Being disabled and applying to med school- is there a point?

[luxetvoluptas]

I got hit with an aggressive case of transverse myelitis earlier this year and it has left me in a wheelchair and with limited use in one arm. I'm still pursuing physical and occupational therapy but I think I can acknowledge that therapy has it's limits and to accept that this may be how things are from now on.

I did everything right and pushed hard but the world pushed back. My GPA is still intact at a 4.0 as a philosophy/biochem major although I am out of school for this semester, and I have decent ECs (good volunteer hours, job, hobbies etc). I didn't account for something like this to happen. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future lately and I may have to look into pursuing other careers at this point. Someone said "I would look into other career fields if I were you tbh, no adcom would accept a crippled applicant since you'd just be a waste of a seat" to me and I think they have a point.

I would be limited in the specialities I could perform and clinic would be hard, even though it's 'illegal' discrimination is all too common and many schools would bar me after they saw me at an interview. This ordeal has been an eye opening learning experience for me and it just reconfirms that I can't really think of anything I'd rather do that would fulfill me as much as medicine would, to be able to help the world in an immediate and direct way, to lessen the suffering of others and to know more about the world. But maybe my seat would be better suited for someone able bodied.

But hey, at least I have this cool cupholder instead of legs. (It's cool, I can make funnies still)

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[jlh19]

Very sorry for what has happened to you, but they are wrong on everything. You are as competitive as ever. If being a physician is your dream, then keep going for it.

Edit: sorry meant to say they are wrong on everything, not you!


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[zygzy]

I am disabled too. Not that I am wheelchair bound, but I am permanently deaf in one ear and have a good bit of hearing loss in the other. Couple this with tinnitus and chronic headaches and I can very difficult to communicate with. Stethoscopes and basic clinical checkups are already giving me anxiety even though I don't start in the fall. I say this to lead to the way I was thinking during the application process. I thought that no school would want to spend time teaching a student with a half of a good ear, but they did. Ultimately let the adcoms figure it out for themselves, don't try to make the decision for them, before you even apply.

You are very intelligent, and it sounds like you have passion for medicine. So continue on and go for it if nothing else makes you happy. Don't place any limits on yourself, and prove it to the adcoms that you can do this. So apply like you were planning before all this happens, and continue on with your dreams.

 

[Terror Billy]

Yeah don’t give up on your dream, you’ve worked so hard to get this far quitting now would put all your hard work to waste. Just because you’re in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you cannot learn, and although it might be unlikely that you become an orthopedic surgeon, there’s no reason you cannot do any of the numerous other specialties.

**Also whoever said that to you should honestly go f@ck themselves.

 

[tantacles]

I got hit with an aggressive case of transverse myelitis earlier this year and it has left me in a wheelchair and with limited use in one arm. I'm still pursuing physical and occupational therapy but I think I can acknowledge that therapy has it's limits and to accept that this may be how things are from now on.

I did everything right and pushed hard but the world pushed back. My GPA is still intact at a 4.0 as a philosophy/biochem major although I am out of school for this semester, and I have decent ECs (good volunteer hours, job, hobbies etc). I didn't account for something like this to happen. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future lately and I may have to look into pursuing other careers at this point. Someone said "I would look into other career fields if I were you tbh, no adcom would accept a crippled applicant since you'd just be a waste of a seat" to me and I think they have a point.

I would be limited in the specialities I could perform and clinic would be hard, even though it's 'illegal' discrimination is all too common and many schools would bar me after they saw me at an interview. This ordeal has been an eye opening learning experience for me and it just reconfirms that I can't really think of anything I'd rather do that would fulfill me as much as medicine would, to be able to help the world in an immediate and direct way, to lessen the suffering of others and to know more about the world. But maybe my seat would be better suited for someone able bodied.

But hey, at least I have this cool cupholder instead of legs. (It's cool, I can make funnies still)

Whoever that someone is that told you you'd be a waste of a seat, you'd be best writing him/her off. If you're able to perform the tasks of medicine and learn the material, you're qualified. If you want to be a physician, push on. No one's going to advocate for you before you start advocating for yourself again.

 

[7331poas]

Whoever that someone is that told you you'd be a waste of a seat, you'd be best writing him/her off. If you're able to perform the tasks of medicine and learn the material, you're qualified. If you want to be a physician, push on. No one's going to advocate for you before you start advocating for yourself again.

The question here is whether he can perform the tasks of medicine....

I'd like to hear that addressed before going happy go lucky. Am I led to believe that OP will be doing surgeries with half an arm because he perseveres hard enough?

 

[Catalystik]

I got hit with an aggressive case of transverse myelitis earlier this year and it has left me in a wheelchair and with limited use in one arm. I'm still pursuing physical and occupational therapy but I think I can acknowledge that therapy has it's limits and to accept that this may be how things are from now on.

I did everything right and pushed hard but the world pushed back. My GPA is still intact at a 4.0 as a philosophy/biochem major although I am out of school for this semester, and I have decent ECs (good volunteer hours, job, hobbies etc). I didn't account for something like this to happen. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future lately and I may have to look into pursuing other careers at this point. Someone said "I would look into other career fields if I were you tbh, no adcom would accept a crippled applicant since you'd just be a waste of a seat" to me and I think they have a point.

I would be limited in the specialities I could perform and clinic would be hard, even though it's 'illegal' discrimination is all too common and many schools would bar me after they saw me at an interview. This ordeal has been an eye opening learning experience for me and it just reconfirms that I can't really think of anything I'd rather do that would fulfill me as much as medicine would, to be able to help the world in an immediate and direct way, to lessen the suffering of others and to know more about the world. But maybe my seat would be better suited for someone able bodied.

You might appreciate the positive and negative perspectives (and ideas of schools where you can apply) brought to this thread, started by a applicant with quadriplegia, who ultimately was accepted to Hopkins: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...tance-into-medical-school-please-help.529637/

 

[medic86]

The question here is whether he can perform the tasks of medicine....

I'd like to hear that addressed before going happy go lucky. Am I led to believe that OP will be doing surgeries with half an arm because he perseveres hard enough?

Eh?

You don't have to be capable of surgery to be a physician.

 

[dinotso]

I would imagine adcoms would be impressed to see someone overcome such an obstacle and still be passionate about medicine, and maybe even be a motivating factor for wanting to help others... With that being said you probably will be asked some valid questions about whether your physical limitations would stop you from performing basic medical duties (ie: the physical exam). I'd recommend checking out the technical standards of some medical schools online, to make sure you feel comfortable with what would be expected and what kind of things you might get asked about. Still, I think many places are willing to make some measure of accommodations.

 

[Lucca]

Hey OP, very sorry to hear about what has happened to you. I am a disabled biochemistry and philosophy major as well (small world) although my disability is invisible unlike yours.

First, you should check and double check the language of the physical requirements for medical school which can be found here. The physical requirements for medical school are not mysterious, they are publicly available. That document is from the University of Washington but all medical schools have virtually identical sets of requirements. The physical requirements are reproduced below in bullet points for convenience:

• General requirements: Observation and perception, sensory and tactile functions, fine and gross motor coordination, stamina
• Be able to take a history and perform a physical exam
• Be able to communicate with the patient
• Physical and emotional stamina
• Ability to adapt to quickly changing environments without warning

The physical requirements are listed in more detail in the linked document. Things you have to be able to do:

• perform within a reasonable time period appropriate to the patient care setting
• elicit information from patients by palpation, inspection, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers
• perform diagnostic or therapeutic procedures
• respond and perform with precise, quick, and appropriate action in emergency situations
• complete timed demonstrations of skills
• perform routine invasive procedures including the use of universal precautions to avoid posing risks to patients and the student such as venipuncture
• function in outpatient, inpatient, surgical, and other procedural venues
• perform in a reasonably independent and competent way in sometimes chaotic clinical environments

None of these require the use of your legs. I am not familiar with you personally so whether or not your hands can meet the requirements of the physical exam is a question left open for you and your therapist; however, people without the use of their hands have made it through by making good use of physician extenders, whether that be a tool or a midlevel provider in their practice. People with similar conditions have become physicians in the past.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/r...-to-be-doctor-comes-true/stories/201305190253 (quadriplegic graduates with M.D/PhD, also going into PM&R for residency)

http://www.ric.org/about/mediacenter/search-news/2014/allison-kessler-on-cbs-news/ (paraplegic PM&R doc)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...performs-surgery-thanks-stand-wheelchair.html (paraplegic ortho surgeon in Missouri)

This article may also be of use to you (and others questioning the ability of disabled applicants to meet physical requirements with reasonable accommodation) from the AMA Journal of Ethics on the barriers to medical school entry for disabled applicants.

http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2015/02/pfor2-1502.html

Side note: PM&R seems to be a popular specialty for disabled physicians! Not surprised at all by that, but it is cool that disabled physicians are going back to serve disabled folks and others with debilitating conditions.

Whether or not medicine is for you is a question for you and you alone to answer.However, can you become a physician? Based on the description you have provided us here and hoping that your therapy progresses well, I believe you definitely can. Whether or not you should disclose this on your application is a more complicated question. In my opinion, should you apply, do not disclose the disability. If people are going to raise doubts about your ability to perform then let them do it to your face at the interview where you can confront them with evidence to the contrary, to the fact that you are able to meet the requirements of the MD.

 

[JustAPhD]

You might appreciate the positive and negative perspectives (and ideas of schools where you can apply) brought to this thread, started by a applicant with quadriplegia, who ultimately was accepted to Hopkins: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...tance-into-medical-school-please-help.529637/

Wow, what a thread!

Below is a quote from the OP of Catalystik's linked thread, thought it may be helpful:

I received interview invites to Hopkins, UCSF, Tulane, Stanford, University of Wisconsin, NYU, USC, and University of Arizona, Tucson and Phoenix. I was rejected from Harvard, GWU, Yale, AECOM, and Wright State

He was also rejected from Wake, and he is an Arizona resident.

 

[Goro]

Very sorry to hear of your woes.

There are minimum technical standards that you have to be able to fulfill in order to be a doctor. As such, I would hold off applying until you are able to meet those standards. It's not discrimination to reject you if you can't meet those standards.

What's the use of applying, being accepted, and then having to ask for a deferment, if after a year of more therapy that you still don't meet those standards?

I got hit with an aggressive case of transverse myelitis earlier this year and it has left me in a wheelchair and with limited use in one arm. I'm still pursuing physical and occupational therapy but I think I can acknowledge that therapy has it's limits and to accept that this may be how things are from now on.

I did everything right and pushed hard but the world pushed back. My GPA is still intact at a 4.0 as a philosophy/biochem major although I am out of school for this semester, and I have decent ECs (good volunteer hours, job, hobbies etc). I didn't account for something like this to happen. I've been doing a lot of thinking about the future lately and I may have to look into pursuing other careers at this point. Someone said "I would look into other career fields if I were you tbh, no adcom would accept a crippled applicant since you'd just be a waste of a seat" to me and I think they have a point.

I would be limited in the specialities I could perform and clinic would be hard, even though it's 'illegal' discrimination is all too common and many schools would bar me after they saw me at an interview. This ordeal has been an eye opening learning experience for me and it just reconfirms that I can't really think of anything I'd rather do that would fulfill me as much as medicine would, to be able to help the world in an immediate and direct way, to lessen the suffering of others and to know more about the world. But maybe my seat would be better suited for someone able bodied.

But hey, at least I have this cool cupholder instead of legs. (It's cool, I can make funnies still)

 

[Goro]

As an aside, if the Adcom admitted you, then the school is obligated to accomodate you under the ADA! My own school has done so for visually and hearing impaired students.

I am disabled too. Not that I am wheelchair bound, but I am permanently deaf in one ear and have a good bit of hearing loss in the other. Couple this with tinnitus and chronic headaches and I can very difficult to communicate with. Stethoscopes and basic clinical checkups are already giving me anxiety even though I don't start in the fall. I say this to lead to the way I was thinking during the application process. I thought that no school would want to spend time teaching a student with a half of a good ear, but they did. Ultimately let the adcoms figure it out for themselves, don't try to make the decision for them, before you even apply.

You are very intelligent, and it sounds like you have passion for medicine. So continue on and go for it if nothing else makes you happy. Don't place any limits on yourself, and prove it to the adcoms that you can do this. So apply like you were planning before all this happens, and continue on with your dreams.

 

[7331poas]

Eh?

You don't have to be capable of surgery to be a physician.

I'm pretty sure you need to at least be able to use an arm...

 

[medic86]

I'm pretty sure you need to at least be able to use an arm...

????

She can use an arm.

 

[Mad Jack]

Eh?

You don't have to be capable of surgery to be a physician.

It would be difficult to survive a lot of internship rotations without at least possessing the ability to, say, suture. There's a lot of basic procedures out there that would be quite difficult without the use of both hands, from abscess drainage to simply draping a sterile field. I'm not saying this is an impossible case, just that there are certain things that might prove difficult in the training process. All that being said, there are plenty of procedure-free jobs out there, so after finishing residency, life would be fine.

 

[Montisumo]

There is no greater motivation to go into medicine than having gone through or currently going through an illness. What a story you will have for your personal statement and throughout your career. People like you who overcome adversity serve as inspiration to the world. You could turn your situation around into a wealth of motivation for yourself and many many more people by pursuing and achieving your visions regardless of your circumstances. Can you be a physician? Can you read and communicate? This isn't a profession that requires intense physical labor or genius to do well. There are so many specialties you can excel in.

 

[osckey]

I saw match day this year at my soon to be school. One of the students was wheelchair bound and matched into both surg and diagnostic radiology not to mention she had two children during medical school. It is certainly possible to be a physician.

 

[Mad Jack]

I saw match day this year at my soon to be school. One of the students was wheelchair bound and matched into both surg and diagnostic radiology not to mention she had two children during medical school. It is certainly possible to be a physician.

Op's trouble isn't being wheelchair bound, it is the limited mobility of one hand in addition to that. While not insurmountable, you aren't matching surgery with only one functional hand. Medical school can be overcome, however, it's just going to be a substantial challenge.

 

[amoebatt]

Please apply. I am a Physiatrist. In my residency, I had an attending physician who was a tetraplegic due to a diving accident while in undergrad. One of the best docs I could have trained under.

Also, the AMA has tasked the AAP (Association of Academic Physiatrists) with the job of rewriting the white papers on how medical students should be selected and what accommodations are reasonable for medical schools. The AAMC did this because it is well known that there is discrimination. It is our position as a group to support students with disabilities (of course, there are specifics that we will address in our paper) in their endeavor to become physicians. We encourage this as diversity is very important in medical education. We all learn things from peers who are not like ourselves. I suffered from a chronic illness during medical school. I think it is precisely this that has made me a passionate, actively involved practicioner. Patients would be missing out on a wonderful physician if folks like you and I were not allowed to practice. Do your homework and check which schools are most likely to treat your application fairly. I suggest University of Michigan. Good luck to you. It is not an easy road by any means, but finally at this point in my career, I am in a position to advocate for someone like you. It makes all of my struggles well worth it (and trust me, there were a lot)! Just remember to "pay it forward" when you get here! Good luck to you!

 

[amoebatt]

I'm pretty sure you need to at least be able to use an arm...

I don't know this person's disability completely, but with the assistance of a good Physiatrist (Spinal Cord Injury Specialist) and a great Orthotist, there are many assistive devices that can be fabricated to help meet your needs. Look into options at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Northwestern (one of the best in the country for these things).

 

[amoebatt]

Very sorry to hear of your woes.

There are minimum technical standards that you have to be able to fulfill in order to be a doctor. As such, I would hold off applying until you are bale to meet those standards. It's not discrimination to reject you if you can't meet those standards.

What's the use of applying, being accepted, and then having to ask for a deferment, if after a year of more therapy that you still don't meet those standards?

Yes, however the minimal technical standards can be adjusted on a case by case basis, based on the student's disability and field they have chosen to specialize in. Does a Psychiatrist have to be able to throw a stitch? This is precisely the kind of thing that is being addressed this year. The work is being performed by The Medical Student Educator's Council of the AAP (Association of Academic Physiatrists). The new white papers will be presented at the conference in Feb 2017 in Puerto Rico. I am looking for an assistant to help me as I review the current literature. Pre-med students (as well as others at any other level) are welcome to send me their CV.

 

[Goro]

Indeed. And if blind or quadriplegics can become doctors, it may be that the sky's the limit!

Yes, however the minimal technical standards can be adjusted on a case by case basis, based on the student's disability and field they have chosen to specialize in. Does a Psychiatrist have to be able to throw a stitch? This is precisely the kind of thing that is being addressed this year. The work is being performed by The Medical Student Educator's Council of the AAP (Association of Academic Physiatrists). The new white papers will be presented at the conference in Feb 2017 in Puerto Rico. I am looking for an assistant to help me as I review the current literature. Pre-med students (as well as others at any other level) are welcome to send me their CV.

 

[amoebatt]

You have a tremendous spirit!

Very sorry to hear of your woes.

There are minimum technical standards that you have to be able to fulfill in order to be a doctor. As such, I would hold off applying until you are able to meet those standards. It's not discrimination to reject you if you can't meet those standards.

What's the use of applying, being accepted, and then having to ask for a deferment, if after a year of more therapy that you still don't meet those standards?

 

[Gastrapathy]

Are you willing to be a physiatrist, psychiatrist, radiologist, pathologist, radiation oncologist? There's probably other specialties I'm not thinking of off the top of my head. It's not school that's the issue, it's the longterm life you're choosing. You don't want a job that you can't do for your own sake but there are a lot of jobs in medicine and you are still in a position to pick a good one for you.

For the student with hearing loss, there are electronic stethoscopes that will work for you.

 

[jebelali]

I admire your spirit. I was in your same position with an invisible disability three years ago. I started losing mobility in my fingers and the most normal tasks (running, cooking, adjusting a zipper) became tedious. I worried what it meant to my future self. I had to give up on my bench research due to lack of reasonable support from the institution for accommodation. I asked if it was better off for me and my future patients that I don't go down that road to med school and i convinced myself that it was. I stopped thinking about the MCAT, and started looking into alternate careers. Optometrist? Teacher? Anything else. Then, after 2 years my hand got better and I started to take responsibility for myself. I was determined to at least take the MCAT and prove to myself I can still excel. Guess what? I did. I applied and didn't mention my disability for fear that I will be selected against. I didn't get in. Self-doubt told me maybe it was fate. After allowing myself to wallow for two weeks, I applied again. I didn't mention my disability in my personal statement although it made all the difference in motivating me to pursue medicine again. I was a patient first and I knew what it felt like to be treated as a set of symptoms. I "looked fine". I thought about writing about the driving force for the sudden change in my academic record from PhD to MSc due to the diagnosis. I didn't. I didn't want to be rejected because they thought I didn't have what it takes. Did I cost myself an interview and acceptance at some schools? Certainly. This was a red flag. But not everyone had a problem with it. I got multiple acceptances and 10 interviews this cycle. I am accepted to schools that align with my own values of patient care. I am going to be a doctor. Am I gonna be an ophthalmologist like I wanted? Maybe. Doubtful. I still struggle with fine motor function. But I can be someone who my patients can trust because I know that just because they "look fine" doesn't mean they don't struggle with the most ordinary of tasks.

OP, please don't give up. It's easy to say the seat would be wasted on you. It's not.

 

[elGonzoo]

Eh?

You don't have to be capable of surgery to be a physician.

Yes, this is definitely a big non-truth most pre-meds think. I'm not very good with my hands, so I was worried as well. There are some tasks that you'll need to do with you're upper body that may be issues, but schools will definitely modify if you're unable to.

There will definitely be some fields that this OP must rule out, but not everyone is going to be a surgeon anyway. Other than that, you can easily find ways to turn your disability into an advantage.

 

[Azete]

I think the technical standards are pretty bogus if you ask me. Why can't someone enter medicine with the intent to be a psychiatrist, radiologist, or pathologist? Someone like OP obviously wouldn't be performing "routine" procedures or physicals, nor entering a specialty that requires them, so why is it a big deal if he learns how to or not.

Worst case scenario is he doesn't match into any specialty he's suited for and he can use his MD/DO to work on the business side and be a consultant to a healthcare-related company.

 

[Mansamusa]

Hey OP!

Just found this: and thought of you. Good luck with everything (It looks like this student cannot walk or move his fingers)

 

[WildWing]

OP - SDN just posted an interview on our YouTube channel with The Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science and Medical Education. Here's the link:




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[deleted367183]

Hello--on the off chance you're still following this thread, I talk a lot about my experience here: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...-applicant-in-my-30s-ask-me-anything.1047394/. I hope this is helpful. Best of luck to you!