being sectioned and studying medicine

You are advising someone not to disclose a condition that could impact on both her and patients? Its not going to stop her doing medicine aslong as she shows insight and is honest.
This is the most stupid advice ive read in a long time.

Why do you continue to post such idiocy? firstly you started randomly trolling me trying to pressurize me into applying to medical school abroad about of no where. And now you label a huge proportion of medical students metally Ill? such strange behaviour

"Disclosing a mental health condition: As with other disabilities, you are not legally obliged to disclose your condition, unless there are health and safety issues either for yourself or for your colleagues as a result of your condition. If this is the case, then you are obliged to inform your employer under the Health and Safety Act (1974)."
http://www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk/career_options/doctors_with_disabilities/doctors_with_mental_health_con.aspx

"1. She was sectioned in 2010, no previous history of mental health issues at all or in her family. No idea why it was caused. No relapses or any issues at all since then.
2. Because the drs had no idea why it was caused, they put it down to 'stress from studying'"

Yes, I'm not advising her to disclose her "condition". You cant even call it a condition. With the information given she was only sectioned once and thats it. So should someone disclose that they have taken drugs in the past? IMO, no. Should someone disclose that they are dyslexic? IMO, yes. Is dyslexia/dysprexia more likely to put your patient at risk? possibly many ways it could. Will her "secioned in 2010 experience" put patients at risk? No.

The medical school would offer her support if she had a condition. They would help her with stress. CBT offered by university. Are you a medical student?

Consider this hypothetical sinerio.

She becomes stressed by work again and starts to become ill again slowly. She starts to withdraw from people and lectures but because no one knows about her condition she doesnt have a pastoral/clinical tutor to talk to about any reasonable adjustments. Not been to occupation health. Work deadlines and exams increase the stress. Doctors begin to report their concerns. Extra stress meetings with medical school. Could it be possible she becomes ill again? She has not shown insight into her past and not been honest. Worst case fitness to practise.

However also consider this. Work and stress become too much. The medical school are well informed about her past medical history. Provide reasonable adjustments and clinical tutor and occupational health input. Student services provide extra help in I dont know time management or stress management. Student happy completes studies becomes doctor.

May I point out your referred to her as a mental illness (or similar) in your initial post.

Yes I did as OP was asking if mental illness is stopping her friend from studying medicine I was answering the Q more generally.

Your scenario is good and I agree with you. However, failure of exams and non-attendance of compulsory lessons leads to AYT meeting. At this point they would look at what support could be offered in any ways to help her. There are people for her to talk to. First point of contact would be the mentor but also student support service or counselling service. My university even offers free private psychiatric assessment. And dyslexia screening.

Some of this would be suggested if occupational health is aware of the problems in the first place. But we are all made aware of the service when we started university.

Yes, I'm not advising her to disclose her "condition". You cant even call it a condition. With the information given she was only sectioned once and thats it.

Hi all,
Any advice really appreciated, I know she has tried to chat to her GP about it any got nowhere.

Well, it depends what the questions are really?

From memory mine (& subsequent OccHealth questions as I change employer sometimes twice in a year, yawn) have been along the lines of:
- Have you ever been/have you been in the last 5 years/when was your last hospital admission
- Have you ever suffered from mental health problems
- Have you ever been under the care of a psychiatrist or seen a counsellor
- Have you ever had time off from work or study due to stress/anxiety related problems

& I don't see any way that having been admitted under Section could be omitted from answering these without lying.


Obviously we have really limited & one sided info about this case & I wouldn't want to be going into specifics - but I am still curious as to whether you're a medical student who has done Psychiatry yet because it does seem like you're minimizing quite a bit? (E.g. 'it was only stress from studying it doesnt really matter...' & 'given she was only sectioned once and thats it.')

Anyhow, if it was so minor & inconsequential then OccHealth can quickly reach that conclusion themselves without worry hanging over her that it may all come out later on with significant implications.
& as people have said - if pre A level studying is stressful - then medical school is very likely to be too!

To clarify, this wan't A level studying, we are both mature students and she was completing her masters degree when this happened - so already been through stress of A Levels and Bachelors degree.

From chatting to her, I think what she is worried about is that on her notes the episode is explained away as 'stress from studying' so, as you said, OH might be wary that this could crop up again under the pressures of med school. She feels, as do I as I was there at the time, that this explanation doesn't really make any sense.