Disclosing past substance use in medical and dental school applications could hurt admissions prospects, study finds
More than 4 in 5 physicians and dentists believe applicants who disclose a history of substance use on medical or dental school applications risk hurting their chances of admission, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The findings, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, provide the first empirical evidence of how health care professionals perceive the admissions consequences of revealing a history of substance use or recovery.
Although medical and dental school applications do not ask about substance use history, applicants are often encouraged to discuss personal hardships or transformative experiences in their personal statements.
For applicants in recovery, deciding whether to disclose that history can be difficult, particularly in a profession where substance use disorders affect an estimated 10% to 12% of physicians during their careers. Yet until now, no published study had examined how physicians and dentists believe such disclosures might affect an applicant's chances of admission.
"Applicants in recovery often face a difficult decision about whether to disclose an important part of their personal history," said Rae Chang, lead author who conducted this research at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health as an undergraduate student at Columbia.
"Because stigma surrounding substance use remains widespread in health care, we wanted to understand how physicians and dentists believe those disclosures are likely to be received during the admissions process—and whether framing recovery as a source of motivation for pursuing a health care career changes those perceptions."
Researchers surveyed 1,240 physicians and dentists nationwide—including 349 emergency medicine physicians, 506 primary care physicians and 385 dentists—using a nationally representative sample drawn from the American Medical Association and American Dental Association.
The researchers found that:
- 82.5% of respondents believed that disclosing a history of substance use would pose a moderate or significant risk to an applicant's chances of admission.
- Even when applicants described their recovery as a motivating factor for pursuing medicine or dentistry, 50% still believed the disclosure carried moderate or significant admissions risk.
- Respondents who reported having a friend or patient with a history of substance use were more likely than their colleagues to perceive disclosure as risky.
The study measured health care providers' perceptions of the admissions climate rather than the decisions of admissions committees themselves. Even so, the findings suggest that concerns about stigma remain deeply embedded within the health care professions.
"Whether or not these perceptions reflect actual admissions decisions, they reveal a widespread belief among physicians and dentists that disclosing a history of substance use carries professional risk," said Lisa R. Metsch, dean of the School of General Studies at Columbia University, professor of Sociomedical Sciences and a co-author of the study.
"That perception alone may discourage applicants from sharing an experience that has profoundly shaped their lives and their commitment to caring for others."
The findings also point to broader challenges surrounding stigma in health care. People with substance use disorders often experience discrimination when seeking medical care, and stigma has long been recognized as a barrier to treatment and recovery.
The researchers say reducing stigma within the health care professions is essential not only for supporting future physicians and dentists in recovery but also for building a workforce equipped to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for patients with substance use disorders.
"These findings extend beyond the admissions process," said James Colgrove, professor and interim chair of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, dean of the Postbaccalaureate and Premedical Program at the Columbia School of General Studies and co-author.
"They underscore the need to address stigma throughout health care education and practice so that individuals with lived experience of recovery are not discouraged from entering the professions—and so that all patients receive respectful, high-quality care."
Publication details
Rachel Chang et al, Risk Perceptions of Substance Use Recovery Disclosure in Medical School Applications: A National Sample of Physicians and Dentists, Journal of General Internal Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s11606-026-10233-9
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Citation: Disclosing past substance use in medical and dental school applications could hurt admissions prospects, study finds (2026, July 29) retrieved 30 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-disclosing-substance-medical-dental-school.html
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