would this affect your place at medical school?

depends what it is i suppose. you have to declare it on your UCAS form but i dont think it would be a problem as long as the medical school/GMC dont see it affecting the well-being of the patient.

of course not, it isn't a criminal record. But it will have a negative impact on coping with the workload.

what if you're already at medical school? do you have to declare it to them?

sorry i should have made that clear in my original post

so if you've just been diagnosed with bipolar, for example, you don't have to declare it to your medical school? i just thought maybe they'd fear the safety of your future patients/question your ability to practice

a mental illness, to be simple. could be depression, bipolar, i don't know (if anyone out there knows, assuming the answer to the thread title is yes, is there discrimination between mental disorders?)

say you haven't been diagnosed and you just wish to make an appointment with the doctor - do records of that consultation alone have any effect on your place/career? does the diagnosis?

should know this really - always been too cautious to ask
would be grateful to anybody that could shed any light on this...

x

I am assuming you are asking because you thinking about seeking help, please don't lose site of this being the most important thing.

Hopefully however I will be able to put your mind at ease slightly, I suffered from a mental health problem (anorexia) before applying to University. If I remember correctly you don't have to declare anything during the application process so it shouldn't affect you getting offers. However I think all medical schools are the same that after making an offer they will ask you to fill in an occupational health form. Obviously no one can force you to declare any problems but I was advised that it is best to do so I declared my mental health problem on my occupational health forms. The main consequence what that I had to go an see the occupational health service for a brief meeting when I started university, they basically wanted to check I was getting the treatment I needed. In my experience universities look favorably on you being proactive towards your own health. I was pleased that I was honest on my forms as during my first year I relapsed quite severely and the university being aware of my circumstances definitely made them more understanding. Given the severity of my relapse the University recommended I took a year out to recover which I did and now I am happily back getting on with university as normal. But it helps to know that the support is there. I know people who are at university with on going mental health problems and as the university is satisfied that they are taking the necessary actions it hasn't had any impact on their place.

Mental Health problems are common in people at medical school so It seems unlikely that they discriminate in any way against people with such problem. The only time I can see it being a problem was if they thought your health was likely to effect your fitness to practice i.e. if you weren't complying to treatment etc. Overall though my experience is that they can be quite supportive.

My main advice would be to get treatment when ever you need it, if you want to be a doctor then you need to look after yourself.

Hope you're okay, Best wishes x