SEAS - Long term illness

[Graphite]

Hi guys,

I suffer from a long term illness and wondering how I can provide supporting documents? Is there a document I can print out so that my specialist can approve? I don't really know whether he can be bothered wasting time writing a whole letter to explain my condition to be honest..

[cohen]

I also have a long term illness, and apparently, you need to get a doctors letter or something similar to that explaining the condition.

[Gloamglozer]

You would be applying for "Category 5: Disability of medical condition".

Basically, you need to provide two things:

1.  Impact statement.
2.  Statement of support (which would be from a medical professional).

Impact statement

Applicants are required to submit a statement of up to 2000 characters (not words) describing their disability/medical condition and how these condition(s) have affected their education.

Statement of support (**)

Applicants who have experienced a medical condition, illness, or disability whether it is learning, physical, sensory, or psychiatric in nature must provide details of the condition and the period in which the condition was experienced. To do this, applicants must provide a statement of support from the relevant health care professional involved in the care and/or maintenance of the condition, illness, or disability.

The health care professional should include details about absences from learning (if applicable) and how the condition adversely affected academic performance.

http://www.vtac.edu.au/seas/categories/category5.html

[Graphite]

Yup, I have read that but I am still unsure what am I supposed to say to him as his quite a busy man, I'm not sure if he has time to write a letter and plus his probably unsure what all this SEAS is all about. Also with this statement "Institutions that recognise this category with no additional requirements" what additional requirements do they mean?

[Gloamglozer]

You might have to make an appointment with him.  Explain to him that you are applying for tertiary courses and that you believe that you have grounds to also apply for special consideration.  Part of the process of applying is that he needs to be your "support person" and kindly ask him if he's willing to be that person. 

Then you need to tell him that he needs to write a letter detailing your condition, how it has affected your education and why it has made you absent from classes (if applicable).

The statement means that those institutions just require the impact statement and the statement of support. 

[Russ]

Yup, I have read that but I am still unsure what am I supposed to say to him as his quite a busy man, I'm not sure if he has time to write a letter

If a specialist you see privately says he's too busy to do it, I'd be finding a new specialist pretty quickly (as in I literally would, I also see one). Even if you're seeing him through a public hospital clinic, many will (and should) be willing to write a letter - several hospitals keep impact statements on file for clinicians to adapt. If all else fails, write your own statement (so it says exactly what you want) and take it to a GP to sign. I've done this several times, they're always happy because it's a quick and easy consultation