Bipolar affecting my goals?

Question

In June 2008, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hospitalized. I still have a hard time accepting that I may have that. Well, I want to get into med school. I was studying for my MCAT. I am not prepared to take the exam. It is tomorrow. I have been struggling with studying. I am upset because now I will have to wait another year so I can get into to med school. By that time I will be 24 year old.

Answer 1

You can get into med school, but you will have to study.

Maybe the year out will help you work out if this is the right path for you or not? Even if you know now it is the right path, and you'd rather just get on with it, this year can still be positive.. you can use it to study in a relaxed manner, and get a job and save some money up for the future.

Answer 2

I was diagnosed bipolar in 2000.  Am now 26 and only just getting back to school (have a 6 year old and dont have a degree at all).  Bipolar is a hard thing to treat.  Take a year off and work on getting it completely under control before going to med school.  Dont worry at all about what age you are going to be.....trust me, no one is going to care.  If it is hurting your concentration to study for the MCAT, immagain how much it will for every exam you will have.  Would be a lot worse to go to school now and do poorly because of bipolar not under control, then to take a year off.  That would do a lot more damage.

Bipolar wont stop you from doing what you want, though it may slow you down until you have control of it.  Get control of it.....be aware of it.....be aware of when meds need tweeked, and coping stratagies need worked on...know as much as you can of how it effects you.....and then it wont control you or your life or goals.  But you have to get it under conrol first.  If you just let it go and ignore it, it will.

Answer 3

It's great that some people can just pretend their disease away but not all of us have that luxury. I am almost 36 and, although I do have a college degree, I don't make squat. I started a doctorate but could not finish it and that fear of failure has kept me paralyzed for ten years. I'm in the process of reevaluating my goals and getting back on my feet a bit at a time. My program of study is flexible enough that I can do all my work at home on my own schedule. Since yours is not so flexible, you'll need extra support. Make sure you are taking your meds and staying as healthy as possible. Keep your support team in the loop. Above all, never give up - even if you fall down, get right back up.

P.S. - just the fact that you are trying to get into med school means a lot. Lazy and worthless people do not set goals, much less try to achieve them.