connections, and it won't look good.

Physical illness is OK, but there is a lot of bias against "mental illness." I suggest you fish out some other plausible reasons of why you want to study medicine.

Totally wrong.

I wrote about depression in my PS and was never given the impression that adcoms thought it was as touchy subject. They're doctors, you know. I got into 5 schools.

 

[rjb]

Totally wrong.

I wrote about depression in my PS and was never given the impression that adcoms thought it was as touchy subject. They're doctors, you know. I got into 5 schools.

right on, my sister is autistic.. and i opened my essay with this. I agree with someone else's post, dont make this the center of ur essay, but the opening is a good idea. mention emotional, spiritual healing... i had interviews at some of the best schools in cali, and got into sd and other schools as well ALWAYS MENTIONING MY SISTER BECAUSE that is who you are. during my interview, my interviewer's sister had a similar disability and we spoke about both of paths.

your mother is a her to you, and a reason you are going into medicine. ignore merc.. hes just a jerk

 

[dianamd]

My mother's bipolar disorder has greatly influenced why I want to go into medicine. As a single mother on Medi-Cal I know my mom didn't get the quality or continuity of care that she would have had with private insurance. I really want to write about this in my PS but my mentor and another advisor have told me they don't recommend it for the following reasons:
1. Manic depression is genetic and a conservative ad com may see is as a red flag (i.e. that I might have a mental disorder).
2. The ad com may be concerned that I still have to care for her and it would detract from my studies.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

First of all, I respect that you helped manage your mother's care growing up, and am sympathic to how hard that must have been.

But I do not think you should mention it.

Two things.
1. You can read a thread, "Should I disclose my mental illness," also about bipolar. Good replies on that one. Check it out.
2. I wrote a reply there which I am going to cut and paste below -- the basic advice is the same.

Also, in reference to someone saying that bipolar is not genetic-- at least according to Kay Jamison, it absolutely is. As a side note, first degree relatives of those with bipolar often have some ancillary "benefits" (such as mild white manias, I think) which tends to make them very successful in their careers.

anyway, my reply is below, and good luck.


--
I don't think you should mention your bipolar disorder.

First of all, while schools cannot legally discriminate against mental illness, they would not be blatantly discriminating against you... it would be more like, hmm, we have these two equally good candidates, let's go with person X and not Y.

Second, I would read (probably you have read it already) "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Jamison. She is a Johns Hopkins prof who has bipolar disorder, and throughout the book (especially in the chapter about Academic Medicine, I think) she talks about the challenges of staying on a medical faculty while having bipolar. Of course her case is made easier because she is a recognized scholar. If you read it, i think you'll see how the bipolar disorder will probably be a lifetime issue for you in medicine-- such as making sure you have support and people who will call your psych. dr. if they feel you are losing it. But you can overcome the issue, for sure. read the book by Jamison if you haven't already-- I promise it will be helpful to you.

The last thing: yes, i think that at some schools you would be passed up for more stable applicants-- of course you would, since this process is so arbitrary. at other schools, I think that the right person might appreciate your experience. but in my experience, they will take the safe bet rather than the interetersting, take-a-chance-on-me applicant. idiotic, but true.

If you absolutely want to refer to the bipolar disorder in your application, maybe you can think of a compromise, like "family health issues"-- to make it clear that you have some personal intense experiences, but without making it about you... I think that on average the schools might look at it like a risk, despite the fact that it was a great learning experience, etc.

my feeling is that you don't need to tell anyone about this, until your a physician and people are under your care.

sorry this may not come off clearly, but i am tired and working right now.

 

[primadonna22274]

First of all, I think dianamd makes some excellent points and has a cogent argument against mentioning your mother's bipolar disease in your PS.

On the other hand, I still side with the others who see that this could be spun in a positive light, if you do it with sensitivity. Will you run into biased adcoms who think you're a risk? Maybe--I really don't know. But I don't think the risk is anywhere near the same as if you yourself were bipolar.

(And yes, I do think the risk would be bigger if you had the disease yourself.)

OK, what I said was that bipolar isn't definitely genetic--let me clarify: like most illnesses, just having the genetic tendency doesn't mean you will get the illness. I have a genetic predisposition to bipolar disease, schizophrenia and depression. Thankfully I've only had to battle the third, which has been fairly mild and well-controlled with appropriate medication, exercise and an excellent counselor. Will I one day have a psychotic episode or a schizophrenic break? I suppose there's a small risk--don't really know how big of one--but I won't live my life in fear. As I get older, the risk seems to diminish somewhat, statistically speaking. Will I mention my depression to the adcoms? Hell no! If in the course of interviews the subject were to come up, I would discuss it, but I choose not to volunteer this information. Besides, this is not for me a motivating factor in attending medical school.

So listen: this is not a situation with an easy answer. I think the best you can do is write, review, edit, and have a few trusted friends with a critical eye read it over before you submit it.

Good luck!

Lisa

 

[champango]

I repeat, DO NOT put this in your statement. People are not sympathetic, they may draw conclusions about you, your genetics, etc. Don't lay these things before an adcom that may not understand. Try to find other factors that pushed you into medicine.

IF the school is filled with an admissions committee that is so judgemental and uneducated, would you want to attend that school anyway?

Don't tell them what you think they want to hear, tell them about YOU, and you'll end up where you're supposed to be.

 

[pseudoknot]

I repeat, DO NOT put this in your statement. People are not sympathetic, they may draw conclusions about you, your genetics, etc.

I agree this will be a concern if the OP is applying to Nazi medical schools.

However, I find it hard to believe that eugenics is a major selection criterion for most US schools.

 

[Masamune4567]

Do not mention it. Adcom members will likely be as bigotted as the general population against people with "mental illness." Add to that the alleged genetic connections, and it won't look good.

Physical illness is OK, but there is a lot of bias against "mental illness." I suggest you fish out some other plausible reasons of why you want to study medicine.

It might also come across as trying to gain sympathy from the ADCOM. This could also hurt your application.

 

[Masamune4567]

shut up b**** merc.

Dont listen to this guy, he drank his hatorade and is a republican.

Please do not badmouth the political party I support. I don't badmouth the democrats, don't badmouth mine.

 

[NikkiFSU]

to the OP: check your PMs

 

[NikkiFSU]

It might also come across as trying to gain sympathy from the ADCOM. This could also hurt your application.

She isn't talking about writing a large sob story about her "miserable life". I'm in the same position as her, as far as the general idea, and I've been writing it and it is coming out great. What we have overcome and lived through makes us who we are....and in an essay where we need to discuss who we are as a person and why we chose being a dr. as our lifetime goal, I think this is very important. She isn't sending in a tear-soaked tragedy.......in which case your statement is true.

 

[LizzyM]

Just one little concern I have about a PS that mentions someone by name (your mom's name will be on the AMCAS) and mentions their diagnosis, particularly when it is a stigmitizing disease (and mental illness is stigmitizing, despite our fervent wishes that it were not), is the person's privacy rights. I think you can mention a "chronic illness" without mentioning the specific illness.

 

[MoosePilot]

Just one little concern I have about a PS that mentions someone by name (your mom's name will be on the AMCAS) and mentions their diagnosis, particularly when it is a stigmitizing disease (and mental illness is stigmitizing, despite our fervent wishes that it were not), is the person's privacy rights. I think you can mention a "chronic illness" without mentioning the specific illness.

Privacy is important, but if a family member's illness figures into your life and you know about it through your relationship and not in a professional way, I don't believe it's protected in any way. You give your birthdate and your mother's name too. The fact that she was a patient in a hospital on that date is protected information, so that's a violation, although it might be grandfathered...

 

[LizzyM]

I'm not talking about a specific law against disclosing personal health information. This is about a person's right to privacy. The OP could make the same point without disclosing the diagnosis.

 

[MoosePilot]

I'm not talking about a specific law against disclosing personal health information. This is about a person's right to privacy. The OP could make the same point without disclosing the diagnosis.

It wouldn't be the same point. Details can be important and these details are part of the OPs life as well as the mother's.

 

[psipsina]

Hi, I struggled with a similar dilemma when writing my PS, and I decided to write about my mother. My dad died when I was a kid and I was left alone with my mom, and ended up taking on the caretaker role with her. This role inevitably spilled over to the rest of my life and is an important part of why I want to be a Dr. Also, because of her illness, I have been on my own since I was 17 which is important for me to explain because of breaks in my educational record. In my gut I knew I had to say something about her, though I didn't focus my essay on it, she is an important part of how I beacame who I am. Listen to yourself, you know if your mom needs to be a part of your PS. And if you choose to includer her, and someone discriminates against you for it, would you really want to go to that med school anyway??

 

[Masamune4567]

She isn't talking about writing a large sob story about her "miserable life". I'm in the same position as her, as far as the general idea, and I've been writing it and it is coming out great. What we have overcome and lived through makes us who we are....and in an essay where we need to discuss who we are as a person and why we chose being a dr. as our lifetime goal, I think this is very important. She isn't sending in a tear-soaked tragedy.......in which case your statement is true.

Everyone has dealt with hardships/problems in their lives. The ADCOMS will think you are trying to get their sympathy and throw your app out. Why should someone's sick relative give them an advantage over someone else?

 

[LizzyM]

It wouldn't be the same point. Details can be important and these details are part of the OPs life as well as the mother's.

Does this make the point without disclosing too much information of a personal nature?

"My mother's struggle with chronic illness has greatly influenced why I want to go into medicine. As a single mother on Medi-Cal I know my mom didn't get the quality or continuity of care that she would have had with private insurance."

 

[pseudoknot]

Everyone has dealt with hardships/problems in their lives.

That hasn't been my observation.

 

[OddNath]

Everyone has dealt with hardships/problems in their lives. The ADCOMS will think you are trying to get their sympathy and throw your app out. Why should someone's sick relative give them an advantage over someone else?

It doesn't. Difficult experiences with family is just a part of normal life, so mentioning it in your PS is not a ploy for special attention or an "advantage," since this type of situation is so commonplace. They're asking for your honest reasoning behind pursuing medicine, and it's no big deal if that answer isn't cookie-cutter or cheery. As for privacy, my brother was already dead when I wrote about the impact of his illness on my decision to go into medicine, so I didn't have to worry about him getting mad at me. Ha.

Oh, and I got 10 interviews, several acceptances, and it didn't even come up in most interviews. I don't recall my application ever being thrown out due to the content of the opening + closing paragraphs of my PS.

Speak from your heart, since I'm guessing that a phony essay will hurt you far more than broaching a subject that may or may not be taboo to the person reading it. You're not asking for sympathy, this is just the reality of your life.

 

[Minion677]

in a similar vein, what do you people think about bringing these personal issues up in secondaries or interviews? im looking at "greatest disappointment" questions, and what comes to my mind is a family member relapsing into addiction. it was probably the biggest disappointment in my life, but it wasnt really something i did. also, with the physiological causes of addiction being solidified, one could say that it wasnt completely their fault for relapsing. thoughts?

 

[MoosePilot]

Does this make the point without disclosing too much information of a personal nature?

"My mother's struggle with chronic illness has greatly influenced why I want to go into medicine. As a single mother on Medi-Cal I know my mom didn't get the quality or continuity of care that she would have had with private insurance."

Ok, this is opinion only and I was asked, so I'll give an honest answer.

There isn't much detail. How did it influence you?

The insurance thing could be controversial. You're taking a stance and not everyone will agree with that.

 

[LizzyM]

Ok, this is opinion only and I was asked, so I'll give an honest answer.

There isn't much detail. How did it influence you?

The insurance thing could be controversial. You're taking a stance and not everyone will agree with that.

Of course there isn't much detail in the opening paragraph. I just took the OP's statement and changed the specific diagnosis to "struggle with a chronic illness". It would be up to the OP to flesh out that struggle in the subsequent paragraphs. Also, the point isn't Mother's problems but how this motivates the OP to eleviate the suffering of others and to be an advocate for all patients with chronic illness.

 

[LizzyM]

in a similar vein, what do you people think about bringing these personal issues up in secondaries or interviews? im looking at "greatest disappointment" questions, and what comes to my mind is a family member relapsing into addiction. it was probably the biggest disappointment in my life, but it wasnt really something i did. also, with the physiological causes of addiction being solidified, one could say that it wasnt completely their fault for relapsing. thoughts?

If you really believed that there was a physiological cause of addiction, then a relapse wouldn't be a disappointment. A tragedy, perhaps, but "disappointment" just doesn't ring true. If your family member had a recurrence of cancer, would you call it a disappointment? If the family member had an exacerbation of multiple sclerosis would say it was your greatest disappointment? You call it a disappointment because in your heart you expect that the person had control over their behavior and you are disappointed in them for screwing up.

 

[Law2Doc]

Everyone has dealt with hardships/problems in their lives. The ADCOMS will think you are trying to get their sympathy and throw your app out. Why should someone's sick relative give them an advantage over someone else?

While I don't think everyone has had the same kind of hardships, nor do I think adcoms will "throw your app out", you should be aware that essays about family member medical problems are really not uncommon. Virtually every book on medical school application essays has several examples of such, and it would not surprise me if adcoms see this so often that it bores them. So unless you can write a really compelling and unusual essay, you will be literally in a pile of thousands. If your other credentials are good, that may be fine and safe, but won't give you any sort of edge. That being said, if this is truly why you want to go into medicine, I think you have to talk about it, at least a bit. But you need to find a tack that sets you apart. And as the above post indicates, don't come off as trying to gain admissions due to sympathy - that doesn't tend to sit well with some people. Good luck.

 

[criminallyinane]

Does this make the point without disclosing too much information of a personal nature?

"My mother's struggle with chronic illness has greatly influenced why I want to go into medicine. As a single mother on Medi-Cal I know my mom didn't get the quality or continuity of care that she would have had with private insurance."

Yeah, sure it does, but if the OP wants to talk about the highs and lows (that could make a pretty good theme, actually, for the story) and how they were dealt with, etc, then the s/he would have to mention the bipolar. And anyway, why hide it? Yes, his mother has a right to privacy, but I consider my application information to be private, and I believe the adcom members hold its privacy in high regard as well. Maybe he could ask his mother and then somehow indicate that she approves of the essay or something. I'm sure people write about this stuff all the time, and I doubt it's that big of a deal.

 

[mango2182]

i think that you should include it if influenced your decision and heres why. for the very fact that it is stigmatized means patients with it will need doctors to understand and who better to do so than someone who has been there. make this be the point of putting it in the essay say that despite being warned not to include it you cannot ignore than this affected you in a profound way and your personal experience will contribute to research and being more understanding to patients. the point of your essay should be "who better to treat someone with this illness than someone who has experienced it personally". do not make it about how you struggled but more about how this will make you a better physician. i am speaking from personal experience

 

[MoosePilot]

Of course there isn't much detail in the opening paragraph. I just took the OP's statement and changed the specific diagnosis to "struggle with a chronic illness". It would be up to the OP to flesh out that struggle in the subsequent paragraphs. Also, the point isn't Mother's problems but how this motivates the OP to eleviate the suffering of others and to be an advocate for all patients with chronic illness.

Ugh. We're not communicating well. Let me try again.

If my mother had MS, that would be a hardship. She would have physical difficulties that prevented her from doing certain things for me that a mother usually does. I would probably spend time around hospitals with her, which would be educational, but also consume time that other students were using for ECs they could list.

If my mother had a mental illness, then that would also be a hardship, but different. She would have mental difficulties that prevented her from helping fully. She might actually interfere with things I was trying to do. There would also be a stigma associated that wouldn't be as pronounced with other illnesses. If I have to tell a neighbor my mom has MS and that's why we're doing X, then they'll understand that. If I have to tell them she has paranoid schizophrenia and that's why the police were at our house last night, they're not going to understand that in the same way.

Both would motivate someone towards medicine, I'm sure, but the details would be radically different and I believe valuable for the adcom to understand.