Risk Perceptions of Substance Use Recovery Disclosure in Medical School Applications: A National Sample of Physicians and Dentists
Physicians and dentists overall perceive high risk for adverse admissions outcomes when applicants disclose their past substance use in their medical and dental school applications. This risk is lessened yet remains prominent when the experience is framed as part of the applicant's professional motivation. This may reflect a certain persistence of stigma among physicians and dentists toward people with a history of substance use.
Authors
- Petra Jacobs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1259-2480)
- James Colgrove (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6684-0469)
- Daniel J. Feaster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6172-7460)
- Margaret Pereyra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7200-8771)
- Nicholas Ganek
- Carrigan Leigh Parish (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2597-1850)
- Harold A. Pollack
- Viviana E. Horigian
- Rachel Chang
- Lisa R. Metsch
Institutions
- Tulane University (US)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (US)
- University of Miami (US)
- Chicago Department of Public Health (US)
- National Institute on Aging (US)
- Columbia University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of General Internal Medicine
- Published
- 2026-03-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-026-10233-9
- Primary Topic
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University