Physicians with Mental Illness

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Unless your prescribing physician also chairs your state's licensing disciplinary panel, I would do what the board told you to do - under the guidance of an attorney.
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I know that working with the board and impaired physician programs these doctors are able to maintain their licenses and get jobs. But having an impairment shows up on most malpractice insurance applications. I can see boards and hospitals being more accepting of these physicians but malpractice insurers are concerned about money. It seems like that they could take advantage of these vulnerable physicians. Does anyone know what the rates are like for impaired physicians? Is it a ridiculous amount or around the regular rates? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
This whole situation sucks. I wish there were some way to convince my state to ask about impaired ability like 90% of the states and not just diagnosis/treatment.
 
I believe that if an applicant currently being treated for anxiety or depression were to include a letter from the prescribing physician, perhaps an independent psychiatrist's evaulation, and a letter from an attorney explaining that the applicant sought treatment on their own, is unimpaired as evidenced by the enclosed physician letters; and the applicant contests any need for a probationary license, entrance into an impaired physician program, or even just meeting with the board due to the possibility of negative implications to his/her career, the board wouldnt have much difficulty making the choice to license the applicant.
Its a little bit of a pain and extra cost to get the added letters, but it probably would be worth to not have to face sanctions.
 
Shalom77 said:
I think the issue is not so much overdiagnosing primary care doctors (who I think on the whole are much more likley to underdiagnose and undertreat). And psychiatrists do see people with situational depression as well. The real problem is the DSM itself which as Blade pointed - it's really not that hard to meet the criteria for an episode of major depression. Actually I think a lot of primary care doctors are less likely to code for a mental illness rather than physical symptoms because of the lack of reimbursement of "mental illnesses" They won't get paid for the visit with a psychiatric code but will if they code some physical symptoms.

That's another reason it always pays to talk to your treating physician.
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I completely agree.

:thumbup::thumbup:
 
I'm a PA and my last lic. application wanted to know about any paraphilias.

I like medicine, but I'll be damned if I'm going to give up wearing womens underwear under my lab coat.

Ok, so I'm kidding, but there is a fine line between public safety and a friggin police state. As far as the public is concerned, I wish they were 1/2 as worried about a soldier's safety as they are their own neck. They voted, twice to re-elect a guy that's intent upon making every man in uniforms life miserable.

this is the same public that's clicking on CNN for a Britney Spears report, watches 8 hours of TV a day, can't find Iowa on a map.
 
We recently had a grand rounds (in psychiatry) about this. The state licensing boards are accountable to no one, and there's no higher authority to appeal to. The Texas board has been known to require physicians with no more than a diagnosis of MDD (without psychosis or substance abuse) to pee in a cup on a regular basis. Psychiatrists treating other physicians have been brought before the board for not reporting. And if you do disclose and they have a question about your ability to perform, they can require that you submit to an exam by an independent forensic psychiatrist, paid for by you, which runs about $4k. It's a shame the APA isn't pressuring the board to stop this, but the local APA is made up of people who have to get their license renewed every 2 years, and don't want to rock the boat.

Anyway, if I were the OP, I'd consult with a lawyer who has experience dealing with the board in your state, and see what they say.
 
Hurricane said:
We recently had a grand rounds (in psychiatry) about this. The state licensing boards are accountable to no one, and there's no higher authority to appeal to. The Texas board has been known to require physicians with no more than a diagnosis of MDD (without psychosis or substance abuse) to pee in a cup on a regular basis. Psychiatrists treating other physicians have been brought before the board for not reporting. And if you do disclose and they have a question about your ability to perform, they can require that you submit to an exam by an independent forensic psychiatrist, paid for by you, which runs about $4k. It's a shame the APA isn't pressuring the board to stop this, but the local APA is made up of people who have to get their license renewed every 2 years, and don't want to rock the boat.

Anyway, if I were the OP, I'd consult with a lawyer who has experience dealing with the board in your state, and see what they say.
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I agree with Hurricaine, based on my personal experience in Oregon. With the state licensing boards being accountable to no one, they are free to misinterpret, misdiagnose, mislabel, and mistreat physicians who report any history of mental illness. Moreover, the Oregon Medical Board specifically tries to avoid legal liability by using "independent forensic evaluators" to perform psychiatric evaluation and by hiring "independent contractors" to perform psychiatric monitoring. The Oregon Medical Board interferes in the trusting relationship that is the bedrock of psychotherapy by requiring ongoing FULL DISCLOSURE of sensitive psychotherapeutic content, both past and present. They interfere in medication management by insisting on becoming involved in treatment decisions that should be between the physician-patient and their psychiatrist-doctor. They restrict choice of healthcare providers by insisting that they "pre-approve" of the physician's choices for psychiatrist and psychotherapist. They allow non-physicians free access to private medical information, non-psychiatrists free access to private psychiatric information, and non-therapists free access to private psychotherapeutic information.

I deeply regret that I didn't consult an experienced attorney before I self-reported my history of mental illness (depression and anxiety) to the Oregon Medical Board, and unwittingly subjected myself to their flagrant abuses of discretion and power. I strongly recommend that anybody who self-reports any mental illness to their state medical board speak with both an attorney and with their state medical association BEFORE self-reporting anything to their state medical board. You have the right to due process, including having an attorney present during questioning, because anything you say can (and will) be used against you.

Without adequate legal counsel, you risk being permanently and publicly mislabeled by your state medical board as addicted, alcoholic, bipolar, borderline, histrionic, neurotic, psychotic, obsessive/compulsive, ... pick your stigmatizing label. If you dare to fight back against your state medical board for your personal rights as a physician-patient, they will just add more labels ("in denial", oppositional, defiant, narcissistic, etc).

Overall, it is not a very healthy process for vulnerable physicians to become enmeshed in. There is no support or community offered to physicians going through this intensely humiliating, socially isolating, financially taxing, and professionally devastating experience. Personally I think the whole kafka-esque process likely contributes to physician suicides.
 
Kubed said:
Hey Buckley, this sounds like a great read. Are either of these books the one you are referring to?
http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heale...bs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198910891&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heale...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198910891&sr=8-4
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Sorry it took me a long time to get home and dig up the book, but here it is. My favorite essay comes from a General Practitioner talking about her depression which started in 4th year medical school.

I hope I post this corectly...this is turning out to be a challenge. I just took a pic of the book with my digicam and I can't seem to paste it here. Cross fingers!--SORRY IT DOESNT WORK.
 
sorry for being rather technically challenged here, but let me know if you can view the pic. If not, PM me and I'll send it by email. Or maybe somebody can let me in on the secret on how to paste pics here. *shame*:confused:
 
buckley said:
sorry for being rather technically challenged here, but let me know if you can view the pic. If not, PM me and I'll send it by email. Or maybe somebody can let me in on the secret on how to paste pics here. *shame*:confused:
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When you respond to a post, on the tool bar above the message, you'll see something that looks like a stamp with a picture of a moutain (or pyramids). Click on that, insert the URL for the image, and close. The image will be added to your post along with any text you type in.
 
I just finished completing the paperwork for a prematch offer I had. Papers for the program and state license. The state license asked if I had been hospitalized for mental illness in the past 10 years and the program papers asked if I had ever been diagnosed with mental illness.

Another state I was offered a prematch, the state license paperwork asked if I had been diagnosed with a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia) in the past 10 years or since age 18 , which ever is the shortest period of time. I don't know what the program paperwork looked like.

The state I really wanted a prematch in (but they showed me no luvin'), asked only if I had been treated or diagnosed with pedophilia, voyeurism or necrophilia.
 
Doowai said:
But the good news is... beastiality is still okay. Honey... can I buy a lama?
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:smuggrin:

I've got few javalinas and coyotes running around the yard you can have for free!

31_javalina.jpg
 
I have no idea how to post the pic I took in the right way (and I know the above doesn't work---sorry! I tried). SO I'll just describe it. It has a navy blue textured cover. Title: Wounded Healers: Mental Health Workers' Experiences of Depression. edited by Vicky Rippere and Ruth Williams. 1985, John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

I know it's old but I loved the honest essays written by general practitioners.
I also loved how the editors tried to piece together the essays. Here's an excerpt from my favorite part (which I hope is not a copyright infringement--I am just a fan who wishes to share...)

" ..Lessons about depression included the observation that depression is no respecter of persons, that one cannot take one's professional status for granted, that depression may go hand in hand with tiredness, that it may render both logic and religious faith ineffective, and that a person may still manage to carry on a superficial level of functioning despite an extreme degree of depression and anxiety..."
 
Winged Scapula said:
:smuggrin:

I've got few javalinas and coyotes running around the yard you can have for free!

31_javalina.jpg
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nice pic. I love Arizona, It has felt more like home than anyplace I have ever lived. I love the nature here. I am going to miss it for 3 years of residency. I hope I can get back here when it is done.

Javelinas are actually not pigs, but related to the common rat.
 
Hi there. I hate to resurrect an ancient thread (and don't know if it's uncouth to do so, so apologies in advance), but I have a question pertaining to this and I have looked far and wide for an answer online and can't find one.

Is anyone familiar with a doctor who has dissociative identity disorder (DID)? I have a student who suffers from it and while med school is still a long ways off (at least six years), it would be best if we could figure out how this would be manageable because her greatest desire is to become a doctor.

She is bright and academically functional, but sometimes the DID kicks in and there are memory gaps here and there, especially in social situations. What I worry most about is that it gets worse under stress and we all know how stressful med school is. She is very reluctant towards formal therapy at the moment, and I fear that her reluctance will be a hindrance towards recovery and later on her affliction will become a liability re: licensing/practicing.

Thanks for any help you can give. If I don't find any responses at all because I messed up/should've posted in a new thread, I'll do so because this is a very important issue with her and we need some insight/answers.
 
FlameCane said:
Hi there. I hate to resurrect an ancient thread (and don't know if it's uncouth to do so, so apologies in advance), but I have a question pertaining to this and I have looked far and wide for an answer online and can't find one.

Is anyone familiar with a doctor who has dissociative identity disorder (DID)? I have a student who suffers from it and while med school is still a long ways off (at least six years), it would be best if we could figure out how this would be manageable because her greatest desire is to become a doctor.

She is bright and academically functional, but sometimes the DID kicks in and there are memory gaps here and there, especially in social situations. What I worry most about is that it gets worse under stress and we all know how stressful med school is. She is very reluctant towards formal therapy at the moment, and I fear that her reluctance will be a hindrance towards recovery and later on her affliction will become a liability re: licensing/practicing.

Thanks for any help you can give. If I don't find any responses at all because I messed up/should've posted in a new thread, I'll do so because this is a very important issue with her and we need some insight/answers.
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I just filled out some paperwork as supervisor for an MD entering into residency, for the licensing process. One of the questions was whether I was aware of any medical reasons that would affect the incoming resident's ability to practice.

If I knew that the incoming resident had DID, experienced memory gaps and didn't want therapy, that would be the first thing in that letter. I mean, WTF.
 
I'm pretty certain DID would be a deal breaker at both the med school and residency level. Not only does it sound unsafe as a pt care issue but HR would have to be idiots to approve hiring someone that by definition will lack accountability for their actions but may be able to mount a vigorous ADA case.
 
As the others have responded, it would be hard to imagine that this is a diagnosis which would be compatible with a medical practice. I cannot forsee any medical specialty in which the memory lapses wouldn't be a liability (not sure how much memory/skills/training the "others" would possess).

In addition, medical school stress pales in comparison to that of residency and practice. If her DID worsens during times of stress and social situations she will find herself in a great deal of difficulty during training, should she even find a medical school and residency program will to take a chance on her. Finally, her reluctance to seek treatment is the most problematic and IMHO precludes any meaningful medical practice.
 
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Arcan57 said:
I'm pretty certain DID would be a deal breaker at both the med school and residency level. Not only does it sound unsafe as a pt care issue but HR would have to be idiots to approve hiring someone that by definition will lack accountability for their actions but may be able to mount a vigorous ADA case.
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*sigh* Okay, that's what I thought (thank you for your responses).

I believe that it's more DDNOS than DID (I don't believe that there's complete switching of personalities for a great/extended amount of time during social situations; if anything it's brief with others but more intense with people she's close to). I'm not trying to fish for a positive answer--I know that with this there is none, especially with her reluctance for formal treatment--I just need to be able to explain to her plainly what is going on and the severity of her situation (one that she is obviously not at fault for...without extreme detail, the childhood abuse was severe enough to affect her greatly up to this point) so that she will realize that formal therapy will at least help her long before she even applies for anything. She performs quite highly academically--brilliant (a bit of a know-it-all, sometimes to her benefit, sometimes to her detriment) and very eager to learn--but socially it's iffy. She's shy, but has a decent disposition towards strangers and wants to help people (I think that's why she wants ot become a doctor). The memory gaps are mild sofar as I can see, but still.

While I want to encourage her to do what she really wants to do (she's wanted to become a doctor ever since she can remember/very young), I need to be able to paint a realistic portrait for her so that her dreams don't come crashing down and making her affliction worse before treatment (sometimes things are pretty tenuous when it comes to just talking things out with her...her thinking can be very black and white and paranoid, mostly because of the crappy socialization and relationship she had with the parents she has). I've tried to offer alternatives and suggest medical researching (or something like that), but she is insistent on becoming a doctor. Like I stated before, med school is at least six years off (she's going into her junior year of H.S.).

I think at this point my greatest fear is that she just won't disclose anything to anyone and end up in med school/hiding everything and then either getting through it with great difficulty suppressing everything (or taking it out on me, since I'll probably be there) and then end up in residency then practice until something snaps/those dreams and all that hard work come to a complete halt at either firing or a malpractice lawsuit. I question it often, wondering if it can even get that far/will get that far because of how she is when it comes to stress, and I think she's in denial about it because she seems to think that performing academically, knowing everything/being able to learn everything and being capable of being nice to people is all there is to worry about when it comes to becoming a doctor (which she can do...fully capable of learning the sciences and she's great at it...generally pleasant to deal with until relationships get deeper than superficial) when dealing and coping with stress in a way that is not dissociative is also a huge part of it...right? I apologize if I seem to be beating a dead horse, but again...I just need input from others in the field in order to formulate a plan to get her on the right path towards healing/treatment. Thank you very much.
 
There are many professional roles, not just medicine, which would be ruled out by an untreated mental illness, memory lapses and socialization difficulties. However bright she is, I am afraid that the abuse your student has suffered sets her up for failure in the adult world (making victims less capable is part of the objective of an abuser, and it's an outcome which can carry on long after the abuse stops).

As your student already has a diagnosis of mental illness, then that will be something she may have to disclose in the future whether she has further treatment or not (eg for medical licensing). Disclosing a diagnosis for which there has been no treatment, or delayed treatment, will raise red flags. Disclosing a diagnosis as a juvenile which was treated as a juvenile may be looked on more sympathetically. Also, if earlier treatment leads to an earlier lessening of symptoms, it will put her in a better place 6 years down the road when she is looking at graduate study and/or employment, and can say "I had a diagnosis as a juvenile and was treated, with x years of y result".

The key to this may be in the quality of treatment available to your student. Unfortunately, finding high quality treatment for mental health issues is more difficult than in almost any other branch of medicine, and if your student is as clever as you say she may have been turned off by less than stellar experiences so far, as well as having the typical lack of insight into her own condition. But I can't see her being able to demonstrate a convincing interest in a medical career if she chooses to turn a blind eye to her own diagnosed illness. Perhaps she could be persuaded to research what might be the best treatment options for her diagnosis and who would be the best people to provide them to her, and then use her treatment as a learning opportunity.
 
FlameCane can correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like the student might not have a formal diagnosis, since she hasn't sought formal treatment and FlameCane said it could be DDNOS rather than DID (which is a super controversial diagnosis anyway). It sounds like the aspirations to medical school might be what is keeping her from getting help.

I would just second that she needs a good psychiatrist and a good therapist. Getting her to a state of wellness is the most important thing, while career aspirations are secondary. I would impress on her the importance of being well so that she is good at whatever she eventually ends up doing, rather than talking specifically about the feasibility of medical school. I don't think a distant history of depersonalization episodes would automatically keep her out of medical school. Kurt Vonnegut's son, Mark Vonnegut, suffered from a manic episode and was kept hospitalized for weeks in the 70s, and he still got into Harvard Medical school. I would only hope our views of mental illness are more enlightened now (though some might argue otherwise).
 
VenusinFurs said:
FlameCane can correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like the student might not have a formal diagnosis, since she hasn't sought formal treatment and FlameCane said it could be DDNOS rather than DID (which is a super controversial diagnosis anyway). It sounds like the aspirations to medical school might be what is keeping her from getting help.

I would just second that she needs a good psychiatrist and a good therapist. Getting her to a state of wellness is the most important thing, while career aspirations are secondary. I would impress on her the importance of being well so that she is good at whatever she eventually ends up doing, rather than talking specifically about the feasibility of medical school. I don't think a distant history of depersonalization episodes would automatically keep her out of medical school. Kurt Vonnegut's son, Mark Vonnegut, suffered from a manic episode and was kept hospitalized for weeks in the 70s, and he still got into Harvard Medical school. I would only hope our views of mental illness are more enlightened now (though some might argue otherwise).
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I do recognize that DDNOS & DID are highly controversial, but personally I've seen/dealt with more than a few of these cases--both real and malingered--but this one is (sadly) all too real.

To tell you the truth Venus (nice username, BTW), I don't even think that she even considered that this affliction of hers would be a problem or get in the way of her attending medical school until I've had to talk to her about it. There seems to be a bit of a disconnect with reality; that she believes that she can get on with people "good enough" in order to do be a good doctor. However, she scored high alexithymic (sorry for the Wikipedia link, for lack of time, it's just easier to link to that at the moment) on an evaluation I gave her today--scoring exactly as I thought she would, given how much I know about her life and her personality. I wish I could write more--and I could--but I don't wish to breach confidentiality with too much detail. There is just a disconnect...perhaps a bit of naivete...about her that makes it ironic that she would even want to be a doctor to help people.

She is quite bright otherwise, yes (and very, very talented in both fine and musical arts). But she just cannot bring herself to tell anyone at all besides me about what happened (that brought on the PTSD/dissociation) or how she truly feels. At times I'm at a loss as to how to talk to her because the dissociation (and possible/probable borderline--her mother is borderline, and she still lives with her mother) renders her ability to communicate even with me nearly impossible as it rapidly escalates to her yelling at me/out of control/anger (even though as her mentor I keep my cool); and then within minutes it descends to near-muteness and tears. It is like this each time we have our "formal-informal talks", and worse when the talks happen during stressful times during the school year (right now we're going through finals, so it's tough). Her response to stress isn't very promising, but I'm hoping that, aside from really insisting on getting her the help she needs, she will at least acknowledge things may be as serious as they are and then we can go from there. I suppose I came here for my own benefit as well, if only for some mental support, as dealing with complex PTSD & DID/DDNOS is a harrowing experience in any case.
 
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FlameCane said:
I think at this point my greatest fear is that she just won't disclose anything to anyone and end up in med school/hiding everything and then either getting through it with great difficulty suppressing everything (or taking it out on me, since I'll probably be there) .
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FlameCane said:
But she just cannot bring herself to tell anyone at all besides me about what happened (that brought on the PTSD/dissociation) or how she truly feels.

At times I'm at a loss as to how to talk to her because the dissociation (and possible/probable borderline-- her mother is borderline, and she still lives with her mother) renders her ability to communicate even with me nearly impossible as it rapidly escalates to her yelling at me/out of control/anger (even though as her academic mentor I keep my cool); and then within minutes it descends to near-muteness and tears.

I suppose I came here for my own benefit as well, if only for some mental support, as dealing with complex PTSD & DID/DDNOS is a harrowing experience in any case.
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Please look after yourself. Keep appropriate professional boundaries with this young woman, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you are the only person who can help her and that you have to solve all her problems, and please don't think that if she fails in life it is because you failed her. If there is any way in which you can appropriately bring in other professional support for this young woman, please do so.

You say that she is talented in music and fine arts. These are traditionally areas which are more forgiving of different behaviours and less linear career paths, so might suit this young woman better than medicine. Also, many physicians enter the profession after gaining other work/life experience, rather than following the high school/undergrad/medical college/doctor at 26 route. It might be advantageous for this young woman to be one of those people who takes her time and gains a more rounded experience of life before putting herself onto the tramlines of a medical education.
 
shopsteward said:
Please look after yourself. Keep appropriate professional boundaries with this young woman, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you are the only person who can help her and that you have to solve all her problems, and please don't think that if she fails in life it is because you failed her. If there is any way in which you can appropriately bring in other professional support for this young woman, please do so.

You say that she is talented in music and fine arts. These are traditionally areas which are more forgiving of different behaviours and less linear career paths, so might suit this young woman better than medicine. Also, many physicians enter the profession after gaining other work/life experience, rather than following the high school/undergrad/medical college/doctor at 26 route. It might be advantageous for this young woman to be one of those people who takes her time and gains a more rounded experience of life before putting herself onto the tramlines of a medical education.
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I hate to dredge up an old thread, but as things went from bad to worse and the worst anyone could possibly imagine, I must seek the counsel of you all again.

|Edited| You're right, I should've considered confidentiality when I first updated.
 
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FlameCane said:
Having been very close to her and knowing all of this--I broke off contact with her a little while ago.
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It sounds like you need to discuss these feelings with a supervisor (if you are solo, maybe you can pay a senior practitioner for some supervision on this case). You need to let go. YOu may be able to get more advice in the psychiatry or psychology forum
 
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I don't think that it is remotely likely that this person is going to get into medical school. Some broken people do make it in... and some people are broken by the process itself. But from the behavior you have described, she sounds entirely out of control and without insight. That isn't a pattern that is going to lend itself to flying under the radar.

Take comfort in that, and debrief with someone who can help you move on.
 
Well, if her being able to manipulate others like she did to me (that's the sociopathy part) is any indication, she's flying under the radar pretty well since she's been able to get herself into a H.S. senior collegiate program. My biggest concern is for the people involved re: DID/practicing medicine.

I have extensive experience with DID patients. They normally don't fare well, but none of them were particularly 1) charismatic and 2) set on practising medicine.
 
FlameCane said:
Well, if her being able to manipulate others like she did to me (that's the sociopathy part) is any indication, she's flying under the radar pretty well since she's been able to get herself into a H.S. senior collegiate program. My biggest concern is for the people involved re: DID/practicing medicine.

I have extensive experience with DID patients. They normally don't fare well, but none of them were particularly 1) charismatic and 2) set on practising medicine.
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So I'm confused here. Are you a medical professional? Are you this student's health care provider? If not (even if so), I think you're over-invested, and I'm wondering about your boundaries in this situation. She will do what she will do. The system will likely work itself out, and it sounds like she's just in high school and years away from hurting any patients if she did indeed get in and get through medical school. Unless you have some relationship with this student that you haven't informed us of, you need to let go and move on. This is not your issue.

Admittedly I'm also wondering about your claim that you've seen lots of people with DID, but I'll leave that for another day. You are not a medical provider. It is not your job to diagnose or treat people.
 
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Doctor Bagel said:
So I'm confused here....
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Obviously I can't give specific details, hence my edit above. I also know that a nice good lot of the psychiatric community even believes dissociation at that level exists, but seeing three who failed to manage it enough to keep their jobs/professions and one that was moderately successful in managing it, I can assure you, I've seen it/worked with it. But this is the first one that was a true shocker (which is why I broke off from it; I was warned about it but I took it anyway).
 
FlameCane: it sounds as though you no longer have any involvement with this student. Like other posters above I think that is the best thing for you, and also that you might find it helpful to have some support in person rather than just on this board.
 
Shalom77 said:
I disagree.

Just because someone has sought appropriate psychiatric care doesn't make them "high risk"

The only thing the board questions separate is those who have sought appropriate care and those who haven't.

Those who haven't are allowed to continue practicing unstigmatized (who may actually represent a greater risk) and those who have are stigmatized.

That makes no sense whatsoever.

If diagnosed with depression by a physician - I would think that both legally and ethically one should mark yes. Obviously if never formally diagnosed or if one has never sought treatment - there's no way for the board to discover the "lie."

But I don't think boards should be asking about treatment for mental illness at all. I think they should just ask about whether an illness that IMPACTS ones ability to practice.

That way doctors can be free to seek the most competant care without being unfairly stigmatized or forced to reveal private details that have no impact on their ability to practice.

As I said one way to reduce stigma is to recognized that mental illnesses are very common. They should not be treated differently from physical ones form a medical board perspective. Significant physical illness can also clearly impair ones ability to practice. Boards should focus on impairment not the presence or absence of a diagnosis.
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All that matters is what the plaintiff's lawyer digs up..
 
I always wondered, because I've been put in this position before. Are they're any pre-med or med students who have refused to seek treatment for mental illness for fear of being diagnosed, and further on not being accepted to med school or matched because of it?
 
kenziekat said:
I always wondered, because I've been put in this position before. Are they're any pre-med or med students who have refused to seek treatment for mental illness for fear of being diagnosed, and further on not being accepted to med school or matched because of it?
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There are certainly such folks. There was a pervasive rumor at my school that the administration snooped on the psych records of students who accessed help through the school psychologist, and that confidential details from such help had made their way into administrative / disciplinary actions.

It doesn't matter whether that was true or not. Because people believed it, there were a lot of students who didn't get help that they needed in my first year class. The new psychologist who came on board at the end of the year made it very clear that if she referred someone to receive care in the community, that those records were absolutely separate from the school and protected by all the confidentiality rules as for any other patient... and that did help people feel more confident about seeking help.

But absolutely, there are still people who don't trust that getting care won't come back to bite them. (And given that some states require physicians to disclose their psychiatric medical history upon licensure, those folks aren't wrong to be concerned.)

This is a problem of mental health stigma. This is a problem of considering mental health problems to be something that only affect some people, and which render them less capable or trustworthy than other "normal" folks. It comes from not recognizing that everyone will endure some degree of anxiety, depression, unhealthy substance use, etc. during the course of their lives, and that the high stress of medical education makes it more likely that this will be a time when all of us will need a little help.

As long as those conditions persist, there will be people who will try to get by without the care they need, out of concern that getting help will ruin their professional prospects.
 
Also, way to necrobump. There are a lot of threads on this topic that you might like to read, which have been written more recently.
 
The thing is, the state medical boards have no access your medical records. Moreover, the residency application itself (ERAS) does not ask anything about mental illness.

Sent from my SM-N910P using SDN mobile
 
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