Mentally Ill in a High-Stakes Job
I have been treated for depression for many years. When my state medical board found out (I reported it myself after taking a brief medical leave of absence), they chose to publicly discipline me simply for getting sick. In my case, there have never been any allegations of misconduct, incompetence, or practicing while impaired. Overall, this has been the most humiliating experience of my life. The professional damage is staggering and irreversible. […] So, my advice to you would be to NEVER EVER EVER admit to your licensing board anything that could even remotely be considered mental illness. Until the professional stigma of mental illness is squarely addressed by organized medicine, your honesty will only get you in trouble.
.. Lori Shaw, dean of students and professor at University of Dayton School of Law, wrote in her advice to law students getting ready for the bar that “treatment is viewed as a plus, not a minus. Taking responsibility for your life evidences strength of character.”