Hi everyone, I am currently applying to medical schools. To give a basic background of the process for those unfamiliar, you send in a primary application which goes to every medical school you apply to (40 in my case), which consists of a statement about why you want to be a physician and your life experiences that led you down that path. It also contains your GPA, MCAT score, and extracurriculars. Next, there are secondary applications. Secondary applications are specific to each school and typically consist of 2-4 questions. Almost all schools send secondaries; some screen, usually minimally. Then, after the admissions committee reviews those, you may be invited for an interview, and after that, maybe accepted or rejected. To get to my point: often, there is a question asking "what is a hardship you overcame and what did it teach you (or how did you overcome it, grow from it, etc)." Initially I wanted to talk about my depression in high school, and how it essentially made me absent so often I got so far behind that I couldn't get out of the hole I dug. I ended up taking the California high school proficiency exam to graduate. But I overcame that, and just graduated with my BS. However, the general advice (perpetuated mostly by pre-meds and medical students I talk to) is not to mention any form of mental illness, as there is some unadmitted stigma associated with it and worries by the admissions committee that you may relapse and not complete the rigorous courses pad. I do suffer from depression still, but it is not nearly as bad as back then. My next point is, that was the time I was coming out to my family; I was going to a catholic high school, and proposition 8 (marriage equality in California) was on the ballot. I don't personally feel like coming out and figuring myself out was the major reason for my depression, but I feel it may have contributed to it. Now, another worry similar to discussing depression is that being gay could bias that reader. You never know if you may get a bigoted person reading it. I'm pretty sure practically any school worth going to has a non-discrimination policy but you just never know.... They can toss your application and it likely won't get noticed; they don't tell you why you're not admitted. That said, there are a few options I'm thinking of approaching this question: 1. Discuss only the depression and emphasize that it was a temporary thing. 2. Discuss the depression but in a vague way such as "health issues distracted me from school temporarily..." 3. Not mention depression or gay at all and attribute my dropping out to bullying or something (which would be largely embellished; I was hardly bullied, but a few instances). 4. Discuss how being gay led to my depression and essentially dropping out of high school (I will make that sound nicer in my essay). This will make the depression appear more temporary and provoked by an event that is resolved (since I'm out). 5. Find a different topic. However, this was probably the biggest challenge in my life and I think it shows perserverence. I can also mix and match for different schools... If I do go with 5, I feel it will come up in my interviews anyway, should I get any, so I need some reason to think through. It took a total of 6 years to complete undergrad because I had to catch up on classes I would have completed in high school. I'm pretty sure they will ask why. Also, I'm not sure I have any other major hardships? Dealing with depression and anxiety on a daily basis even now is definitely off-limits to discuss, but it is the biggest cross I bear, and it's usually the root of any problems I may have in life, for the most part. Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm not sure you all will be experts on medical school admissions, but what would you recommend in terms of discussing hardships related to depression, and would you be concerned about biases for admitting you are gay? Lastly, I should note there are often questions about how you will bring diversity to the class and I think being gay would fit there too... Idk... Edit: oh dear, I wrote a wall of text.... Wonder if anyone will read, if you do, thank you!
I don't go to medical school and have not applied to any medical school either. I can only give you my general opinion on graduate school application. But like you said, you cannot generalize and these are sensitive matters so you should think carefully and decide yourself. 1. People in academia are probably the most liberal bunch you can ever come across especially at univs where you have a large student body from all over the world. Also for those faculty/staff who have encountered hundreds/thousands of students, no matter how unusual/controversial you think your situation was, they probably have seen something weirder. Plus they are trained to act professionally. My point is, I don't think what you said (being gay and depressed) would shock or disgust people into not considering you. 2. But you should still remember to focus on what you have accomplished and remember to sound/look professional. Your statement should not give off the vibe that your personal life is so colorful that it will distract you from your actual work. Don't give a sob story that lasts many pages and reads like a fiction. Summarize it up in a concise manner but focus on how strong, determined and compassionate you have been and how these qualities will make you a suitable candidate. (I don't mean to trivialize your experience but I have personally known people who came up with fake stories in their application materials to stand out from other applicants. So don't go overboard.) 3. This is purely based on my own experience (I am doing a regular phd). For highly competitive majors, folks have about 5 seconds to read your statement so make it stand out in a professional way. To sum it up, I think it is totally fine to mention whatever you want but make sure it serves to build your character and professional capability. Don't make your story a distraction, and also remember they are looking for people who have the potential to succeed regardless of their past experience.
Hi there, I am currently a medical student in Canada and I think that the best approach to interview for medical school is to be yourself and talk about what makes you, you. I think the stigma associated with mental illness is declining as people become aware it is more than just a problem with motivation and being "upset". Furthermore, there is a huge number of medical students in both Canada and the US who suffer from mental illness. Some who previously struggled with it, and many who develop it during medical school to deal with the stress, pressure, shame tactics, and overall amount of work required to succeed in this field. There is a lot of support for medical students and something like mental illness would (read: should) never prevent someone from being a good, compassionate physician. Main point: I don't think you need to worry. This is a true hardship that you have had to overcome that at the end of the day will help you empathize with patients be a good physician. Lastly, you want to make sure that if you do get accepted, it is to a school that understands your needs and will support you with whatever you go through. If a school rejects applicants based on depression, chances are they don't have resources to help you handle everything that is about to be coming your way. Being open and honest means that you will likely end up somewhere that is a better fit for you too. Good luck! I know these applications and the process is a grind. Hang in there and you will find success. ---------- Post added 3rd Jul 2016 at 10:00 AM ---------- ^^ Also this.
I would be afraid to write about things which a person could hold bias against, especially as it concerns your future. perhaps there is a way to do so without discussing those particular things. but instead focusing on self-discovery and the difficulties therein.
Do you understand why they are asking that question? My opinion is because med school isn't easy. It's not impossible. It's a marathon. Not a sprint. They're trying to understand if you have perseverance. Also in my opinion, do you really need to apply to 40? That seems...like overkill and a waste of your time and money. Granted, I was probably on the other end. I applied to half a dozen or so: my state school where I thought I would go (accepted and did attend), NYU (accepted, I declined), and then a mix of Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, and Harvard (they all declined me). Put in a mix of "probably out of reach" and some of "should get in." My experience was before you were born, so take it with a grain of salt.
Hi! I'm currently in medical school in the US, and would echo a lot of what other people have said here. I am both gay and have (and still do) struggle with depression & anxiety. As far as the mental health aspect is concerned, lots of people struggle in medical school (and likely struggled before medical school). Personally, I feel like there's something personality-wise about people who perform well enough to be successful in medical school that predisposes them to having dealt with some of those issues. That said, very few people will be willing to discuss these issues openly because medical school is very competitive, and, while attitudes are generally improving, the stigma is still very real. I elected not to explicitly disclose my own struggles during the admissions process--that decision had more to do with what I was personally comfortable discussing with strangers, and had I chosen differently it may or may not have affected my admission decision. I did, on the other hand, write openly about being gay in a small, conservative community and about some of the experiences I have had within the healthcare field and beyond that related to my sexual orientation. This was another somewhat controversial decision--people that I asked about this accused me of simply trying to get extra points for diversity or questioned what being gay had to do with being a good doctor. I ultimately decided, though, that gaining self-acceptance was a tremendously important formative experience in my life and one of the biggest challenges that I've had to overcome. I would have been doing myself a disservice by glossing over those details. Also, the perspective that I have gained from being a part of a stigmatized/minority population will absolutely help me better understand the different perspectives of my patients. Finally, there are currently major initiatives within the AAMC and at med schools across the country to improve the quality of care provided to LGBT individuals, so this is absolutely a safe and relevant topic for discussion during the admissions process. Hope that helps, and good luck!
The game has changed quite a bit. It is sadly a numbers game most of the time now and then you pick the best you get.
I kind of noticed this too in graduate school. I was/am competitive and a loner but holy sh*t some people in my program are insanely competitive and isolated that even I cannot comprehend. 40 does sound like a lot but if you have the time to plan it out and money to do it... make sure it contains a nice distribution of schools with different acceptance rates. Like others have said, some schools are very hard to get into and graduate from.
Thanks for the advice everyone! I will keep it all in mind. Yuanzi - there are word limits, and they are usually very short, so it will not be extremely long. I just feel it answers that kind of prompt while also explaining why I did 6 years of undergrad. But, maybe that part is best for interviews, idk. I didn't talk about it at all in my personal statement in my primary application. Robclem - I was surprised to learn that there is a stigma with mental illness. Well, I'm surprised there is a stigma with past depression or anxiety, since they are so common. But, I read it's a double standard for doctors. I think Canada may be a bit better in this regard too. :/ N3ko - I am considering that as an option... Especially for schools that I think could be more conservative. Reggie - what do you mean do I understand? I think I understand that that is the point. Do you think I am off the mark about what I want to discuss? I already went through every school and categorized like that. I did 7 California schools, 8 each of high, med, and low tier, and then the rest of "other schools (ones I have personal connections with or had very cheap secondary applications xD for example, university of Arizona - they don't accept a ton of out of state people but I was born and raised until I was 8-9 in Arizona and so I feel comfortable there). I know this is a lot, but people seem to recommend, whether true or not, that California applicants apply to more schools since schools here are much more competitive. We don't have an easy in-state school I may not be able to do all of their secondaries but we will see. And hopefully if/when I'm accepted somewhere I want to go, I can cancel all my other apps... Inborn - thanks for the advice. I may skip the depression and talk about being gay mostly, especially for more accepting schools like UCSF and Stanford. I have read some rude comments on pre-med forums (maybe you'll know which one) on topics where the OP asked about mentioning being gay, along the lines of "I didn't mention I was straight." I think straight people can never understand how struggling with being gay and coming out can contribute so significantly to your development as a person. I may discuss my brother's drug addiction to some schools because it caused me a lot of anxiety too over many years and I think gave me a better awareness of drug addiction and how it affects families and communities... And how doctors contribute to this problem by overprescribing painkillers or doing it for money. I'm rambling now.... It's sad to hear how competitive it is... sigh.
Pretty sure I know exactly which one you're talking about. That can be a really useful place...sometimes. It can also be really negative and discouraging.
Yup! Lol. Lots of useful stuff, but some arrogant members. I've been thinking about it, and I think I will end use the coming out story as a hardship question, if they ask. or my brother's drug addiction.
