Will going to a therapist ruin my chances at medicine?

[Perchperkins]

I won’t go into explicit detail but I’m going through a rough time and I wanted to see a therapist or psychologist. I don’t have any mental issues. However, I heard that it stays on your permanent record. Could this ruin my chances at pursuing a career in medicine?

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[Shotapp]

What are you talking about? Permanent record? No, going to see a therapist is not going to ruin anyone's chances at medicine.

 

[JustAUser]

I won’t go into explicit detail but I’m going through a rough time and I wanted to see a therapist or psychologist. I don’t have any mental issues. However, I heard that it stays on your permanent record. Could this ruin my chances at pursuing a career in medicine?

No, go get the help that you need

 

[calipremed5768]

Unless you want to join the FBI or CIA nobody has access to your medical records. Even if they did not hiring based on medical history would be a violation of the Americans with disabilities act considering every hospital and medical school gets federal funding

 

[Engrailed]

I won’t go into explicit detail but I’m going through a rough time and I wanted to see a therapist or psychologist. I don’t have any mental issues. However, I heard that it stays on your permanent record. Could this ruin my chances at pursuing a career in medicine?

 

[Goro]

I won’t go into explicit detail but I’m going through a rough time and I wanted to see a therapist or psychologist. I don’t have any mental issues. However, I heard that it stays on your permanent record. Could this ruin my chances at pursuing a career in medicine?

No. Med schools aren't omnipotent. This is private medical records.

 

[stayathomemom]

No. Med schools aren't omnipotent. This is private medical records.

I know that OP indicated that he/she/they didn't have a mental health diagnosis, but in the case a person would, how would that affect licensing/certification as a physician? Or any other potential issues an official diagnosis may cause?

 

[Goro]

I know that OP indicated that he/she/they didn't have a mental health diagnosis, but in the case a person would, how would that affect licensing/certification as a physician? Or any other potential issues an official diagnosis may cause?

I believe that for licensing, you have to answer the question "is there anything that might affect your ability to practice?"

Wise @gyngyn, @Moko...what say you?

 

[Catalystik]

Out of sheer curiosity, would medical boards not have access for licensing? If someone is diagnosed with, for example, schizophrenia and doesn't disclose it even though they're supposed to, would (or maybe should?) this information be available to those doing to licensing?

When you need to apply for a state license, there will be some sort of language on their application that touches on mental health issues. They may be vague ("Do you have any condition that would prohibit or impair your practicing medicine?") or very specific (from FL: "During the last five years, have you been treated for or had a recurrence of a diagnosed mental disorder that has impaired your ability to practice?"). You may have to submit medical records, depending on your response. Many in this situation will call state medical boards where they are likely to go into medical practice to get a heads-up on expectations.

 

[gyngyn]

There is no reason not to seek help for a medical problem.
Boards are looking for an active impairment that would put patients at risk.
It is far better to be treated and safe than untreated and at risk.

 

[Moko]

I believe that for licensing, you have to answer the question "is there anything that might affect your ability to practice?"

Wise @gyngyn, @Moko...what say you?

That's correct. State dependent, some are stricter with their wording, whereas others only want to know if you have a medical condition that would impair your ability to take care of patients. Seeing a therapist would not matter.

OP, if you need to see someone for your physical and mental well being, do it. You can't help others if you are not well yourself.

 

[siliso]

No. No one will even ever know. If it helps you to overcome some obstacle and prepare better for medical school it will be a net positive. No one will ever ask you Have you ever been to therapy, and no one will have any access to your medical records to find out.

In licensing in my state the question is do you have a condition that impairs your ability to practice safely. If your eventual diagnosis includes psychosis or dementia, maybe you have to answer yes, and maybe that’s for the best. But no one is looking to weed out people with depression or anxiety or adjustment disorders: if so there are basically no doctors.

 

[siliso]

And if you have gained admission and passed your classes/rotations and had no disciplinary actions, I’d say that is strong support for saying no I am not impaired, regardless of any diagnosis or treatment of any mental or physical condition.

 

[deleted804295]

No. Med schools aren't omnipotent. This is private medical records.

And if someone applied to a school that had an affiliated hospital that they went to that was connected to the school?

 

[Goro]

And if someone applied to a school that had an affiliated hospital that they went to that was connected to the school?

Look up HIPAA, please

 

[Laradd]

Not going to a therapist could ruin your chances while in med school of going to a residency

 

[el799]

No. Med schools aren't omnipotent. This is private medical records.

Look up HIPAA, please

One thing I would like to add, as others have said being treated is always better than being untreated, but if you can and all other things being equal, go to a doctor not associated with a hospital that has a med school you may want to apply to. While it is a HIPAA breach for an adcom to look into an applicants medical records is is not impossible, in fact, if an adcom did do this, it would be traceable but highly unlikely that the record viewing would be audited. While chances are extremely small, it is probably better to avoid that risk if an equal, less risky treatment option was available. This was all advice ive been told from a family friend who sits on an ADCOM.

 

[Moko]

While it is a HIPAA breach for an adcom to look into an applicants medical records is is not impossible, in fact, if an adcom did do this, it would be traceable but highly unlikely that the record viewing would be audited.

I can't imagine any licensed practitioner being willing to risk their job and license to snoop around random applicants' charts. Certain EMRs actually have an auditing feature that records your screen whenever the EMR is up, so that auditors know exactly what buttons and pages were looked at, and for how long. HIPAA is not to be messed with.

 

[Dr. Faust]

Going to therapy sooner rather than later is always a wise idea. Don't wait until you have a breakdown, take care of your mental health.

 

[NickNaylor]

One thing I would like to add, as others have said being treated is always better than being untreated, but if you can and all other things being equal, go to a doctor not associated with a hospital that has a med school you may want to apply to. While it is a HIPAA breach for an adcom to look into an applicants medical records is is not impossible, in fact, if an adcom did do this, it would be traceable but highly unlikely that the record viewing would be audited. While chances are extremely small, it is probably better to avoid that risk if an equal, less risky treatment option was available. This was all advice ive been told from a family friend who sits on an ADCOM.

As Moko mentioned, there are auditing and recording features in, e.g., Epic. I know that at my institution, any charts of students/staff/employees and VIPs are very closely monitored for exactly this reason. Not to mention that people reviewing applications have much better things to do than trying to see if people have a medical record at their institution.

As to the OP's question, medical schools are not entitled to your medical/mental health history. The only way they will find out is if you disclose such a history.

 

[Dr. Faust]

One step further, the only people that are supposed to access your mental health record in the hospital are mental health nurses/psychiatrists. If you are having a surgery in the hospital, the surgeon is not supposed to look at your mental health records as they are not treating your mental health. Health records are on a "need to know" basis and the surgeon does not need to know anything about your mental to do their job. In EPIC, the mental health records are in a different part of the chart and you need a specific password to access them. If someone accesses them without the patient's consent or they are not treating that patient's mental health, they could be fired due to HIPPA violations.