Unusual medical experience, should I write about it?

[Larynx]

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I'm in an unusual position.

I suffered from a chronic health condition for six years. During this time, my doctors weren't able to diagnose me. I tried as hard as I could to research it as well, but I couldn't find anything that matched my symptoms.

After being told one diagnosis after another and not responding to any treatments, I eventually did come across an objective physical sign that pointed towards an illness. I told my doctor about it and he agreed. He sent me to a medical college where they ran objective tests on me and confirmed the diagnosis. The doctor there running the test said he only diagnoses about (EDIT: 20) of these cases a year.

So after six years I technically diagnosed myself.

They started me on the only known treatment that dated back all the way to the 1990's. (Not much research has been done on the condition) Unfortunately I had very severe side effects and not much benefits, so they stopped me on the medication and sent me back to the doctors in the area I live.

Unfortunately since my illness was so rare, none of the doctors where I live have ever heard of it, and so they tried various medications that kind of helped but not really.

I started researching my illness online and I found some promising case studies. Then I found a researcher at a medical college who was doing a lot of work on this condition and I found that he found a type of abnormality in this disease. Further another researcher recently confirmed his findings.

So I took the research to my doctor who then prescribed a medicine based on that research and within four weeks I began feeling better then I have in over 6 years. The medicine is the same medicine that the initial researcher is currently conducting an efficacy trial on. I wasn't able to participate in that clinical trial because he was very far from where I live and I didn't want to risk getting a placebo. I sent him my results and he was very enthusiastic about it.

Anyways, technically throughout all of this I basically did the basic steps of being a doctor. I diagnosed myself and I researched my illness and basically found the treatment as well. I look forward to the results of the efficacy trial being published because I honestly think it will help the others who have this condition.

But I'm wondering if it sounds arrogant or if it's not in good taste to write that I was the one who diagnosed myself and treated myself. Certainly I wish to write about this illness as it's had a profound impact on my life, but I don't want to sound like I'm a know-it-all because obviously none of what I did was original research I was just going off the work of others.

What would you do in such a situation?

 

[PMPMD]

I'm in an unusual position.

I suffered from a chronic health condition for six years. During this time, my doctors weren't able to diagnose me. I tried as hard as I could to research it as well, but I couldn't find anything that matched my symptoms.

After being told one diagnosis after another and not responding to any treatments, I eventually did come across an objective physical sign that pointed towards an illness. I told my doctor about it and he agreed. He sent me to a medical college where they ran objective tests on me and confirmed the diagnosis. The doctor there running the test said he only diagnoses about 5 of these cases a year.

So after six years I technically diagnosed myself.

They started me on the only known treatment that dated back all the way to the 1990's. (Not much research has been done on the condition) Unfortunately I had very severe side effects and not much benefits, so they stopped me on the medication and sent me back to the doctors in the area I live.

Unfortunately since my illness was so rare, none of the doctors where I live have ever heard of it, and so they tried various medications that kind of helped but not really.

I started researching my illness online and I found some promising case studies. Then I found a researcher at a medical college who was doing a lot of work on this condition and I found that he found a type of abnormality in this disease. Further another researcher recently confirmed his findings.

So I took the research to my doctor who then prescribed a medicine based on that research and within four weeks I began feeling better then I have in over 6 years. The medicine is the same medicine that the initial researcher is currently conducting an efficacy trial on. I wasn't able to participate in that clinical trial because he was very far from where I live and I didn't want to risk getting a placebo. I sent him my results and he was very enthusiastic about it.

Anyways, technically throughout all of this I basically did the basic steps of being a doctor. I diagnosed myself and I researched my illness and basically found the treatment as well. I look forward to the results of the efficacy trial being published because I honestly think it will help the others who have this condition.

But I'm wondering if it sounds arrogant or if it's not in good taste to write that I was the one who diagnosed myself and treated myself. Certainly I wish to write about this illness as it's had a profound impact on my life, but I don't want to sound like I'm a know-it-all because obviously none of what I did was original research I was just going off the work of others.

What would you do in such a situation?

"The physician who treats himself has a fool for a patient.". -Osler

It's fine to write about your illness and how it affected you (unless it's a mental illness). But I do think you would come off as arrogant if you wrote how you knew more than all the physicians you saw. I would not include that angle in your PS (I've been on both med school and residency adcoms).

 

[ppfizenm]

Just b/c you did the job of a doctor, which you only kind of did, that doesn't mean you want to be a doctor. I do the work of a patent examiner right now but I do not want to be a patent examiner in the future. The personal statement should elucidate why you want to be a doctor based on what you learned about the profession and your own experiences. Not what you think a doctor is based on what you describe above.

I'm actually surprised you were able to get a medicine from a physician that isn't proven to treat your condition yet. What is your condition?

 

[Larynx]

Just b/c you did the job of a doctor, which you only kind of did, that doesn't mean you want to be a doctor. I do the work of a patent examiner right now but I do not want to be a patent examiner in the future. The personal statement should elucidate why you want to be a doctor based on what you learned about the profession and your own experiences. Not what you think a doctor is based on what you describe above.

I'm actually surprised you were able to get a medicine from a physician that isn't proven to treat your condition yet. What is your condition?

Yes I am deeply indebted to this physician who basically stuck his neck out for me, he didn't have to prescribe it to me but he did. I wasn't even an established patient of his.

It's not illegal though because the medicine was approved for another condition already, so he was prescribing it off label.

And yes you're right I have to find a way of fitting this story with my passion of being a physician, it's difficult with only ~5,000 characters allowed on the PS.

 

[theseeker4]

"The physician who treats himself has a fool for a patient.". -Osler

It's fine to write about your illness and how it affected you (unless it's a mental illness). But I do think you would come off as arrogant if you wrote how you knew more than all the physicians you saw. I would not include that angle in your PS (I've been on both med school and residency adcoms).

Agree with this. Talk about how your story helped guide you to medicine, how it changed you, etc. but avoid any mention or implication of "I found the answer when x physicians couldn't, look at how smart I am and how I am almost a doctor already." Internalize the lessons learned (which should be that doctors aren't perfect and don't know everything, not that you are smarter than them) and keep them there for future reference when you, yourself, are confronted with a diagnose you missed/mistake you made.

 

[RedSox10]

Just b/c you did the job of a doctor, which you only kind of did, that doesn't mean you want to be a doctor. I do the work of a patent examiner right now but I do not want to be a patent examiner in the future. The personal statement should elucidate why you want to be a doctor based on what you learned about the profession and your own experiences. Not what you think a doctor is based on what you describe above.

I'm actually surprised you were able to get a medicine from a physician that isn't proven to treat your condition yet. What is your condition?

I agree with the above post. Your story is certainly interesting, but really doesn't explain why you want to become a doctor. Do you enjoy the scientific method? Why not become a researcher? Do you enjoy making discoveries with relation to rare conditions? Again, why not research? Were you inspired by all the journal articles you read?

From what you've explained I'm not convinced as to why this made you want to become a doctor. Its a good jumping off point, but the story alone isn't enough.

 

[Larynx]

I'm wondering should I just leave this story off my PS and write about it in secondaries.

Because realistically I can't fit both stories (desire to be a physician + this) in my PS and I've tried.

 

[theseeker4]

I'm wondering should I just leave this story off my PS and write about it in secondaries.

Because realistically I can't fit both stories (desire to be a physician + this) in my PS and I've tried.

Then definitely leave it out. Your PS should be about why you want to be a doctor.

 

[littlealex]

Writing about the experience as how medicine affected your life is good. Writing about how you diagnosed yourself and proved you can be a good doctor will just make everyone laugh at your application.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

Writing about the experience as how medicine affected your life is good. Writing about how you diagnosed yourself and proved you can be a good doctor will just make everyone laugh at your application.

I second this statement.

 

[411309]

What exactly is this condition?

 

[Larynx]

I think I'm not saying clearly what I want to convey.

I understand it's arrogant to act like I did as capable a job as a doctor. That certainly doesn't reflect AT ALL what I feel or want to convey. What I want to convey is the fact that this really was a long and difficult adventure, that it involved me going to the ends of the Earth sort of speak to get to where I am now. It certainly wasn't trivial and it involved a lot of faith and time. I do think it shows I have medical intuition because of just how involved it was and what I went through. That's what I want to convey that I do have some initial ability. That I am capable of doing these things. And again, I reiterate it wasn't trivial, it took years. But the thing is, I don't know how to convey that without sounding arrogant or being misinterpreted as saying something that I'm not.

I absolutely love my physicians, I know it's a tough situation and they supported me so much throughout it all. I learned that caring about your patients in the absence of treatment is even more important perhaps than the treatment itself. Especially in the instances of chronic illness, when the treatment perhaps doesn't exist or is minimal at best. I learned in a way why medicine existed for thousands of years when pharmaceuticals were predated, because the effect of caring is a very powerful medicine, and back then that's all they had. And it's something one scoffs at when we have all the fancy technology and studies and what not, but I can tell you clear as day that my health was sustained by my physicians who cared in those times when I wasn't getting any treatment.

 

[TriagePreMed]

It comes down to how you write about it

"My doctors didn't know what I had and basically did their job for them" BAM! Arrogrant.

"I learned that research in medicine is of immense value is when I experienced researching for my condition that wasn't diagnosed accurately at the time" Good!

And so on.

 

[chemhead123]

I don't think there is a clear connection between your experience there and why you want to be a doctor. If you can articulate this connection go for it. If you cannot, avoid it like the plague, because its a bad idea.

 

[alerk323]

do expand on that point, it is common for patients with a lot of various symptoms to over-medicalize (sp) themselves. They want to think that their condition is super rare and unique and so they come up with some super rare condition to explain why they're feeling ****ty. Often its a combination of things and often a lot of the extraneous aches and pains are partly in their head.

Now, I'm NOT AT ALL saying that that is you, but I'm saying that doctors come across this a lot and might make that initial assumption about your story.

 

[soundnin]

I think I'm not saying clearly what I want to convey.

I understand it's arrogant to act like I did as capable a job as a doctor. That certainly doesn't reflect AT ALL what I feel or want to convey. What I want to convey is the fact that this really was a long and difficult adventure, that it involved me going to the ends of the Earth sort of speak to get to where I am now. It certainly wasn't trivial and it involved a lot of faith and time. I do think it shows I have medical intuition because of just how involved it was and what I went through. That's what I want to convey that I do have some initial ability. That I am capable of doing these things. And again, I reiterate it wasn't trivial, it took years. But the thing is, I don't know how to convey that without sounding arrogant or being misinterpreted as saying something that I'm not.

I absolutely love my physicians, I know it's a tough situation and they supported me so much throughout it all. I learned that caring about your patients in the absence of treatment is even more important perhaps than the treatment itself. Especially in the instances of chronic illness, when the treatment perhaps doesn't exist or is minimal at best. I learned in a way why medicine existed for thousands of years when pharmaceuticals were predated, because the effect of caring is a very powerful medicine, and back then that's all they had. And it's something one scoffs at when we have all the fancy technology and studies and what not, but I can tell you clear as day that my health was sustained by my physicians who cared in those times when I wasn't getting any treatment.

the 2nd paragraph sounds like a good tie to the PS. the first paragraph, i would leave out... like people have said, you'll just get laughed at.

by writing about the second paragraph, you will describe the details of your experience. anyone who wants to read between the lines and infer anything remotely related to your first paragraph can do so. to explicitly state those things cannot be done in a none d-bag way 😛

 

[Donald Juan]

I think I'm not saying clearly what I want to convey.

This is true, so leave it out of your PS.