I've looked all over the internet but haven't found anything that has yet been clear about a physicians mental health status. Obviously I can't go into medicine if I'm seeing things for the safety of the patients, but what if I am just dealing with depression? If I am taking a mental health Rx. and seeing a therapist, does this mean I am disqualified from studying to practice medicine?

Run of the mill depression will not keep you out of medicine.

My past is riddled with self injury and suicide, and me taking myself to the hospital is what got me fired last time. Does this make a difference, either?

I'm a CNA, and I just love people. I don't want to downplay myself, but with my past mental health status and school grades, I am not taken seriously when I say I'd like to go into medicine. I'm scared, is all. But it's also something I want, and I always do so much better when I'm pushing for something I'm interested in.

Regardless of the question would medical schools even consider a candidate such as yourself, you need to thinking about YOU. Medical school, residency and beyond is one of the worst environments if not the worst for those NOT sufforing from previous mental health issues so it is much worse for those with a history of. The depression, anxiety and more runs rampant in these environments do you really want to put yourself in that position?

There will be red flags with your previous history and it is hard to say what any school will do about those. You *are* a high risk for this to occur once again and some schools will not be willin to take a chance on you. Specially if you have suicide and self injury mixed in there. Just because you love people is not enough to want to this. You have to have the grades, the LOR's, the stamina, the McAT and then be able to withstand a ton of stress without falling apart. Good luck.

Agree with efex101. When I was in medical school, quite a few people developed psychiatric crises due to the stress. One was kicked out. One was unable to match. One committed suicide. In residency and beyond, quite a few people developed addictions, and some died. Medicine is a very stressful field, with a higher suicide rate than the general population. It is also becoming much more stressful with all the changes that are occurring these days. You should consider these issues carefully before deciding whether to pursue it. Good luck.

Here is what I would tell you....

Work on yourself and finding a more stable place in your life. I say this with compassion and not judgment. While you're on that path, take some classes that will further your career either as a nurse or that will allow you to explore medical school if that is what you still want.

I knew a peds resident who had schizophrenia (and was well-controlled on her medication) who did well. I believe that everyone here has excellent insight about the stresses of medical school/residency and life after training. You won't feel better about yourself and your life just because you have Dr. in front of your name...so take care of your health first and the rest will...take care of itself.

Kris

Thanks. This is exactly why I posted the question. My diagnosis was 'manic depressive disorder, in complete remission,' meaning I was OK as long as I was being treated. But I am not being treated now, and I know that RIGHT NOW, I can NOT go further without a new start up of meds and regular therapy. When my depression was being treated in such, I was doing just fine.

As far as my schooling, all of it thus far has been a joke. I was homeschooled but also worked on our farm, so I didn't work as hard in my studies as I should have at that age, and while I got test scores, I never knew my GPA as it was never calculated.

I started highschool my sophmore year, but dropped out for private studies my Sr. year when I left home for a year to stay at a girl's ranch. When I came home I got my GED, and due to my depression not being treated well dropped out of my first year of college to save my GPA for a later date.

I might have to go back to our community college for a year or two for basic studies to prove I can do well in school if being treated for my depression before another college will take me on for anything specific. Is that reasonable?

I have also considered taking the EMT course. CNA work isn't nursing, and EMT work isn't anything like being a DR, but it's cheaper as far as the education goes, and would give me a taste of what I'm up against. What do you think of this, too?

Yes, I need to be treated first. I'm going through a place called Vocational Rehabilitation for help in that area, and they can help me either get a job or go back to school as well, which is why it's important for me to decide which route to go through soon.

Thanks again, your professional input is greatly appreciated!!

Teegs
I'm a bit late posting, I just found this site.
My college age son was recently diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder. I think the anxiety causes most of the depression but anyway he tried cognitive therapy first and things went ok for awhile until he had to put together a presentation for a summer intern job he had.
The anxiety and depression just sky rocketed. Realized he needed more than just therapy so he's now on meds. These meds unfortunately take a long time to start working and some don't work very well on some. It's really a matter of trying different drugs and then waiting for weeks to see if it's working.

You may already know all this, but my point is that your mental health status might be fine when there aren't many stressors going on but as soon as there are (and medical school, exams, presentations, etc certainly are) one's mental health can be severely challenged and worsen.
So I'd say make sure your depression is well controlled with whatever works best for you and challenge yourself gradually to see how well your treatment is and how much you can handle.

Best of luck.