Toeing the line with illness?

[bloodandguts]

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So, I have an illness. Untreated, it can do terrible things, but treated, a person lives a normal, complete lifespan From my research, it seems it has no effect on whether or not one can practice medicine (no it isn't STD related). Once treated, it might not even exist but the medication is for life. I don't want to mention it because it might take away my anonymity.

So I had a rough patch in undergrad and a couple months ago I finally buckled, went to the doctor and got blood work done and they found all sort of things wrong, diagnosed me with this disease, gave me the meds and now my blood work is back to normal. I feel back to my old self but the damage is done.

I'm afraid to mention the disease in my application as an explanation because I'm not sure if it would look bad or not. I have no other way to explain my poor performance, but at the same time, don't want to give the impression I am still sick. Plus, I didn't fail anything, I just did mediocre (which isn't how I usually operate).

Any advice?

 

[xBODOMx]

I'm not sure for every school, but at least for the ones I was accepted to, you have to do a physical exam, which includes past medical history.

 

[bloodandguts]

Well, I'm not afraid of them finding out post acceptance, like I said, it is so common it would be laughable to unaccept me for seeing it. But I'm worried about it influencing the initial decision.

 

[NonTrad16]

I don't understand the extremely vague nature... I guess the disease is unimportant, but how bad is bad? What are your grades before, during, and after? (This is important due to the extreme neurotic tendencies that can crop up. 4 -> 3.7 -> 3.9 isn't the same as 3.8 -> 3 -> 3.7)

If you give vague information you will get vague answers.

 

[bloodandguts]

I guess I know people are asked to explain poor grades sometimes. Do those explanations always have to be family-related? Is it bad to have been sick? I mean, it will show up on my medical record, so if I do talk about it, they'll know I'm not lying, but I'm worried talking about being sick isn't an acceptable excuse. Like, what if they think I never got better because I have no academic record post illness?

Plus I've never been comfortable giving excuses . . .

 

[Goro]

The purpose of your PS is to explain "Why medicine?" and "Who am I"?

If you feel that your illness is a factor, you could mention it in the common secondary prompt of "Name the biggest obstacle you overcame?"

All medical schools have certain technical standards that one has to have, in order to be able to practice Medicine. can you pass that bar?

FYI, I've had students who are cancer survivors, who have had serious visual or hearing defects, one with cerebral palsy or ataxia (look it up), some who had organ transplants, or chronic diseases like Crohns, type I diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis.

When I was a technician, I knew a doctor who was a nephrologist at Sloan-Kettering. She had a tiny withered arm. How tiny? Like a T rex forearm.

So, I have an illness. Untreated, it can do terrible things, but treated, a person lives a normal, complete lifespan From my research, it seems it has no effect on whether or not one can practice medicine (no it isn't STD related). Once treated, it might not even exist but the medication is for life. I don't want to mention it because it might take away my anonymity.

So I had a rough patch in undergrad and a couple months ago I finally buckled, went to the doctor and got blood work done and they found all sort of things wrong, diagnosed me with this disease, gave me the meds and now my blood work is back to normal. I feel back to my old self but the damage is done.

I'm afraid to mention the disease in my application as an explanation because I'm not sure if it would look bad or not. I have no other way to explain my poor performance, but at the same time, don't want to give the impression I am still sick. Plus, I didn't fail anything, I just did mediocre (which isn't how I usually operate).

Any advice?

If your illness affected your grades, you still need to prove to us that you can handle medical school. The logic of "I'm all better now, so my 2.9 GPA would actually be a 3.9" doesn't fly.


If your GPA went up significantly, then that's proof of what you can really do. If needed, retake all F/D/C science grades.


guess I know people are asked to explain poor grades sometimes. Do those explanations always have to be family-related? Is it bad to have been sick?

Adcoms do NOT have access to your medical records. This is sacrosanct information.
I mean, it will show up on my medical record, so if I do talk about it, they'll know I'm not lying, but I'm worried talking about being sick isn't an acceptable excuse.

Then it's up to you to prove your merit.
Like, what if they think I never got better because I have no academic record post illness?

 

[bloodandguts]

So if I have no post-illness academic record, and explain I had an illness, I will be expected to prove my merit (take more classes)?

But if I never mention my illness, and have a few mediocre grades, I might be able to squeak by without dishing out money to go back to undergrad for a semester?

I mean, I'll either be viewed as a non-ill, "decent" student and might get in, or an "ill" student who needs to prove he/she is no longer ill before being allowed in. It sounds like, since I'm not explaining a dramatic GPA drop, just a mediocre grade or two, it would be in my best interest not to mention my illness.

 

[xBODOMx]

So if I have no post-illness academic record, and explain I had an illness, I will be expected to prove my merit (take more classes)?

But if I never mention my illness, and have a few mediocre grades, I might be able to squeak by without dishing out money to go back to undergrad for a semester?

Honestly, you're just being too vague. No one will be able to help you. You can always post more of a story with stats and then just throw that account away and create a new one later.