Mental Health

[woodlingj]

I've struggled with mental health issues my entire life and like many others, my problems peaked while in college. I would like to briefly address it in my personal statement because I think it could help explain some of the weaknesses in my application but I don't want it to come off as an excuse. Also, I'm concerned that adcoms will then see me as mentally unstable or unable to handle the stresses of PA school and consequently not give me a chance. I am currently taking the steps to improve both my mental health and my application and I would address that as well but I'm wondering if I should even bring it up or if I should scrap that section altogether? (I'll be applying in a few cycles from now but it never hurts to start early)

[Reality Check 2]

Be careful what you reveal about yourself that someone with unscrupulous notions could use against you.

 

Also - don't poop where you eat - old adage - keep some things separate.

 

You are not alone in your battle and it definitely has an impact on who you are and what you want to do but might be better left to you in this case.

 

Not fair - but people aren't fair either.

 

Good Luck in your PA endeavor

[mgriffiths]

I suffered a head injury in undergrad that left me with some pretty nasty effects for almost a year.  It required me to actually withdraw from undergrad on two separate occasions due to headaches, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating.  I did reference this in my personal statement, but was very careful how I worded it to make sure they knew that 5-6+ years later when I was applying I had made a full recovery and had no long term ill effects.  I almost left it out because I didn't want to disclose something that could be used against me, but didn't see a way to help them understand some of the breaks in my undergrad education and grade issues that I overcame.  It ended up working very well for me and every school I applied to I was accepted to...but your situation might be different.

 

Just wanted to give a sort of similar story to give you hope that it can be helpful.

[MT2PA]

I suffered a head injury in undergrad that left me with some pretty nasty effects for almost a year.  It required me to actually withdraw from undergrad on two separate occasions due to headaches, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating.  I did reference this in my personal statement, but was very careful how I worded it to make sure they knew that 5-6+ years later when I was applying I had made a full recovery and had no long term ill effects.  I almost left it out because I didn't want to disclose something that could be used against me, but didn't see a way to help them understand some of the breaks in my undergrad education and grade issues that I overcame.  It ended up working very well for me and every school I applied to I was accepted to...but your situation might be different.

 

Just wanted to give a sort of similar story to give you hope that it can be helpful

Head injury is likely not going to be perceived anywhere near the same as mental health.  There's a difference between a temporary situation that can be potentially be returned to normal vs an ongoing health issue that, in all honesty, could be aggravated by the rigors of PA school.  Hell, even students who go in healthy with no prior mental health issues seek help for anxiety and other related issues while in school.

 

Basically, tread carefully.

[woodlingj]

Thanks for the replies, that's kind of what I was worried about so I think I will just leave it out.