What kind of dexterity should you have?

[psych101kt]

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I'm new to this site so this may be in the wrong place. Anyway, I have wanted to be a doctor for a long while but have doubts about my hands. I have essential tremors; noticeable enough from a glance. I'm on propranolol. I got really worried when I had to use a dropper in chem and had a hard time holding it steady enough to do 2-3 drops at a time and had to use my pinky finger to keep the test tube steady. My overall plan is to go into psychiatry, not surgery so what I'm really worried about is med school itself. I don't want to get years in and then be told I can't continue. I think explaining how little/much a person shakes over the internet is pointless, but does anyone know who you'd ask this type of thing to in person? should I go to a premed adviser? dean of admissions? just to say "hey this is what I'm working with, is it acceptable?

 

[La Presse]

One should be ambidextrous.🙄

 

[theseeker4]

I'm new to this site so this may be in the wrong place. Anyway, I have wanted to be a doctor for a long while but have doubts about how hands. I have essential tremors; noticeable enough from a glance. I'm on propranolol. I got really worried when I had to use a dropper in chem and had a hard time holding it steady enough to do 2-3 drops at a time and had to use my pinky finger to keep the test tube steady. My overall plan is to go into psychiatry, not surgery so what I'm really worried about it med school itself. I don't want to get years in and then be told I can't continue. I think explaining how little/much a person shakes over the internet is pointless, but does anyone know who you'd ask this type of thing to in person? should I go to a premed adviser? dean of admissions? just to say "hey this is what I'm working with, is it acceptable?

Check out some med school web sites and look for the technical standards, which describe what a med student should be able to do physically. If you can meet the technical standards, don't worry about it, you will be fine. If you cannot, or don't know if you can, meet a certain standard, call the school and see what they have to say.

 

[kpcrew]

You should be fine as long as you don't attend Boston University.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Check out some med school web sites and look for the technical standards, which describe what a med student should be able to do physically. If you can meet the technical standards, don't worry about it, you will be fine. If you cannot, or don't know if you can, meet a certain standard, call the school and see what they have to say.

This.

 

[darkjedi]

You should be fine as long as you don't attend Boston University.

Only BU kids are allowed to hate on BU!

 

[1cor1311]

I'm new to this site so this may be in the wrong place. Anyway, I have wanted to be a doctor for a long while but have doubts about my hands. I have essential tremors; noticeable enough from a glance. I'm on propranolol. I got really worried when I had to use a dropper in chem and had a hard time holding it steady enough to do 2-3 drops at a time and had to use my pinky finger to keep the test tube steady. My overall plan is to go into psychiatry, not surgery so what I'm really worried about is med school itself. I don't want to get years in and then be told I can't continue. I think explaining how little/much a person shakes over the internet is pointless, but does anyone know who you'd ask this type of thing to in person? should I go to a premed adviser? dean of admissions? just to say "hey this is what I'm working with, is it acceptable?

Psycg101kt,

I commend you for having that ambition. If you wan't to be in psychiatry go for it! Im sure your situation will make it somewhat difficult. BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Im sure you can write such an amazing personal statement just going off of your post here.

An M.D. who was on the medical admissions board once said in a conference i attended
"We can take good people and make them doctors, but we cant take doctors and make them good people"

Dont let anyone or anything hold you back. Im sure you will make a great psychiatrist

 

[kpcrew]

Only BU kids are allowed to hate on BU!

sucks to bu har har har

But seriously, chances are if you attend BU's medical school, you'll have a scorned ex fiance come on here trying to slander you.

 

[darkjedi]

sucks to bu har har har

But seriously, chances are if you attend BU's medical school, you'll have a scorned ex fiance come on here trying to slander you.

I'll be honest, I hated BU's administration.

Although I'm not sure I get your reference.

 

[theseeker4]

I'll be honest, I hated BU's administration.

Although I'm not sure I get your reference.

Lol that happened a few days ago in the allopathic student forum, look for the thread about what to do if you are afraid of someone being a surgeon.

 

[PlumbLine]

I'm new to this site so this may be in the wrong place. Anyway, I have wanted to be a doctor for a long while but have doubts about my hands. I have essential tremors; noticeable enough from a glance. I'm on propranolol. I got really worried when I had to use a dropper in chem and had a hard time holding it steady enough to do 2-3 drops at a time and had to use my pinky finger to keep the test tube steady. My overall plan is to go into psychiatry, not surgery so what I'm really worried about is med school itself. I don't want to get years in and then be told I can't continue. I think explaining how little/much a person shakes over the internet is pointless, but does anyone know who you'd ask this type of thing to in person? should I go to a premed adviser? dean of admissions? just to say "hey this is what I'm working with, is it acceptable?

Hey psych - I have pretty unsteady hands myself so this is something I've often wondered about. Mine aren't severe enough to where I needed to get medication, but in Chem class I always had my lab partner handle the dropper , and people are always pointing out my shaky hands. I think your idea of speaking to a premed adviser is a good one. If you want additional assurance, you could also speak to someone in med school or a doctor, or try posting in a forum with a lot of med student visibility.

Before considering medicine I looked into it and found a few old forums on the topic. Here's one that was in a Surgical Residency forum, and the consensus seems to be that it's not a big deal:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-81669.html

I also spoke to a medical student and an ER attending, and they both said it shouldn't be something to hold me back. But like you said, describing these things over the internet is pointless, so definitely try to speak to someone in person if you're concerned about it. Good luck 👍.

 

[linebacker57]

Studies show that surgeons, on average, don't demonstrate dexterity statistically different from an average person. Where they do perform above average is in work ethic and confidence. If you do feel that you dexterity is going to cause you a problem, you can always go into a non-procedural based specialty.

 

[hiyaman]

a tremor won't prevent you from finishing medical school.

 

[bakanoisha]

I'm new to this site so this may be in the wrong place. Anyway, I have wanted to be a doctor for a long while but have doubts about my hands. I have essential tremors; noticeable enough from a glance. I'm on propranolol. I got really worried when I had to use a dropper in chem and had a hard time holding it steady enough to do 2-3 drops at a time and had to use my pinky finger to keep the test tube steady. My overall plan is to go into psychiatry, not surgery so what I'm really worried about is med school itself. I don't want to get years in and then be told I can't continue. I think explaining how little/much a person shakes over the internet is pointless, but does anyone know who you'd ask this type of thing to in person? should I go to a premed adviser? dean of admissions? just to say "hey this is what I'm working with, is it acceptable?

You may not be able to be a surgeon, but an essential tremor surely won't stop you if you're interested in a field like internal medicine where procedures are a a relatively small portion of the training.