Dear all,

I was involuntarily committed for 72 hours last year for a medication reaction I was taking for my bipolar I disorder. I am a rising third year in college on the pre-med track. Will my involuntary commitment keep me from gaining a job as a doctor? I know I am thinking far down the road. To my understanding, I am protected by the Disabilities Act if any employer sees it or my other voluntary hospitalizations. I see it, that if I am stable through college and med school (7 more years), any employer may overlook the hospitalizations and hire me as a resident, then a Doctor (if they find out about them).

I know the voluntary hospitalizations won't come up and hurt me (except for getting insurance), but I don't know about the involuntary hospitalizations, because they're legal, not medical. I have heard of nurses who have had involuntary hospitalizations and ended up fine, but I don't know about doctors.

If I could get any good advice on this to ease my mind about becoming a doctor that would be great. Also, yes I know I can't buy a gun or get a security clearance unless I get the records expunged at the court which issued the Involuntary Commitment, which is what I was told. I might actually try to get the records expunged, anyway.

Thanks a lot,

Patrick

P.S. My dream of being a doctor is not far fetched or manic.... I have straight A's and go to one of the top colleges/universities in the U.S. I even played Varsity sports for a year. I have interned for 6 weeks and volunteered with Doctors and in an ER. An admissions board member (an MD with whom I've interned) told me that he would get me in to his school that is among the top for medical schools.