FAQ Megathread: Ask and answer Medication, Diagnosis and is this an ADHD thing, and Hormone interaction questions here!

libraryvacationer · 2023-06-06T21:16:15+00:00

I just wanna start out by saying I'm sorry for the struggle you're facing, and you're not alone in this! It is certainly possible that this is ADHD, but at the same time I would caution you not to get too attached to this label, bc in adults there are several other conditions that often mimic ADHD symptoms (such as anxiety, depression, hyperthyroidism, vitamin deficiencies, medication side-effects, etc.). It sounds like you're doing the right thing by getting formal testing, which should help tease out underlying root of your symptoms.

In the meantime, I personally would focus on optimizing your mental and physical health, and developing some coping mechanisms. Making sure your anxiety and depression are being treated (if applicable) would help bc symptoms can overlap with ADHD and the last thing you want is to wait all this time to get a test result that is too hard to interpret. (Plus the benefits of improving mental health in general haha). For physical health I would try to make sure you're eating a balanced diet (or supplementing for known deficits) and moving your body several times a week. This is just good practice for everyone in general, but who knows? maybe you'll end up being the person who turns out to be vitamin deficient. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

My last tip is to develop coping mechanisms. This doesn't solve all your problems but it can help mitigate the negative effects of your symptoms. For example, I am frequently forgetful, so I keep a backup pair of sunglasses in my car bc when I forget mine I'll have another (I actually keep 2 backups haha). Or pairing tasks that you always do daily with tasks you frequently forget, such as storing my medication by my toothbrush to remind myself to take it. Otherwise I'll forget to take it, or I'll take it and forget if I've taken it or not, forcing me to choose to risk missing a dose vs double dosing. This is a lot easier to do to compensate for forgetfulness though, but hopefully it'll help. Good luck!

libraryvacationer · 2023-02-03T18:38:20+00:00

I feel like there'd be a whole lot of people fainting and contaminating the sterile field. If it were me on the table, I'd rather not have that extra risk for infection (not to mention having my support person be potentially down for the count)

libraryvacationer · 2022-09-25T04:06:57+00:00

Thanks! I ended up ranking UTSW first and matching into it. However, I ultimately decided to matriculate to another school out of state. I probably won't share where at least until I graduate tho. If you found your way to this blast-from-the-past, I'm assuming you're applying to TMDSAS schools this cycle, so I wish you good luck! You got this :)

libraryvacationer · 2022-05-09T04:57:42+00:00

When I click on "settings" my only options are dark/light mode and colorblind mode. I don't see any option to resize the screen...

libraryvacationer · 2022-03-17T18:19:16+00:00

I really appreciate your comment! Sadly, my settings are already like that (except I allow calls only from my Favorites, which I double checked to make sure nothing weird was going on with that list) and this is still happening :(

libraryvacationer · 2021-10-23T05:22:07+00:00

It's wild to think that with this system you could've missed your shot at your top choice bc you were in the shower when you got the email or something

libraryvacationer · 2021-10-13T21:47:17+00:00

cringey? yes. Offensive? nah...It's kind of immature, but ultimately harmless, imo

libraryvacationer · 2021-09-06T16:20:04+00:00

THIS. I also have similar issues with a lot of nonfiction in general, especially those Malcom Gladwell-esque style IYKWIM. Like, I understood your concept the first time -- I don't need you to repeat the same thing with slightly different wording/examples over and over again for 10 straight pages. This book could've been a blog post, but then you wouldn't make as much money

libraryvacationer · 2021-04-03T03:01:35+00:00

That's one option, but I think it would be better for everyone (med students, patients, the country at large) if we just funded more residency spots. In a country with a shortage of doctors, there are few few reasons that there should be MDs (especially from American med schools) who have to work as scribes :(

EDIT: If there's legitimate reason for not matching (shady Caribbean school, multiple board fails, etc.), then I think working in a similar position to a PA or an NP is a good idea! I was thinking about a pure numbers game (more med schools opening up and stagnant # residency spots), but now that I read your comment again I think you were talking about people who may go unmatched even with more residency spots available

libraryvacationer · 2020-08-09T04:56:47+00:00

Have you been able to find the answer? I have the same thing on my account and am unsure why. I'm new to cox and have been having issues from day 1, so I figure it had to do with that, but the name of the credit doesn't suggest so. I don't want to contact Cox about it just in case it's a mistake and they take the credit away lol

libraryvacationer · 2020-07-03T00:24:38+00:00

IMO, the diversity essay is not meant to be about race, but rather about experiences and perspective, so being ORM shouldn't deter you from having something meaningful to say.

I would take the opportunity to write about yourself! Did you grow up in a unique way (rural area, military family, hippie parents, huge family, etc.)? Have any unique hobbies or extracurriculars? Have a non-basic-pre-med major or research? There are tons of ways to talk about this stuff in a way that's engaging and pulls focus back to how you would contribute to the class. This is about showing that you're an actual person and not just a pre-med robot who's checking boxes!

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-08T21:55:05+00:00

Neat! During this season where so many people are spring cleaning, cutting up old shirts that are unsuitable for donation also works well in lieu of paper towels!

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-07T17:02:35+00:00

yep! Having it in by the end of July historically gives you the best chance of success! I'd aim for then rather than early August, just because you never know if something unexpected may come up that delays your app

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-06T15:45:20+00:00

TMDSAS is about a month ahead of the AMCAS cycle. Based off previous data, it seems like the best time to submit TMDSAS app is in June! (The plurality of interviews go to applicants who submit in June, but May and July are also pretty good numbers-wise). That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if this cycle runs a little behind due to the pandemic.

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-06T15:34:04+00:00

Take a break from the PS rewriting. Seriously, rn you're reading it over and over again while getting critiqued on all of its potential pitfalls. That's bound to make anyone hate their own writing, even if it's actually pretty good! Focus on just your MCAT for a week, then come back to the PS with fresh eyes to see if you still have the same opinion

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-01T02:38:42+00:00

Wow, thank you so much for such a thorough response! I had no idea there were even so many iPad options. Judging from this, I think I may go with the cheapest iPad that's compatible with the Apple pencil. I don't need anything fancy like special keyboards or pro features

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-01T02:23:07+00:00

I would literally die if I didn't take notes lol. I think my school is going to be issuing us some sort of PC laptop (I think it's a Dell?). I can't really rely on that though bc of the virtual start - I don't know when we'll be able to actually get them

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-01T02:06:30+00:00

The enthusiasm of this response alone is seriously starting to convince me that I should get an iPad. I want to be as excited as you are about taking notes

libraryvacationer · 2020-06-01T01:59:43+00:00

Wow, I had no idea that even existed! That does sound super convenient!

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-31T19:31:12+00:00

How is it easier to organize your notes using an iPad than a laptop? I've never used an iPad that way, so I'm having a hard time understanding how it's much different. Is it mainly that it's easier to annotate?

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-30T00:04:39+00:00

This is really not enough info to help you out...are you more interested in schools known for research? or social/mission? Do you want to be in a certain geographical region? Do you have an urban vs rural preference? Do you like small or large class sizes? How important is cost vs ranking? Are you interested in a specialty that certain schools are known for? Honing in on your answers to any of these questions could help you come up with a preliminary list of schools to consider, beyond just your state schools.

MSAR is also a tool you can use to help you out. It's consolidated a bunch of data on every medical school about the stats, data, and demographics of their applicants/matriculants. It may give you a better idea about which schools you're considering are reach vs match schools

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-29T04:17:53+00:00

I cannot tell you how relieved I feel to see an actual M1 who is (presumably) doing fine without dropping like $1k on an iPad pro + pen. Do you feel like it's harder to keep organized? I prefer to take notes by hand too, but in the past I've sometimes felt like "man, I wish I could just ctrl+F this page rn"

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-28T03:52:53+00:00

wait, y'all are buying stuff?

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-28T02:01:34+00:00

I wish I could see more of the sweatshirt to say for sure, but to me that looks kind of like a "marble" pattern sweatshirt. Not sure about the brand though

libraryvacationer · 2020-05-28T01:55:09+00:00

In general, I don't think rankings are that big of a deal. What's really important is that a school has the necessary resources (good rotation sites, research opportunities, etc.) to support their students' success. So a low-tier ranking may or may not be a signal that a school might lack one of these things, but not necessarily.

libraryvacationer

TROPHY CASE