New Report Explores the State of Medical Education for Learners with Disabilities
By: Neera R. Jain, Policy Advisor, Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science and Medical Education; Doctoral Candidate, University of Auckland, Faculty of Education and Social Work
In March 2018, the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), published a new report, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Action in Medical Education: Lived Experiences of Learners and Physicians with Disabilities. Based on qualitative research, the report explores the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities navigating medical education.
I served as co-Principle Investigator for the study and co-author of this report with Dr. Lisa Meeks, University of Michigan Medical School and Institute for Health Policy and Innovation. Our research team included Stacy Jones, a medical student at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Mijiza Sanchez, Associate Dean at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Alice Wong at Disability Visibility Project©. Together we conducted interviews with 47 medical students, residents, and physicians to explore the factors that create barriers to medical education and mechanisms that support learners, and solicited best practices that would inform recommendations for improving medical education for those with disabilities.
The report offers major themes across the experiences of those interviewed and lay out the ways structures, culture, and climate in academic medicine can generate barriers and supports to education. Identified barriers include:
- Uninformed disability service providers
- Lack of clear policies and procedures
- Lack of access to knowledge about nuanced clinical accommodations and assistive technology
- Lack of access to other meaningful accommodations
- Failure to publicize technical standards and to provide information on accessing accommodations
- Technical standards that do not reflect current technology and other developments in medical practice
- Lack of access to health care and wellness supports
We found that some practices are more conducive to supporting learners with disabilities, including:
- Access to appropriate accommodations
- Ease in accessing accommodations
- Knowledge of clinical accommodations and medical education among disability service providers
- Encouragement of personal networks and student organizations
The culture and climate of medical schools affected learners greatly, imposing barriers such as stereotypes and stigma, negative peer attitudes, and restricted views of disability leading to learners being counseled out of specialties. Culture and climate elements that tend to support students include openness to disability in admissions, peer support networks and physician mentors, and a top-down commitment to diversity.
While those of us who work closely with medical students may not be surprised by these findings, we believe that this report will be of use as a tool of change for disability service providers working with medical schools. We hope that the report can spark discussions with students, faculty, and administrators on your campus. In the report we offer considerations and promising practices to guide work to improve the climate for learners with disabilities, as well as resources to support your work going forward. We also offer considerations to foster a culture that is welcoming and inclusive of learners with disabilities, emphasizing professional development, awareness, and openness.
To view the full report, click here.
If you are interested in advancing your skills in this area, you may be interested in attending the upcoming AHEAD Master Class “Advanced Practices for Disability Services in Health Sciences.”