Illness and Pre-med

[6js590]

Hi all,

 

I'd like to put my situation out there to see if there is (or has been) someone in the same boat as I am right now. Maybe we can bond or something lol

 

I was a non-trad by the time I started my undergrad, after doing a college diploma after working for a year after high school, when I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Decided on university when I realized how much I wanted to do med (and how that really is what I wanted all my life). So starting my undergrad in September 2007, I felt a lot older than people in my first year (even though I was really only maybe 3 years older). First year went horribly, I was lonely, lived far off campus, and my body just didn't feel right. I was able to land a job as a research assistant during the summer between first and second year, which was great experience.

 

Starting 2nd year, I was really feeling like crap. I ended up only completing 3 courses first semester, and had to take 2nd semester off. I was extremely fatigued, my body ached, and I felt really sick, but my doctor back home wasn't interested in figuring it out, and instead dx'd me with depression, and put me on meds (which I disagreed with, but thought maybe I was going nutty). Anyways, so I do nothing the rest of 2nd semester b/c I feel too sick, but then the end of April 2009, I see a doctor at the health centre who does blood work and see's that I'm actually suffering from a severe illness. So the summer of 2009 I can't work, and I'm still feeling like crap (off the antidepressants though b/c I didn't need them, b/c I wasn't depressed).

 

Fall of 2009 comes around, and I started taking classes again, but realized I was still not well enough to make it to campus (I live quite far from campus), so I dropped my courses. Around Christmas time, I started to feel a bit better. I've got a chronic illness so getting it under control has been hell. Now, winter 2010, I'm taking 3 courses, taking 3 more in the summer, and trying to pick up where I left off after being off for a year.

 

I'm finding myself really discouraged about everything. I'm still not feeling 100%, and I've got so many things I want to do (ie volunteering, work, school). I'm upset that my life was put on hold for a year due to this illness. I'm going to be doing summer courses to get back on track, so that by September 2010, I'll be able to start my 3rd year (when I should be starting my 4th ). I'm going to need to get awesome grades to bring my gpa up to a competitive number, and I'm not going to be able to apply until I'm done my 4th year in order to use my last 2 fulltime years as a gpa cutoff (really only 1 school I can apply to, as I'm engaged and my fiance has an amazing job, and relocating is not an option).

 

So I've got 2 years left where I need to do amazing things with my gpa, study for and write the mcat, do some volunteering, and get a job, (add in planning a wedding in there as well), and deal with this illness, which at the moment, is somewhat under control, but I'm still pretty fatigued. I'm just having trouble keeping myself motivated. I see so many people my age with degrees, and careers, and in med school, and they're all healthy, and I'm so envious.

 

Long story short, I want to feel better and move on with my life, pick up where I left off. I know I will never be perfectly healthy again, but I still want to be able to achieve my dream, and right now, it feels so far away, and some days, I really feel like it's never going to happen.

 

Is there anyone in a similar situation? Or has been, but was still able to achieve their goals? I need some motivation I guess.

[dreamer87]

Hi all,

 

I'd like to put my situation out there to see if there is (or has been) someone in the same boat as I am right now. Maybe we can bond or something lol

 

I was a non-trad by the time I started my undergrad, after doing a college diploma after working for a year after high school, when I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Decided on university when I realized how much I wanted to do med (and how that really is what I wanted all my life). So starting my undergrad in September 2007, I felt a lot older than people in my first year (even though I was really only maybe 3 years older). First year went horribly, I was lonely, lived far off campus, and my body just didn't feel right. I was able to land a job as a research assistant during the summer between first and second year, which was great experience.

 

Starting 2nd year, I was really feeling like crap. I ended up only completing 3 courses first semester, and had to take 2nd semester off. I was extremely fatigued, my body ached, and I felt really sick, but my doctor back home wasn't interested in figuring it out, and instead dx'd me with depression, and put me on meds (which I disagreed with, but thought maybe I was going nutty). Anyways, so I do nothing the rest of 2nd semester b/c I feel too sick, but then the end of April 2009, I see a doctor at the health centre who does blood work and see's that I'm actually suffering from a severe illness. So the summer of 2009 I can't work, and I'm still feeling like crap (off the antidepressants though b/c I didn't need them, b/c I wasn't depressed).

 

Fall of 2009 comes around, and I started taking classes again, but realized I was still not well enough to make it to campus (I live quite far from campus), so I dropped my courses. Around Christmas time, I started to feel a bit better. I've got a chronic illness so getting it under control has been hell. Now, winter 2010, I'm taking 3 courses, taking 3 more in the summer, and trying to pick up where I left off after being off for a year.

 

I'm finding myself really discouraged about everything. I'm still not feeling 100%, and I've got so many things I want to do (ie volunteering, work, school). I'm upset that my life was put on hold for a year due to this illness. I'm going to be doing summer courses to get back on track, so that by September 2010, I'll be able to start my 3rd year (when I should be starting my 4th ). I'm going to need to get awesome grades to bring my gpa up to a competitive number, and I'm not going to be able to apply until I'm done my 4th year in order to use my last 2 fulltime years as a gpa cutoff (really only 1 school I can apply to, as I'm engaged and my fiance has an amazing job, and relocating is not an option).

 

So I've got 2 years left where I need to do amazing things with my gpa, study for and write the mcat, do some volunteering, and get a job, (add in planning a wedding in there as well), and deal with this illness, which at the moment, is somewhat under control, but I'm still pretty fatigued. I'm just having trouble keeping myself motivated. I see so many people my age with degrees, and careers, and in med school, and they're all healthy, and I'm so envious.

 

Long story short, I want to feel better and move on with my life, pick up where I left off. I know I will never be perfectly healthy again, but I still want to be able to achieve my dream, and right now, it feels so far away, and some days, I really feel like it's never going to happen.

 

Is there anyone in a similar situation? Or has been, but was still able to achieve their goals? I need some motivation I guess.

 

hey there

 

i guess i'm the perfect person for you to talk to, lol

 

i know how hard it is when your body is screaming in pain and you just want to give up. it's also hard because everyone else other than you is just so much healthier and they don't have to deal with this extra baggage you have to deal with but when it comes down to marks/assignments/tests no one cares, you will be treated the same.

 

but you know, as a person with a medical problem, if you want to pursue medicine, you will have to prove yourself just as much as any other pre-med. maybe even more so - show them why they should give YOU a spot over a healthy person. moreover, you have to show them that you will be able to handle medical school right? it's not just about getting in, you have to be able to work everyday for long hours to get through med school because their curriculum is so intense. that's why med school are all gung-ho about full course loads.

 

i highly recommend that you find out within your university the "accessibility services" department. these people are supposed to be helping you with accomodations. the reason they exist is to level the playing field. if you are like me, i refused to take any help from them because my problem isn't THAT serious and i wanted to prove to myself that i can do just as well as other people, or better, despite my health problems. i'm not getting a medal for that.......it was for my personal satisfaction - once i did need help from them and i was not ashamed to ask for it! if you need the help it is there and it is awesome. they will let you delay tests - they will let you sit in a more comfortable place - they will allow extra time and SO many other accomodations are available. so definitely look into that. they also will have support groups for sick people to bond with other students with common issues and in general they are awesome (they're all trained to work with sick students). so MILK IT for all it's worth. you should be at a level playing field with everyone else, so do whatever it takes to get there........there is no need for you to suffer and struggle like this. i know people with next to no problem who use accessbility services accomodations just because they can. so find out what services are offered.

 

i recommend taking a full course load if you can from now on. get as much help as you can to do this. that way, you can show med schools, look, i have these 2 final years in which i did well and i had a full course load, DESPITE my illness. think of how impressed they will be!

 

if however a full course load is not possible, don't pressure yourself. take fewer courses, but then work your ass off for them. i know lots of others who have chronic illnesses and they take 3-4 courses per year, but get 80s and 90s in them. believe that you can, and it will happen.

 

remember you have to give med schools something to work with as a sick person, so don't feel down, you should be excited and hungry to prove yourself. get in there and tear up those classes - show those med schools that if you can fight a disease in your own body you can destroy any course you want to.

 

also, take one thing at a time. get the UG marks. then work on the MCAT. then work on applications. that's exactly what i am doing. you can't apply until after 4th year anyways so don't worry about the MCAT for now and concentrate on your marks. start volunteering somewhere you enjoy and again get involved with the "sick community" at your school, it will be a good extracurricular and you will feel better knowing there are others like you also working hard.

 

i hope that was enough motivation and inspiration for you i'm very happy to see people like you because you show that you will get back up no matter how much life throws you back, which is an important trait as a human being, but more so for a doctor. good luck and let me know if you want to talk more!

[UTPEOPLE]

Hi all,

 

I'd like to put my situation out there to see if there is (or has been) someone in the same boat as I am right now. Maybe we can bond or something lol

 

I was a non-trad by the time I started my undergrad, after doing a college diploma after working for a year after high school, when I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Decided on university when I realized how much I wanted to do med (and how that really is what I wanted all my life). So starting my undergrad in September 2007, I felt a lot older than people in my first year (even though I was really only maybe 3 years older). First year went horribly, I was lonely, lived far off campus, and my body just didn't feel right. I was able to land a job as a research assistant during the summer between first and second year, which was great experience.

 

Starting 2nd year, I was really feeling like crap. I ended up only completing 3 courses first semester, and had to take 2nd semester off. I was extremely fatigued, my body ached, and I felt really sick, but my doctor back home wasn't interested in figuring it out, and instead dx'd me with depression, and put me on meds (which I disagreed with, but thought maybe I was going nutty). Anyways, so I do nothing the rest of 2nd semester b/c I feel too sick, but then the end of April 2009, I see a doctor at the health centre who does blood work and see's that I'm actually suffering from a severe illness. So the summer of 2009 I can't work, and I'm still feeling like crap (off the antidepressants though b/c I didn't need them, b/c I wasn't depressed).

 

Fall of 2009 comes around, and I started taking classes again, but realized I was still not well enough to make it to campus (I live quite far from campus), so I dropped my courses. Around Christmas time, I started to feel a bit better. I've got a chronic illness so getting it under control has been hell. Now, winter 2010, I'm taking 3 courses, taking 3 more in the summer, and trying to pick up where I left off after being off for a year.

 

I'm finding myself really discouraged about everything. I'm still not feeling 100%, and I've got so many things I want to do (ie volunteering, work, school). I'm upset that my life was put on hold for a year due to this illness. I'm going to be doing summer courses to get back on track, so that by September 2010, I'll be able to start my 3rd year (when I should be starting my 4th ). I'm going to need to get awesome grades to bring my gpa up to a competitive number, and I'm not going to be able to apply until I'm done my 4th year in order to use my last 2 fulltime years as a gpa cutoff (really only 1 school I can apply to, as I'm engaged and my fiance has an amazing job, and relocating is not an option).

 

So I've got 2 years left where I need to do amazing things with my gpa, study for and write the mcat, do some volunteering, and get a job, (add in planning a wedding in there as well), and deal with this illness, which at the moment, is somewhat under control, but I'm still pretty fatigued. I'm just having trouble keeping myself motivated. I see so many people my age with degrees, and careers, and in med school, and they're all healthy, and I'm so envious.

 

Long story short, I want to feel better and move on with my life, pick up where I left off. I know I will never be perfectly healthy again, but I still want to be able to achieve my dream, and right now, it feels so far away, and some days, I really feel like it's never going to happen.

 

Is there anyone in a similar situation? Or has been, but was still able to achieve their goals? I need some motivation I guess.

 

I respect your perseverance in every way possible! But, are you sure you will be able to put up with the rigours of med school and eventually residency. No job is worth running yourself into a grave...

[dr_horrible]

Hey there,

 

Let me first say I admire your courage to share your story!

 

I can relate. In the summer of my first year of university in '05, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which is a chronic illness that causes intense abdominal pain, fatigue, anemia, and other complications.

 

At the time of my diagnosis, I spent about a month in the hospital while they figured out the best way to treat me. Since then, I've tried different things, and gone in and out of remission. My last flair up was in the 2nd semester of my 3rd year, when I missed 1.5 months of school due to a stint in the hospital. Thankfully, about a year ago, I started on a new drug that has been keeping me pretty healthy.

 

Knowing that you have a chronic illness, and that it is not temporary, or something you can ignore, is a huge new idea to wrap your head around. I really struggled (and still do sometimes, I think) with the lack of control I had over my own health, and the fact that I could not just continue with my life as if it never happened. I had to make some permanent lifestyle changes to make living with Crohn's easier.

 

Whenever I'd get sick, the hardest part wasn't even being sick. It was the fallout during the recovery. After being isolated in a hospital bed for a month, trying to go back into the real world and keep up with all the responsibilities I'd left behind was overwhelming. The thought of facing all that awaited me, while still feeling week and vulnerable, left me depressed and insecure. The road to "getting better" always held some of the most difficult times I've ever been though.

 

But a chronic illness is just another thing about you. It's more of a characteristic, and less of a single defining trait. I like to view mine as just a part of me, more along the lines of "I have blue eyes, brown hair, I like to sing, and I have Crohn's" than "I have Crohn's, and therefore my life is this way" (if that really makes any sense). I've learned I can't ignore what is wrong with me, but I can do a lot in spite of it.

 

One thing I'd really like to tell you is to not worry so much about time. So you'll be starting your 3rd year, which "should be" your 4th. No one will look down upon you for this, and whoever decided that the only "normal" thing to do was to take 4 years of high school, followed by 4 of uni, and 4 of med, is just silly. There is so much time for you to do whatever you want to accomplish, and no one is keeping track of how long it is taking you to do these things! Having the wisdom and maturity to do things at a pace that is comfortable and right for you, instead of trying to keep up with everyone, is incredibly admirable in my books.

 

I know when I go through periods of illness, I really have difficulty taking to anyone. I have an amazing support system in my life: a wonderful boyfriend, best friends that I've had in my life for years, and a loving family. But I always found discussing illness, and even my depression following illness, difficult to do with them. I think it's a hard topic to discuss with someone that hasn't been there.

 

So on that note, feel free to PM me if you have any more questions about balancing life and illness, I've been trying my best to do just that for a while now, and have a few (hopefully useful) tips.

 

Best of luck to you, and I hope you can start need year feeling healthy and ready to pursue your goals.

 

Hi all,

 

I'd like to put my situation out there to see if there is (or has been) someone in the same boat as I am right now. Maybe we can bond or something lol

 

I was a non-trad by the time I started my undergrad, after doing a college diploma after working for a year after high school, when I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Decided on university when I realized how much I wanted to do med (and how that really is what I wanted all my life). So starting my undergrad in September 2007, I felt a lot older than people in my first year (even though I was really only maybe 3 years older). First year went horribly, I was lonely, lived far off campus, and my body just didn't feel right. I was able to land a job as a research assistant during the summer between first and second year, which was great experience.

 

Starting 2nd year, I was really feeling like crap. I ended up only completing 3 courses first semester, and had to take 2nd semester off. I was extremely fatigued, my body ached, and I felt really sick, but my doctor back home wasn't interested in figuring it out, and instead dx'd me with depression, and put me on meds (which I disagreed with, but thought maybe I was going nutty). Anyways, so I do nothing the rest of 2nd semester b/c I feel too sick, but then the end of April 2009, I see a doctor at the health centre who does blood work and see's that I'm actually suffering from a severe illness. So the summer of 2009 I can't work, and I'm still feeling like crap (off the antidepressants though b/c I didn't need them, b/c I wasn't depressed).

 

Fall of 2009 comes around, and I started taking classes again, but realized I was still not well enough to make it to campus (I live quite far from campus), so I dropped my courses. Around Christmas time, I started to feel a bit better. I've got a chronic illness so getting it under control has been hell. Now, winter 2010, I'm taking 3 courses, taking 3 more in the summer, and trying to pick up where I left off after being off for a year.

 

I'm finding myself really discouraged about everything. I'm still not feeling 100%, and I've got so many things I want to do (ie volunteering, work, school). I'm upset that my life was put on hold for a year due to this illness. I'm going to be doing summer courses to get back on track, so that by September 2010, I'll be able to start my 3rd year (when I should be starting my 4th ). I'm going to need to get awesome grades to bring my gpa up to a competitive number, and I'm not going to be able to apply until I'm done my 4th year in order to use my last 2 fulltime years as a gpa cutoff (really only 1 school I can apply to, as I'm engaged and my fiance has an amazing job, and relocating is not an option).

 

So I've got 2 years left where I need to do amazing things with my gpa, study for and write the mcat, do some volunteering, and get a job, (add in planning a wedding in there as well), and deal with this illness, which at the moment, is somewhat under control, but I'm still pretty fatigued. I'm just having trouble keeping myself motivated. I see so many people my age with degrees, and careers, and in med school, and they're all healthy, and I'm so envious.

 

Long story short, I want to feel better and move on with my life, pick up where I left off. I know I will never be perfectly healthy again, but I still want to be able to achieve my dream, and right now, it feels so far away, and some days, I really feel like it's never going to happen.

 

Is there anyone in a similar situation? Or has been, but was still able to achieve their goals? I need some motivation I guess.

[Jochi1543]

Yes. I've been in a very similar situation.

 

I started off undergrad doing really well. Got a 4.0 in my first year, started volunteering, got involved in ECs, and found a great job at a research lab I loved. Then second year, I got sick. I started experiencing episodes of excruciating pain in my abdomen. I would have these episodes several times a week, and sometimes they were bad enough that I would collapse and had to go to the emergency room. The pain would hit me out of the blue, sometimes it would last an hour, sometimes it would last 12 hours. I could never predict when it would strike or how bad it would be. Often I would have to leave a lecture or a lab, or leave work or extracurricular activities because of it.

 

I knew something was wrong with me...I seriously thought I had cancer. I went to soooo many doctors, but nobody took me seriously. They would just tell me it was stress or bad eating habits. I remember going to my university health services after spending all night crouched in the same position screaming in pain....and the doctor just told me to take some Zantac 75 (anti-acid).

 

Finally, the summer before my fourth year, I begged a walk-in clinic doctor to send me for an ultrasound. He did. My results sat on my family doctor's desk for a month before she got around to looking at them. It turned out I had gallstones, and they had been escaping and blocking my bile duct, which is why I had so much pain. By the time I was diagnosed, I had lost 40 pounds, and I was in pain almost every day. My gallbladder was inflamed, and my urine had been dark brown for months. That time I went to health services? I probably had pancreatitis.

 

Holy medical malpractice! Ever considered legal action?

[astrogirl]

I suffered with undiagnosed celiac disease for probably 20 years before I started seeing a new doctor who figured it out. I've always had pretty major hypothyroidism (started when I was about 10) and I've been anemic pretty much since I was born. Other doctors attributed the GI symptoms to IBS. It's not really their fault - I've always been at least a little overweight (because of my thyroid issues), despite the fact that I eat very little and exercise as regularly as I can, but many older doctors don't even think to test for celiac unless you're really skinny.

 

I was sick a lot during my undergrad. I was also sick during my master's and the first half of my PhD, but that's easier to deal with. And high school was kind of a joke, so despite the fact that I was sick a lot I still did well. But it really affected my undergrad. I missed too many classes and didn't do very well because I was in the bathroom all the time, I was tired all the time and couldn't stay awake in class, I had headaches and memory problems, I had horrible stomach cramps (on more than one occasion I went to the emergency room because the cramps were so bad that I couldn't even walk - my roommates would carry me to the car and drive me), I would sometimes randomly throw up all over myself, etc. When I ended up at the ER, they would do ultrasounds or CT scans, find nothing, and send me home with painkillers.

 

Undergrad took me 5 years including 4 summers (although the summers were mostly research with a few lab classes) and I ended up with a 3.3 gpa and had to repeat about 5 classes because I failed them. But I still got into a master's program and then a PhD program, and now that I've realized that what I really want to do is medicine (partly because of my experience as a patient), I'm just going to do whatever I need to to keep applying until I get in.

 

Now that I know what's wrong with me and I'm not eating gluten anymore, the difference is like night and day. I'm not 100% better yet, but it's slowly getting there. And ironically enough, now that my body is absorbing what I eat, I'm losing weight for the first time ever. So I'm not really worried that I'll still be sick all the time by the time I start med school.

 

I got a pretty decent MCAT score, and I'm hoping that my MCAT, along with my ECs and grad school stuff will help make up for my undegrad GPA. I'm applying to Calgary (IP) and MacMaster because I don't have the prereqs to apply anywhere else. If I don't get in, my plan is to take prereqs for a year to improve my gpa and let me apply to more places. I guess my point is that I don't think you should give up. I realize that I'm not actually in med school yet, but I haven't given up. Just do the best you can, and realize that you may have to apply more than once.

 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, if I get in next year, that will mean that I'll be starting a few months before I turn 29. Just in case you're feeling old.

[Noodle]

 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, if I get in next year, that will mean that I'll be starting a few months before I turn 29. Just in case you're feeling old.

 

Hello!!!

 

Thankfully I didn't suffer from any huge health issues in university, though I did in high school and elementary school (I even had med school people look at me cause my case was so rare), but I would have to say that I am amazed at the courage of each and everyone of you that had to struggle with disease while still trying to keep up with the stress of school and life.

 

And I am also hoping to get into med school next year and when I do, I will be 28. So, 6js590, do what you can to get good grades and write a good MCAT but also make sure that you take lots of time to take care of yourself. These days, medical schools are admitting more and more mature students, so you won't be alone if you do apply later on!

 

Good luck!

[darknebula]

...........................

[6js590]

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, and for your kind words of encouragement. While it's never nice for anyone to be sick, I'm glad you shared your stories, it's helping me to feel a little less isolated. It helps knowing you're not the only one.

 

I know that once I get my illness under control, I'll be abe to accomplish anything I put my mind to, especially med. It's hard when your mind wants you to do all these things, but your body just says "no". I guess that's what I'm having trouble dealing with now - after being sick for so long, and finally having a light at the end of the tunnel, I'd like to run towards the light, when my body, right now, is only letting me crawl. But I know it will happen, I know I'll get there. And, fortunately I've been able to get really great accommodations from my school, they've been helping my in every way they can, and I honestly couldn't have continued if I didn't have the help.

 

One thing I'm a bit worried about though. When I started getting sick, I couldn't handle any EC's or volunteering (I did have 1 volunteer position, but it was once every couple months). I'm hoping to start again over the summer, I'm a little worried about what that might look like on my application when I apply. I know I can say that I was sick, but I went 2 years without really volunteering or participating in anything, and now I'm hoping to be doing quite a bit of it (body permitting lol). I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope that it doesn't look like I'm just now doing all this volunteering and EC's to get into med school (b/c I know a lot of people do things just to put it on an application, but everything I will be doing is out of a genuine interest). I know I won't be applying for at least 2 more years, but it's just something I was pondering.

 

Anyways, I'm really inspired by everyone's stories. It helps me to see that people from all walks of life are perservering and working hard towards their goals. It's just the kind of motivation I was hoping to find. So thank you ALL!!

[dreamer87]

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, and for your kind words of encouragement. While it's never nice for anyone to be sick, I'm glad you shared your stories, it's helping me to feel a little less isolated. It helps knowing you're not the only one.

 

I know that once I get my illness under control, I'll be abe to accomplish anything I put my mind to, especially med. It's hard when your mind wants you to do all these things, but your body just says "no". I guess that's what I'm having trouble dealing with now - after being sick for so long, and finally having a light at the end of the tunnel, I'd like to run towards the light, when my body, right now, is only letting me crawl. But I know it will happen, I know I'll get there. And, fortunately I've been able to get really great accommodations from my school, they've been helping my in every way they can, and I honestly couldn't have continued if I didn't have the help.

 

One thing I'm a bit worried about though. When I started getting sick, I couldn't handle any EC's or volunteering (I did have 1 volunteer position, but it was once every couple months). I'm hoping to start again over the summer, I'm a little worried about what that might look like on my application when I apply. I know I can say that I was sick, but I went 2 years without really volunteering or participating in anything, and now I'm hoping to be doing quite a bit of it (body permitting lol). I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope that it doesn't look like I'm just now doing all this volunteering and EC's to get into med school (b/c I know a lot of people do things just to put it on an application, but everything I will be doing is out of a genuine interest). I know I won't be applying for at least 2 more years, but it's just something I was pondering.Anyways, I'm really inspired by everyone's stories. It helps me to see that people from all walks of life are perservering and working hard towards their goals. It's just the kind of motivation I was hoping to find. So thank you ALL!!

 

hey again!

 

don't even worry about that. as long as your lack of ECs correlates with the time when you were much sicker, they will be able to put the picture together and figure it out. and no it won't look like you are doing it just to go to med school. you couldn't do them when you were too weak physically but as soon as your situation was a bit better you picked them up, which shows a lot about your character and strength! they won't discriminate against you because i mean, they don't expect you to be a superhuman, battling a terrible disease but also feeding orphans. in fact it would seem wierd if you WERE doing ECs at the time that you say your situation was bad, because then it would be like, what? you were so sick that you couldn't do schoolwork but you were ok enough to do ECs? suspicious!

 

so it's all about your story fitting together and in your case it does, so don't even worry about all that. i myself had no ECs when i was sick and when my situation was bad due to personal family problems, but when everything settled down i was able to go back to more of a conventional pre-med lifestyle with my ECs etc that i enjoy + studying hard, and it fits because when things were bad i just couldn't do them, but when things were better, i did! as long as you can justify it to the admissions committee and show them you're a tough cookie, you're good

[Leon]

This is an amazing thread.

 

 

luckythirteen, that story is amazing. I can't believe the system here is so messed up. SO many doctors dismissing the repetitive symptoms? grrrrrr. It's similar to, when, about 6 doctors dismissed my sister's lactose intolerance symptoms. One actually encouraged drinking milk.