Fulbright & Mental Health Assessment

[Adelaide9216]

Hello, has anyone here had a negative experience with Fulbright in relation to their physical and mental health assessment? (discrimination?) 

[Adelaide9216]

Hello, I am asking the question again. I would love to apply to Fullbright to do a research exchange in the US during my PhD. But I am afraid of being discriminated against when it comes to their health assessment. I live with mental illness, but have been stable for almost 10 years. I have read cases from Canadian students in other types of exchange programs who got their exchanges offers revoked from them after communicating that they had mental health diagnosis. One of those cases is even at the Commission of Rights and Freedoms from my province right now for discrimination.

Edited February 4, 2019 by Adelaide9216

[ecologaia]

Hey,  I am not sure, but I do think that you are able to choose the doctor that you go to see; Is there a doctor you can trust that you can ask about the questionnaire beforehand? I found a copy of an old one here: http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/documents/resources/Pre-Departure Medical.pdf

I do think there is more stigma and discrimination about mental health diagnoses in the US than in Quebec, but I am not sure to what degree nor how applied to Fulbright. If I glean any insights from past Fulbright friends that I can share along, I will do. I hope you apply!

[Adelaide9216]

57 minutes ago, ecologaia said:

Hey,  I am not sure, but I do think that you are able to choose the doctor that you go to see; Is there a doctor you can trust that you can ask about the questionnaire beforehand? I found a copy of an old one here: http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/documents/resources/Pre-Departure Medical.pdf

I do think there is more stigma and discrimination about mental health diagnoses in the US than in Quebec, but I am not sure to what degree nor how applied to Fulbright. If I glean any insights from past Fulbright friends that I can share along, I will do. I hope you apply!

I just PM'd you.

[aheather]

I was honest on mine about mental health issues and the grant was not revoked. I know other people who were similarly straightforward about anxiety and depression and were not discriminated against. I think they do want to see that you are addressing any issues you have, that you are in therapy (or physical therapy, or seeing a doc, etc), and that you haven't applied to put yourself in a situation where you won't have any access at all to things that make the world safer for you.

[Adelaide9216]

50 minutes ago, aheather said:

I was honest on mine about mental health issues and the grant was not revoked. I know other people who were similarly straightforward about anxiety and depression and were not discriminated against. I think they do want to see that you are addressing any issues you have, that you are in therapy (or physical therapy, or seeing a doc, etc), and that you haven't applied to put yourself in a situation where you won't have any access at all to things that make the world safer for you.

That’s reassuring.