Is it okay to mention my diagnosis in my interviews/essays?

[Ray23]

I have been diagnosed with bipolar type II and dyslexia, despite these I have been very successful academically, have been getting proper treatment, and do not let them affect my day-to-day life. Are these things worth mentioning during my interviews (assuming I get that far ahah) or in my essays to prove i've overcome hardship or will they look poorly on me because of it?

[GH0ST]

Hello there, 

You COULD (big if) consider mentioning that you've gone through challenges but not necessarily the diagnosis... the unfortunate reality is that people are still very prejudiced against "imperfect physicians" ... people like to say things like "we respect diversity" or "we respect adversity" but there's still a huge drive to take the quintessential perfect student. 

I think it's better than it used to be, but it's still prevalent today. 

Think of it this way... there's so many applicants per year, why would anyone want to take the risk with "damaged goods" compared to a star student in all fields? 

This is especially true in essays where they don't even see you and the margins are razor thin... anything negative can be used against you and weed you out. 

Don't reveal anything that could be used against you, especially in an interview. Don't take the unnecessary risk. 

- G 

[Ray23]

11 minutes ago, GH0ST said:

Think of it this way... there's so many applicants per year, why would anyone want to take the risk with "damaged goods" compared to a star student in all fields? 

This is especially true in essays where they don't even see you and the margins are razor thin... anything negative can be used against you and weed you out.

Thanks for the advice G. Any insight into what kind of "adversity" is just good enough to get their attention without putting yourself into the "damaged goods" box?

[GH0ST]

will PM

[MDInterviewPrep]

This is definitely a controversial topic. As someone who has sat as an MMI interviewer more than once, a general rule of thumb is do not mention these things unless you have spent a lot of time reflecting on what these diagnoses have meant to you. How have they challenged you, and how they will make you a good physician? Simply name dropping these will almost guarantee a drop in your score. The discussion of psychiatric diagnoses vs other medical diagnoses is also controversial. I think sadly there is still some stigma around mental health, and it has a higher chance compared to other conditions of being stigmatized in a negative light. I would choose one singular diagnosis rather than listing multiple, as this increases the chance it comes off as "name dropping." I would spend some time reflecting on that condition, and how specifically it challenged you or will serve you actually as a physician. If the answer comes off as reflective and genuine, than you will do well. I would argue an answer that shows self awareness of your mental health, and genuine work you have put to overcome that is a colleague I would rather have, than the person who has never struggled with this, and will for the first time in their medical training. If you can turn this into a strength I do think it is a valuable component. 

I hope this helps!