Thoughts on Dyslexia in Med. School

[Coffee-Bean-Counter]

BACKGROUND:

I have had dyslexia my whole life and it's not going anywhere! I have learned to deal with it and am fortunate to have a mild case. I was never officially diagnosed; I could be but don’t see the point. I was the kid that did great on homework and did just okay on tests unless it was a test where we got to talk in front of the class or we got to explain our reasoning.

Anyways, my biggest issues that I struggle with is getting my words backwards when I talk sometimes, I am not the greatest at pronouncing large words unless I hear someone else say them first. Now I can recognize the word in textbooks and know the meaning, but it is saying them out loud without mangling them (I must practice the word or be exposed to it a lot). Additionally, when I get extremely nervous, even if I know the word, I mispronounce it when using it in a sentence.

Now I am a week away from 30, worked in management, and honestly am pretty good at just laughing it off, correcting myself, then moving on. I even tell people that if I say something backwards please let me know because when I am aware I may only do it a few times, then not make a mistake with that particular word again.

This goes without saying, I do not read out loud in front of people very often and I have had to work on my self-esteem when it comes to academics my whole life due to these shortcomings.

Now you have a quick background, my dyslexia is the main reason I have put off my own ambitions. I am actively working towards finishing my bachelor's (have all A’s this semester), volunteering, and getting all my ducks in a row.

QUESTION:

My question is, how will this affect me in medical school? Will I struggle more than average because of my issues with pronunciation or does everyone struggle with medical words? Has anyone else here had to overcome these challenges and how did you handle it?

I know that it does take me longer to digest information than others and each semester I am working on different methods so I can be more prepared for med school in a few years, and I do not read as fast as others either, but that doesn’t make me too nervous.

Anyhow, I would love your thoughts on this topic!

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[Goro]

More important Q: how has it affected your undergrad performance, especially in any science classes?

 

[Coffee-Bean-Counter]

More important Q: how has it affected your undergrad performance, especially in any science classes?

Great question! I do fine in science courses. I would be lying if I wasn’t a little nervous about upper-level science courses since I have never taken one. My issue is, I have to put more effort into science classes than others, but if I find it interesting I do very well. I prefer written tests and dislike multiple-choice tests. I still need to figure out how to study more effectively with my shortcomings in science. I always test high in reading because, even if I can’t pronounce the word, I can recognize the word in a sentence, and I can always make sense of it. Sorry, I’ve never tried to describe it before.

In my science and math classes, from a long time ago, I got some A’s, mostly B’s, and one C. Out of those 9 classes, 5 were math, which was all B’s (because I find math boring) making my science GPA 3.26. I still have a lot of science classes to take in the future so I can raise my GPA in science. I have a C in chemistry 101 because I decided to skip my final. Oh, my young foolish self!

I should mention my father has the same issue and is an engineer, but I am slightly worse than him. He just says to make more flashcards. I feel there are better solutions out there.

 

[Goro]

I think that you're going to need to prove to yourself, and med schools, that you can handle med school.

FYI, you can get accommodations in med school (UG), but Boards aren't going to be given to you in a written test.

 

[Coffee-Bean-Counter]

I think that you're going to need to prove to yourself, and med schools, that you can handle med school.

FYI, you can get accommodations in med school (UG), but Boards aren't going to be given to you in a written test.

Thanks for the reply and information. This is probably a more personal, prove-to-myself thing than anything else. I also can pass multiple-choice tests with high marks, I just don't like them. They don't come naturally to me.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Read (no offense intended):

How Should Medical Schools Respond to Students with Dyslexia?

The learning experiences of dyslexic medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study

Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Difficulty that impacts on reading and writing abilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have been forced to undertake distance learning and assessment. The wider literature suggested that e-learning might ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dyslexia needn’t hold doctors back

- Failing kindergarten was the first of many school struggles for Blake Charlton. Diagnosed with dyslexia, he was relegated to remedial classes that he barely passed. Now, at 35, reading still poses a challenge. He’s a self-described “crummy” speller who manages written communications by relying...

www.reuters.com

 

[Coffee-Bean-Counter]

Read (no offense intended):

How Should Medical Schools Respond to Students with Dyslexia?

The learning experiences of dyslexic medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a phenomenological study

Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Difficulty that impacts on reading and writing abilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical schools have been forced to undertake distance learning and assessment. The wider literature suggested that e-learning might ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dyslexia needn’t hold doctors back

- Failing kindergarten was the first of many school struggles for Blake Charlton. Diagnosed with dyslexia, he was relegated to remedial classes that he barely passed. Now, at 35, reading still poses a challenge. He’s a self-described “crummy” speller who manages written communications by relying...

www.reuters.com

Thank you for the articles. I found them informative and comforting! I think I am just overthinking it. I've already committed to this path and have no doubt I will be accepted once my time comes. I'm stressing for no reason at this point in my journey.