will my medical records ever be required?

[aliciawho]

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I've been treated for depression and am worried it could effect my admission to medical school. It's going to be hard to dance around the topic bc it hasn't been good for my grades (a few semesters in, a few semesters out... the grades go up, the grades go down!) Luckily I have 3 full years of undergraduate study remaining in which to redeem myself.

 

[dmk724]

I've been treated for depression and am worried it could effect my admission to medical school. It's going to be hard to dance around the topic bc it hasn't been good for my grades (a few semesters in, a few semesters out... the grades go up, the grades go down!) Luckily I have 3 full years of undergraduate study remaining in which to redeem myself.

I don't know if you'll have to disclose your medical records during the application process, but you'll almost certainly have to pass along your medical records prior to matriculation. So they'll find out at some point, just not sure exactly when.

I don't think it should affect your application, provided that you can show that you're concientious about taking your meds or going to therapy or whatever you're doing. Good luck with the remaining 3 years!

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Nah, HIPAA will protect you. No one not directly involved in your care is allowed to see your records. See it is useful, sometimes.

 

[Mr. Rosewater]

getting thrown out of a professional school on the basis of an illness (like depression) would be the greatest thing that could happen. you could just reapply the year after you collect the 8-figure settlement that you'de be sure to get.


more realistically, it does not matter.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

I don't know if you'll have to disclose your medical records during the application process, but you'll almost certainly have to pass along your medical records prior to matriculation. So they'll find out at some point, just not sure exactly when.

I don't think it should affect your application, provided that you can show that you're concientious about taking your meds or going to therapy or whatever you're doing. Good luck with the remaining 3 years!

I'm not sure where you got this idea from. Aside from immunizations, no medical records are solicited by med schools when you matriculate or at any point during attendance.

 

[inshanesworld]

OMG! who is not depressed? Thank God that they have discovered prozac in the drinking water perhaps now we will discover utopia 🙂 (I have heard that they have also found supplimental estrogens, could that have a antagonistic effect? hum.....)

 

[aliciawho]

I've been "in-patient" and missed classes tho, so it makes sense to be extra worried-- doesn't it? I'm sure it would be viewed as a major liability.... 😛

 

[monopolova]

I'm not sure where you got this idea from. Aside from immunizations, no medical records are solicited by med schools when you matriculate or at any point during attendance.

I agree. What the hell would they need our medical records for? That's nobody's business.

Here's an interesting question, though. Can they ask about it in the interviews...i.e. "so when was the last time you went for a checkup?" I mean, this should none of their business, but you never know .....

Thanks 👍

 

[smokeycat]

I've been treated for depression and am worried it could effect my admission to medical school. It's going to be hard to dance around the topic bc it hasn't been good for my grades (a few semesters in, a few semesters out... the grades go up, the grades go down!) Luckily I have 3 full years of undergraduate study remaining in which to redeem myself.

My transcript has a few dropped classes here and there (due to sickness from asthma) and my grad transcript shows a semester where I withdrew from school completely (I didn't get funding). Eventually, I wound up working two jobs while in school.

Although they can't ask specific questions about health problems, they can ask me about why I dropped this class or that class. I'm not worried about it, b/c it's not like I dropped those classes just for the hell of it. I have a legitimate excuse. When I'm asked about it, I'll just explain that I was sick, but my health problems are under control. As long as the financial aid comes in, I'll stay in school.

If your depression is under control by the time you get into school, this shouldn't be a problem. Concentrate on doing well in your remaining classes and don't be afraid to ask for help in your classes. When I was sick, some of my teachers gave me Incompletes and allowed me to make up the work, so that I wouldn't have to drop the class or fail. Others were not so kind, but that's okay.

 

[CarleneM]

Where I went to undergrad, our mental health medical records were kept separate from the rest of our medical record (immunizations, etc). I don't know if this is the general policy at other schools though.

To the OP, I highly highly doubt the adcoms or deans will ever get their hands on your undergrad psych related medical records so in that sense you are in the clear. however, it may not be a good idea to try and dance around the topic in trying to explain large fluctuations in grades. That doesn't mean you need to explain the details of your inpatient stay but I would say that yes you had clinical depression and quickly shift the focus to how you have overcome that and sought appropriate and effective treatment. You know, the whole "here's my weakness but in the end it made me stronger...." line. I don't know what your clinical interests are but the experience probably will help to relate to many of your patients and I think that adcoms will be happy to hear how you have learned from it.

my 2 cents.

hi, i'm new, lurking for a long time but finally taking the great leap with a post.

 

[pjv2410]

I'm not sure where you got this idea from. Aside from immunizations, no medical records are solicited by med schools when you matriculate or at any point during attendance.

That's not actually true. I'm starting at Mt. Sinai in August, and they require a comprehensive physical exam and history in addition to blood tests, immunizations, PPD, etc. My doctor was actually shocked at the amount of information that they ask for and said that I should not answer some of it.

 

[skypilot]

That's not actually true. I'm starting at Mt. Sinai in August, and they require a comprehensive physical exam and history in addition to blood tests, immunizations, PPD, etc. My doctor was actually shocked at the amount of information that they ask for and said that I should not answer some of it.

That is the key, you don't have to include anything you don't want to and the information goes to health services at the med school not to anyone involved in your education.

 

[medic170]

It is true that it indeed would be illegal for them to require you to submit you medical history to them. They can require imunizations, physicals, and drug screening, they could even require a mental health "screen" like police departments do for new recruits, but HIPAA and doctor-patient priveledge protects everything in your medical history aside from immunizations.

 

[Anthropic]

So, you NEVER have to disclose that you've been diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD,etc. (what about schizophrenia?), or that you take meds? Even when you go to get licensed?

 

[debvz]

So, you NEVER have to disclose that you've been diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD,etc. (what about schizophrenia?), or that you take meds? Even when you go to get licensed?

It would not behoove you to lie to the state licensing boards about your medical/psych history. There are plenty of students in my class alone being treated for depression (i'd say about half have been on meds at some point).

Regarding physical exam to start med school, I went to one of those quick care places for mine, so they had no records of prior treatment.

I had the same concern as the OP about if the adcoms would find out about prior IP treatment for depression, etc. My jr yr of undergrad, i was hospitalized, and ended up taking all I's for that semester, which i made up the following semester. Since i made up all the courses, the I's were erased, and there was no evidence of having to leave school. During med school, i did take another medical leave, and i casually asked the dean if they knew i'd taken a leave during undergrad. They had no idea.

So, dont worry about its effect on your chances with the adcoms. If you dont specifically talk about your experiences, they probably wont find out about them. With that said, keep taking care of yourself -- there's plenty of people in the same boat as you are.

 

[Anthropic]

It would not behoove you to lie to the state licensing boards about your medical/psych history. QUOTE]
Just for the record, I was not talking about lying. I want to know if they are ever going to ask me point blank "Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and/or are you on meds?", at what point are they going to ask it, and if it matters to my (future) career.

 

[KatieOConnor]

I'm in a similar boat, but my psychiatrist told me that getting into school and staying there shouldn't be a problem, going on medical records alone. She didn't really answer me when I asked about how this would affect my residency application.
My premed advisor told me I'll be fine.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

It would not behoove you to lie to the state licensing boards about your medical/psych history. QUOTE]
Just for the record, I was not talking about lying. I want to know if they are ever going to ask me point blank "Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and/or are you on meds?", at what point are they going to ask it, and if it matters to my (future) career.

Hmmm... you might want to post that one on the general residency threads. There's a decent number of med students who are enjoying their MS I summer here to tell you about med school requirements, but you might have to look elsewhere to get someone further along to give you anecdotal evidence of what hospitals/state licensing boards will require. I'd imagine it varies from state-to-state and hospital-to-hospital. I'm pretty sure the ERAS application for residency matching doesn't ask anything along those lines.

Regardless of whether it's asked for, it would not be grounds for denying you licensure or hospital admitting privileges.

 

[KatieOConnor]

I just posted something similar in the Residency forum. It doesn't sound as though your medical records will haunt you when you apply for a residency.

Good luck!

 

[medic170]

It would not behoove you to lie to the state licensing boards about your medical/psych history. QUOTE]
Just for the record, I was not talking about lying. I want to know if they are ever going to ask me point blank "Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and/or are you on meds?", at what point are they going to ask it, and if it matters to my (future) career.

What they do ask is "Do you have any mental or physical condition that you need special accomodation for?" or something along those lines. Now, if you have schizophrenia with active hallucinations or something along those lines, you would have to answer yes, otherwise, you answer no and continue down your path to a distinguished career in medicine. 😉

 

[debvz]

What they do ask is "Do you have any mental or physical condition that you need special accomodation for?" or something along those lines. Now, if you have schizophrenia with active hallucinations or something along those lines, you would have to answer yes, otherwise, you answer no and continue down your path to a distinguished career in medicine. 😉

But what if the voices tell me to say no??

 

[aliciawho]

I can feel the love 🙂