anxiety and medicine

username2920378

I have a Syrian friend who wants to to study medicine, she suffers from PTSD and anxiety. Is there any way I can help her get into medicine? we do similar subjects but I want to do dentistry so I can only offer her help academically.

Reply 1

StationToStation

14

What kind of things does your friend need help with? Sorry to hear about her mental health problems :frown:

- is she getting any help for them?

Reply 2

username2920378

OP

8

Original post by StationToStation

What kind of things does your friend need help with? Sorry to hear about her mental health problems :frown:

- is she getting any help for them?

Sadly, she doesnt want 'official' help as it might affect her application to med school. I think extra time would be helpful as english is her third language but she is fluent in english so i dont know any other way to get that :frown:

also, she is smart and has been getting good grades so teachers usually overlook her problems as they dont see their effects :frown:

Reply 3

Sprout73

3

Original post by rameow

Sadly, she doesnt want 'official' help as it might affect her application to med school. I think extra time would be helpful as english is her third language but she is fluent in english so i dont know any other way to get that :frown:

also, she is smart and has been getting good grades so teachers usually overlook her problems as they dont see their effects :frown:

Hi my daughters a 2nd year med student and she suffers from anxiety,she also was worried about about her condition and being a doctor but her med school has been nothing but supportive, I'd suggest to your friend to be honest and hopefully her school will support her best wishes

Reply 4

StationToStation

14

Original post by rameow

Sadly, she doesnt want 'official' help as it might affect her application to med school. I think extra time would be helpful as english is her third language but she is fluent in english so i dont know any other way to get that :frown:

also, she is smart and has been getting good grades so teachers usually overlook her problems as they dont see their effects :frown:

It wouldn't affect her application. If she needs to declare these mental health issues in the occupational health check questionnaire after she has an offer, schools will use that to try to help and support her, not to take her med school place away. Please try to encourage her to get help - therapy etc would probably make the whole process of applying a lot easier for her. :smile:

if she needs extra time she can always take a gap year before applying. That way she could focus on her grades for now and only start thinking about admissions tests and work experience etc after exams.

Reply 5

nexttime

22

As above - you don't have to declare such issues until AFTER an offer is made, and the med school subsequently can help support her.

What could land her in trouble is not declaring such issues. If it later becomes a problem she may find the med school/GMC less than impressed that she deliberately deceived them.

Reply 6

username2920378

OP

8

Original post by nexttime

As above - you don't have to declare such issues until AFTER an offer is made, and the med school subsequently can help support her.

What could land her in trouble is not declaring such issues. If it later becomes a problem she may find the med school/GMC less than impressed that she deliberately deceived them.

Thank you. I have however read somewhere that since the course is quite heavy, someone with a similar condition was rejected. Its not that i dont believe you, its just that i want to be certain as i dont want to ruin a persons life, especially hers :frown:

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 7

username2920378

OP

8

Original post by StationToStation

It wouldn't affect her application. If she needs to declare these mental health issues in the occupational health check questionnaire after she has an offer, schools will use that to try to help and support her, not to take her med school place away. Please try to encourage her to get help - therapy etc would probably make the whole process of applying a lot easier for her. :smile:

if she needs extra time she can always take a gap year before applying. That way she could focus on her grades for now and only start thinking about admissions tests and work experience etc after exams.

thank you. She struggles with opening up but ill do my best to convince her.

Reply 8

nexttime

22

Original post by rameow

Thank you. I have however read somewhere that since the course is quite heavy, someone with a similar condition was rejected. Its not that i dont believe you, its just that i want to be certain as i dont want to ruin a persons life, especially hers :frown:

I don't expect you to believe me. I expect you to take what I've said and contact med schools and ask them yourself - this is someone's career we're talking about! :p:

There are LOADS of med students with depression/anxiety, some of which have had serious suicide attempts and spent time as a psychiatric inpatient before/during the course. There are also a smaller number students and doctors with conditions like schizophrenia.

Lying to the GMC can land you in serious trouble Don't let your friend do it.

Reply 9

StationToStation

14

Original post by rameow

thank you. She struggles with opening up but ill do my best to convince her.

What you said to nexttime about someone being rejected - I really, really doubt that would happen in your friend's situation. She doesn't need to tell the med schools about her problems until after she has received and accepted an offer, and if she doesn't voluntarily tell them before that, the med schools have no way of knowing about her problems and hence would have no way of rejecting her because of that. I'm also pretty sure that med schools only withdraw offers in super exceptional circumstances (if even then?) and your friend wouldn't fit into that category. Being functional enough to get through the admissions process as well as getting professional help would send the med school a pretty clear signal that the situation is under control.

Yeah I understand that getting help can be a daunting step to take :frown:

you two seem quite close - maybe you could try getting her to open up a bit to you first? That might make it easier for her to talk to someone else as well. Maybe. Or it could help in itself. I'm totally not an expert but it sounds like she could really benefit from e.g. CBT if you got her to give it a try.

(edited 7 years ago)

anxiety and medicine

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