The Student Room Group

Able to practice medicine?

I'm a post-transplant patient, so I have to take a substantial amount of medication everyday. I take an abnormally high dosage of immunosuppressants, because my liver (not the transplanted organ) is working too well! The side effects is that I have tremors, so it affects my handwriting a little bit and such.
There's not really enough information provided in your post. Your handwriting is unlikely to be worse than some doctors that are happily scrawling illegibly in patient notes in hospitals around the UK. There might be some consideration about you being immunosuppressed and exposed to patients with unpleasant infections. *I'd be surprised if this is insurmountable, though, and would imagine that you would just have to take additional precautions, e.g. the US advice here.
Original post by MonteCristo
There's not really enough information provided in your post. Your handwriting is unlikely to be worse than some doctors that are happily scrawling illegibly in patient notes in hospitals around the UK. There might be some consideration about you being immunosuppressed and exposed to patients with unpleasant infections. *I'd be surprised if this is insurmountable, though, and would imagine that you would just have to take additional precautions, e.g. the US advice here.


So basically I just need to know what my consultant thinks and the GMC.
You could mention it to your consultant but you probably have a reasonably good idea already as to whether you could work as a doctor with your current health status. I really cannot envisage circumstances under which a tremor would stop you practicing. Some specialties might not be possible (e.g. neurosurgery...!) but that shouldn't stop you going to medical school. Clearly there are immunosuppressed doctors around and so that's unlikely to be a problem either.*

I don't think the GMC will have much that's useful to contribute.*
Reply 4
It will be an occupational health issue more than a GMC one. There are doctors with organ transplants, for sure, and doctors with tremors. Can make some of the fine motor things like taking bloods tricky, but I can't say for sure whether that would turn into a major issue.
Original post by Helenia
It will be an occupational health issue more than a GMC one. There are doctors with organ transplants, for sure, and doctors with tremors. Can make some of the fine motor things like taking bloods tricky, but I can't say for sure whether that would turn into a major issue.


I guess my only option is to be a physician, instead of a surgeon.
There are loads of alternatives to being a surgeon apart from being a physician.
It won't affect your application, although they may request an assessment. They cannot discriminate based on disability, so be open and honest about it and if interviewed, perhaps suggest an alternative.

E.g. what happens if you have a serious tremor while working? Response: I will make my colleagues aware that sometimes I have episodes of tremors, I will be sure to put no patients at risk, I will reassure the patient that its a temporary spasm and that I remain competent.
Original post by taysidefrog
There are loads of alternatives to being a surgeon apart from being a physician.


What do you suggest?

Original post by That Bearded Man
It won't affect your application, although they may request an assessment. They cannot discriminate based on disability, so be open and honest about it and if interviewed, perhaps suggest an alternative.

E.g. what happens if you have a serious tremor while working? Response: I will make my colleagues aware that sometimes I have episodes of tremors, I will be sure to put no patients at risk, I will reassure the patient that its a temporary spasm and that I remain competent.


My tremors are 24/7, it doesn't turn off. But not so severe to the point that I can't even hold a glass of water without spilling.
Reply 9
Original post by ColossalAtom
I guess my only option is to be a physician, instead of a surgeon.


The vast majority of people going to med school will not end up being surgeons, regardless of what they think at the moment - and that's fine! Concentrate on getting into medical school for now, there's at least 6 years before you need to think about specialties and who knows what will have happened to your condition by then?!
Original post by ColossalAtom
What do you suggest?
*

Anaesthesia, oncology, sexual health, A&E, general practice, the medical specialties (cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, care of the elderly, respiratory, neurology, palliative medicine, etc etc), occupational medicine, paediatrics, pathology, psychiatry, public health...

Is your tremor a permanent effect of one of your drugs or something that could subside if the drugs were changed in the future? You are a long way from having to choose a specialty and lots of things could change (including development of immunosuppressants that are less neurotoxic!) by then.*
Original post by MonteCristo
*

Anaesthesia, oncology, sexual health, A&E, general practice, the medical specialties (cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, care of the elderly, respiratory, neurology, palliative medicine, etc etc), occupational medicine, paediatrics, pathology, psychiatry, public health...

Is your tremor a permanent effect of one of your drugs or something that could subside if the drugs were changed in the future? You are a long way from having to choose a specialty and lots of things could change (including development of immunosuppressants that are less neurotoxic!) by then.*


It's a permanent effect until my liver decides to stop functioning too well.

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