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BMI too low for med school

I am a medicine applicant for 2015 entry, and I have two offers.

One of these (my insurance choice) invited me for an appointment with occupational health, and I was told that it was "routine for my cohort"- I was therefore very upset to find out that this was not the case. In fact, it was because they were intending to reject me from the medical school if my BMI was still below 17, as it was on my medical form. I have had an eating disorder in the past, but have increased my weight by 6kg since Christmas.

Luckily, my BMI came out as above this level, but I am still very upset. I feel like I was being targeted, and invited there under false pretences. I was also asked to send a copy of a letter from the psychologist who last assessed me, to "corroborate my story", before they will deem my assessment acceptable.

Could they have actually rejected me? I was always told that medical schools conduct these appointments to offer support to their students, but this particular university says that their policy has always been to reject applicants with a BMI below 17. I realise that there is a "potential risk to patients", but they surely should have set out this policy earlier in the application process? It feels like they are discriminating against me.

Thoughts??

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Everyone has to go to an appointment with occupational health and recount our medical history to them, you are not being singled out maliciously. When an applicant has a history of a problem, then the university are concerned about their ability to withstand the course; medicine is an extremely stressful degree so naturally they want to make sure that you are now in a strong enough position mentally and physically to cope with it.
I wonder if they'd do the same for candidates who have BMIs of 'obese' or 'overweight'?


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Reply 3
Original post by theresheglows
Everyone has to go to an appointment with occupational health and recount our medical history to them, you are not being singled out maliciously. When an applicant has a history of a problem, then the university are concerned about their ability to withstand the course; medicine is an extremely stressful degree so naturally they want to make sure that you are now in a strong enough position mentally and physically to cope with it.


I do appreciate that :smile: they have said that these specific appointments were reserved for people that they had concerns with though, and had not told me before the appointment that my place could be taken away because of a low BMI (not accounting for how I actually feel, or improvements that I have made)
Original post by Ezme39
I do appreciate that :smile: they have said that these specific appointments were reserved for people that they had concerns with though, and had not told me before the appointment that my place could be taken away because of a low BMI (not accounting for how I actually feel, or improvements that I have made)


I know that it's no fun at all to be singled out but please be assured that it's for your own wellbeing. They want to be sure that your health won't put unnecessary strain on you because your course is insanely demanding. It's the same for all courses where we're in contact with vulnerable people because we have to stay healthy and strong to be the best we can actually be for their sake. It sucks but they want to keep and your patients safe. To have got through to this point, they clearly see potential and just want to be sure that you're ready to start.

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If you really are below 17 BMI that is a bit unhealthy, they weren't targeting you, i'm sure its a blanket policy and it just happens you are one of the few people to actually break that rule.
Original post by Ezme39
I am a medicine applicant for 2015 entry, and I have two offers.

One of these (my insurance choice) invited me for an appointment with occupational health, and I was told that it was "routine for my cohort"- I was therefore very upset to find out that this was not the case. In fact, it was because they were intending to reject me from the medical school if my BMI was still below 17, as it was on my medical form. I have had an eating disorder in the past, but have increased my weight by 6kg since Christmas.

Luckily, my BMI came out as above this level, but I am still very upset. I feel like I was being targeted, and invited there under false pretences. I was also asked to send a copy of a letter from the psychologist who last assessed me, to "corroborate my story", before they will deem my assessment acceptable.

Could they have actually rejected me? I was always told that medical schools conduct these appointments to offer support to their students, but this particular university says that their policy has always been to reject applicants with a BMI below 17. I realise that there is a "potential risk to patients", but they surely should have set out this policy earlier in the application process? It feels like they are discriminating against me.

Thoughts??


They just want to make sure you're healthy and these appointments are pretty routine. They want candidates who are going to last 5 years, yah know?
Original post by Hayley Williams
They just want to make sure you're healthy and these appointments are pretty routine. They want candidates who are going to last 5 years, yah know?


But they don't cap the BMI do they?
Original post by Twinpeaks
But they don't cap the BMI do they?


I don't think they do because you could naturally have a low bmi, but if you are recovering from a eating disorder, maybe they are worried about it?
Reply 9
Original post by Okorange
If you really are below 17 BMI that is a bit unhealthy, they weren't targeting you, i'm sure its a blanket policy and it just happens you are one of the few people to actually break that rule.


a blanket policy just doesn't seem very fair though, considering some people are naturally much thinner than others
Reply 10
I had similar issue but my uni called me and asked few questions about why my weight is so low and then said I am healthy enough to start the course
Reply 11
Original post by Hayley Williams
I don't think they do because you could naturally have a low bmi, but if you are recovering from a eating disorder, maybe they are worried about it?


I do understand that they would want to be sure that I have recovered fully :smile: but his exact wording was "that's a relief, if your BMI was still below 17 then we couldn't have let you in. It's our policy" - I'm also annoyed in the respect that (if they had rejected me) I would have lost out on that UCAS slot, and not had an insurance choice on results day, seeing as I turned down other offers for this one. They really should have indicated this earlier in the process
Reply 12
Original post by Ezme39
a blanket policy just doesn't seem very fair though, considering some people are naturally much thinner than others


A BMI of under 17 is rather low, though. And they probably only bother to check it if you have a history of an eating disorder; it would be ignored if you were 16,9 and naturally skinny. I wasn't weighed to start medical school.
Reply 13
Original post by juliam
A BMI of under 17 is rather low, though. And they probably only bother to check it if you have a history of an eating disorder; it would be ignored if you were 16,9 and naturally skinny. I wasn't weighed to start medical school.


He was really clear about how it was this particular universities policy. Also, my other med school offer is only dependent on grades (according to ucas) whereas this one actually said that there needed to be a satisfactory health check...
Either way, I would be much less upset about this if they had actually told me what the appointment was about, rather than keeping it until the day :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by Nottie
I had similar issue but my uni called me and asked few questions about why my weight is so low and then said I am healthy enough to start the course


Out of interest, called by phone or called to the university? I had to make a 7 hour round trip for my appointment :frown:
Original post by HygieneTherapy15
I wonder if they'd do the same for candidates who have BMIs of 'obese' or 'overweight'?


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Being underweight carries greater risk of mental health issues and comorbidities for the short term in comparison so there's more reason to look at students with low BMIs as the issue at hand is less easy to fix throughout the student's career. The only other reason I can think of to discriminate is because girls are more likely to have low BMIs than boys and so it occasionally helps equal out the gender ratio, but even then it would have to be paired with the medical reasons.
Reply 16
Original post by Ezme39
Out of interest, called by phone or called to the university? I had to make a 7 hour round trip for my appointment :frown:


Called by phone. I'm an EU student and I was in Poland by that time
Reply 17
Original post by Ezme39
He was really clear about how it was this particular universities policy. Also, my other med school offer is only dependent on grades (according to ucas) whereas this one actually said that there needed to be a satisfactory health check...
Either way, I would be much less upset about this if they had actually told me what the appointment was about, rather than keeping it until the day :smile:


All medical school places are conditional on a health check, it's a GMC requirement. I agree though, if they had specific concerns they should have highlighted these beforehand
Original post by Ezme39
"that's a relief, if your BMI was still below 17 then we couldn't have let you in. It's our policy"


Bull****.

Either that's not exactly what was said, or they're opening themselves up for some very easy pickings when you sue them under the Disabilities Discrimination Act.
Reply 19
Original post by nexttime
Bull****.

Either that's not exactly what was said, or they're opening themselves up for some very easy pickings when you sue them under the Disabilities Discrimination Act.

It's not discrimination if reasonable adjustments can't be made. If a medical school has good reason to believe your ill health could be exaccerbated by medical school, or affect your learning or your future patients, then they can refuse to accept you. That's not discrimination, that's just following GMC guidelines.

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