Can a severely mentally ill person become a doctor?

Interesting discussion. I am a doctor (not in the United States, but in Europe). My honest opinion: it is doable, but I don't recommend it. Med school is very tough and hard and knowing what I know now I would not have done it again (I made too many sacrifices). Also, it does not stop after med school. In my country you cannot find work without any form of specialisation. So add another 3-6 years. You'll be abused, especially when on call. A normal life is difficult.

On the other hand, the job itself is amazing. I do get lots of satisfaction from the things that go well. I have done things I'm very proud of, although you can probably do similar things without a medical degree too. I've also seen horrible things that affected me a lot psychologically. It's different every day.

There are many doctors with problems. It's a taboo. No one will ever commit it, no one will talk about it. There have been studies, but at work everyone pretends to be good. Most of my colleagues are at the point of burn out. A few are showing symptoms of clinical depression. But doctors are bad patients. So am I.

I read you suffer from schizophrenia. I don't have that, for me it's been therapy resistant depression with suicidal ideation for many years, anxiety issues, avoidant personality and insecurity. It turns out this made me very empathic to patients, since I understand psychiatric illness. Most of my colleagues don't. When I started I thought this would trigger me more, but it doesn't. I've taken care of many patients with self harm. It doesn't trigger me. Also suicide is very easy for me to talk about. It's just frustrating that I cannot offer more help.

Consider well how much you want this. Also don't neglect your psychiatric problems. Find good help. I don't know if I'm a good doctor with all the problems I have (anxiety now mainly). I get good feedback, but I still feel worthless in life most of the time. I'm wondering a lot lately if all of this was worth it. Don't romanticize it. It is hard.

It's really good to speak with a doctor online, especially here. I never have spoke with a doctor online. So I think you'll answer my questions?

I might be romanticizing the medical profession, as I have done to things that WOULD supposedly end my pain and suffering. Like how I keep asking for books for the next academic year because I thought reading about human body will somehow make me a little less miserable. It doesn't. Nor does it in the laboratory. Because I am afraid of things like
- Will I fail the class?
- Will I make myself look completely stupid in front of everyone?
- Will my teachers get mad at me because I couldn't do the experiment properly?

I think then, the medical profession isn't to me... It's for healthy people, people who top their classes, people who ride their two wheeler with friends, people who don't have squint and DEFINITELY who did not grow up in a dysfunctional family. People who do not need a spellchecker.

Are you a surgeon? Do you think I can be one if I attempt to become one?

I want to add that I don't want specifically to a surgeon and a surgeon only. I can be a physician, like a pediatrician, but I don't want to sound crazy... I have peripherial neuropathy and chronic back pain, I get burning sensation there.

After all, aside from academics, what can I do? I cannot fill my forms, I am afraid I will screw up... Teacher? Professor? Of what? Biology? But what about my childhood dream?

I was crying a little while before because I just simply cannot accept I cannot be a doctor... Helmus, since you're online at the time of writing, can you help me? Tell me something to make me feel better or at least tell me one final time I cannot be a doctor, based on your analysis (if you've analyzed me) so far.

Doctors are the heroes in my world. I want to be a doctor, but the environment, the damage, the injury... all point to a big no-no.

I'm going to send you a private message later this evening if that's ok for you.

Of course it is!

Did you receive it?

I did and sent a response. I think a lot before writing.

I admit that I haven't read your whole thread (I jumped ahead), but I have seen a film about a doctor who had bipolar. (I don't think that's what likely caused the doc to carve on his patients, though.)

If not a doctor, then there are other fields related to medicine, such as nursing.

Thank you for your opinion. I will try my best to be a doctor. I have 13 attempts left on the biannual medical entrance exam. I will do my best and prove my colleagues who told me I cannot be a doctor wrong. It's doable, sure thing. If you are willing to work smart enough. It doesn't matter what other people say.

& IF you don't prove them wrong.....what then? What are you doing while waiting fir these 13 more opportunities.....or are you (as we say here in the US) " putting all your eggs in one basket"? For 6 1/2 more years?

Why do you think I cannot do it? Are doctors not people? I know med school might be super-stressful, but negative thinking isn't going to lead me anywhere. I know I have serious issues, but what I read on studentdoctor, doctors from US can and sometimes are on psych meds. They are at a big advantage due to their law of discrimination against mental illness. I do not have such protection. But after I mature some more (after I do MBBS), I can always pick a specialty that suits me well. I do not know what it might be (even surgical specialties aren't out-of-hand, as there are beta blockers medications available.)

Again, you may wonder why I am always online. I still have to purchase books for the medical entrance exam. I have books only for biology (volume 1 & 2)

Yes, they can. But if you still live with abusive parents, then you should probably learn to live on your own first. If you're unable to support yourself, med school is even harder and I wouldn't personally recommend it to you.

I cannot learn to live on my own unless I first move out of here.

Sounds like a great first goal!

Another doctor here. I started medical school when I was mentally ill. Still am. I wouldn't say severely but enough to cause me plenty of suffering and instability. I only got in on my second attempt. My high school maths teacher told me I was too stupid to get in but I worked hard and got in. I didn't find med school too stressful or difficult even though I even had an admission on a psych ward after my first year. But it probably depends on a country as how hard amthe studies are. The first years after graduation are the hardest and that's where I've struggled most and have recently relapsed. I've become good at knowing when it's affecting my work and I need some time off. Most of my colleagues have no idea, they tell me I'm the most empathetic and kindest doctor they've ever worked with and patients tend to always request to only see me after they've been for the first assessment. So I feel like I'm good at what I do. I love being a doctor but I'd say it's a lot harder mentally than anyone can ever prepare you for. You get shouted at a lot and belittles when you're a junior. You have to work really hard and night shifts can make the already existing mental health problems so much worse. You have to learn to live with always fearing you might have made a mistake or that you don't know enough and everyone's going to find out how incompetent you are. But talking to other doctors helps to see most of us feel the same way. And it is such a lovely job!! If that's all you've ever wanted to do.. go for it!!

It's all indeed I have ever wanted to do, in my life. I am devoting my life to the wonderful job of being a doctor. I just hope I get accepted in med school, that's my aim for now.

In the US, one has to go to a 4 year university & take pre-med & graduate with that degree to prove themselves capable before med schools will ever consider them. Is that how it works where you live?

Med schools here are your post graduate schools. It sounds like you haven't even achieved your lower level degree yet that would be a prerequisite to achieve before a med school would let you take the entrance exam for the actual med school.

Here we've the MBBS system. The degree stands for "Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery." We go to med school directly after high school. I am preparing for the medical entrance exam which is this December. I am eligible for it.

So are you going to go to a university to take classes until you know if you ever pass the entrance exam for the med school. Aren't you better off at least going to college & taking classes while waiting to take the exam? You already didn't pass one exam if I read your post correctly. It's usually advisable to cover all possibilities than it is to only aim for one thing.

If you achieve it great....if not, it is always best to have a back up plan in place.

Fascinating! During all of my evaluations last year I always got the remark that I'm very empathetic and kind to my patiënts. Some people even requesting to see me again. Is it because of the psychiatric history? I cannot remember myself being empathetic when I was younger (on the contrary).

I am not... it is my parents kind of forcing me to do a B.S., dad has told me it's okay if I give medical entrance exam, I'll drop out of the B.S course if I get selected in med school. I didn't give the last exam (my first exam) because it was in a city far away and I had caught chicken pox with encephalitis.

Wow, so have you recovered from that physical illness?

Your parents are wise is suggesting you go to the university until yiu pass the medical exam. Better to have a back up plan in place while trying for what yiu really want. I am sure there are classes you can take at the university that would transfer to the med school & save you having to wait & take them in the med school.....while waiting to pass the entrance exam if you can pass it the first time.

I have but still there are dark spots on my skin.

I really don't want to do B.S, but it's a good thing to have a backup plan anyway.

Oh yes, chicken pox spots last a long time even after the illness is gone.

Yes, back up plans in life in general are important to have