Disability-Friendly Medical Schools

[leedleedlee]

I'm trying to compile a list of schools where it may be safe for disabled applicants to disclose/discuss their disabilities. Usually the rule of thumb appears to be that we should not disclose, but it seems some schools are starting to treat disabled applicants as "URM" and are actually interested in us. However, it's been really difficult for me to track down this information.

So far, schools I've found are below:

Penn State
Northwestern: Disability Advocacy Coalition in Medicine
University of Michigan: Medical Student Demographics
Rush: Disability Rights and Accommodations | Rush System (I like that they list specific examples of what they're doing to be accessible)
University of Pittsburgh: Areas of Concentration | Office of Medical Education, School of Medicine | University of Pittsburgh (one of their areas of concentration is disability medicine)
UCLA: Apparently they are one of very few med schools that has its own disability service coordinator

If anyone has any more useful links to add and any schools to add this list, please comment and I'll edit/add them! I am hoping this can become a resource that will help many disabled applicants seeking supportive schools to apply to and help us know if we are safe to disclose in secondaries.

Affinity group links are welcome as well as any official statements from the school. I feel statements from the school about how they use it in admissions or any other statements of friendliness/supportiveness with accommodations etc. will be more useful, but knowing that a school has a disability related affinity group is also definitely helpful!

Also, more disability info: Misconception, misinformation, and myths: Premed students with disabilities

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[Perlman123]

I really don't know much about this but I think by law they have to accomodate? And I'm not sure if the application even ask if you have disabilities. For the schools that accepted me, they just had me sign a form saying I can perform certain tasks, like staying over night or being in the clinic physically. If not they ask us to talk to the office of disabilities. I think it's more of an issue for residencies, like if you are visually impaired then ya they won't interview you for any surgical residencies.

sorry maybe I'm not being that helpful, but good luck on your search

 

[leedleedlee]

I really don't know much about this but I think by law they have to accomodate? And I'm not sure if the application even ask if you have disabilities. For the schools that accepted me, they just had me sign a form saying I can perform certain tasks, like staying over night or being in the clinic physically. If not they ask us to talk to the office of disabilities. I think it's more of an issue for residencies, like if you are visually impaired then ya they won't interview you for any surgical residencies.

sorry maybe I'm not being that helpful, but good luck on your search

Thanks! To explain- Yes, the form you're referring to is the technical standards. By law, schools do have to accommodate, but there are some limitations on that as set out by technical standards. In addition, there are a lot of significant difficulties with the ADA not actually being followed to the letter in practice at many medical schools. This is especially true for students who need less common forms of accommodation. There is also variability in how far a school will go to bat for its students when it comes to them receiving accommodations on standardized exams etc. It can be exceedingly difficult to access accommodations during medical training, far moreso than in other fields.

Disabilities are often discriminated against especially in admissions, however it can be a really useful insight to share with regard to any secondary essay questions which ask about adversity and resilience, diversity, etc. Some schools want to seek more disabled students but it's often illegal for them to ask so they have to rely on us to self-disclose, and it can be hard to figure out on our end when that is wise to do or not. For example, at University of Michigan disabled applicants are seen as URM and they actively recruit them like they do for Black, Latine, etc. applicants so it would be favorable to disclose to them. Meanwhile at a lot of other schools, disclosing disability can get you rejected. Hard to know which is which, so I'm trying to gather some more information on how different medical schools address it. Another goal of this post is just to identify which schools have more disability-related programming/research/organizations etc., as that may be a place some of us may be more interested in attending.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

We wrote this article too
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Students With Disabilities in Medical School - SDN and a Underrepresented in Healthcare forum too.

More attention is being paid on student wellness and success which includes helping students with disabilities. Not every school can be as explicit as the examples (good job!) so keep asking questions to student services staff. Find out if the services are run by the school or independent... there is a difference with dedicated resources vs concern about privacy.

Self-identifying as having a disability though is still challenging. You don't want to signal to future residency directors or peers that you have a disability if there remains a stigma in the culture of health care. Hopefully the school's diversity administrators can answer questions about how disabled students, faculty, or staff are welcomed and included.

That said, admissions cannot exclude you on disability status unless (people feel) you are unable to meet the technical standards and graduate. If you can succeed with accommodations, the disability is not disqualifying. If you are invited to an interview but require accommodations, you should request this assistance without prejudice. I think knowing what this process is across interviews, especially as many have gone virtual, should be part of your resource. Maybe something to help us with any new version for Interview Feedback.

 

[leedleedlee]

I was diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in medical school, which are usually invisible/asymptomatic these days (thanks Humira!) and other times have had an enormous impact on my day to day functioning. So I did not have to go through the medical school application process with this diagnosis. During the residency application process, I elected not to disclose because my symptoms had never been disabling up to that point and I was worried people would think I was sicker than I was. However, I was attentive to disability policies and such when I was interviewing, and the program I ended up at, my #1, had previously had a resident with an obvious physical disability and rebuilt some clinic rooms to accommodate his needs. Obviously not the same issue as I have, but showed me that the residency leadership was willing to work with and support people.

I unfortunately got sicker during residency to the point that some days I barely managed my daily activities and wound up admitted to the hospital at one point, and was very impressed with how my program handled everything. I did not have to make up work days from when I was in the hospital, and my attendings would encourage (and sometimes force) me to go home early or take it easy if they could tell I was feeling poorly. My faculty and coresidents, including the PD, visited me in the hospital and brought me flowers, good food once I was allowed to have it, activity books, etc. Heck one of the faculty even drove me to the ER at like 10:00 at night when I needed admitted and waited there with me until my mom arrived from several hours away. They offered to take me to and from work, bring me groceries, cover my inbox, cover my clinics, etc. Gave me plenty of time away from the office for doctors appointments and things after I was discharged. Made sure I didn't have to see COVID/flu patients while I was extra immunocompromised. I honestly was probably at risk of needing an LOA or graduating late if I had not had all of their support.

With this in mind I do wonder sometimes if medical school/residency applicants shouldn't just go ahead and disclose during the application process. Sure, you might get some schools who will turn you down as a result (technically illegal if you meet the technical standards, but let's be real....it happens.). But if that is their attitude, is that really somewhere you want to be if you hit a rough patch or need the school to work with you on accommodations? I feel like if you disclose while applying, you're more likely to hear back from school that are welcoming or even enthusiastic about students with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and more likely to have your back if things get hard. Obviously if that's a sacrifice you're willing to make, that's fine too, just something to think about.

Wow thanks so much for this! Your story was a breath of fresh air because I've met a lot of people who haven't been quite as lucky, and I'm really glad to hear that this is the kind of experience exists in some places. It sounds like your vetting method worked well.

I will have to consider what you say about disclosing. It would obviously be a lot easier to just talk freely and not censor myself about it, because I have a lot to say and it's relevant to some of my ECs but I have been repeatedly advised to not mention it, from like several sources too. One point that I've heard in response to the idea of "showing them the real me and then I'll find the place I really belong that way" was that the people reading and evaluating your application don't always necessarily know anything about the disability resources the school offers so they might be too quick to assume disabled applicants can't succeed there, or people who are ignorant about disabilities but that doesn't reflect that much on how the school itself is. For example, I know someone who faced a pretty ableist student interviewer but that doesn't mean the actual institution wouldn't support the applicant, though the experience did scare them away and probably dinged them on the interview evaluation. I attended a talk where an admissions dean at a medical school basically made this point. Unlike med school admissions, when you're applying for residency your application isn't scrutinized by quite so many different people so the attitudes of those reading it might be more reflective of how the program actually is. Does this make sense or am I just misunderstanding things?

Do you guys think I've just met an unusually unlucky sample? lol

 

[leedleedlee]

We wrote this article too
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Students With Disabilities in Medical School - SDN and a Underrepresented in Healthcare forum too.

More attention is being paid on student wellness and success which includes helping students with disabilities. Not every school can be as explicit as the examples (good job!) so keep asking questions to student services staff. Find out if the services are run by the school or independent... there is a difference with dedicated resources vs concern about privacy.

Self-identifying as having a disability though is still challenging. You don't want to signal to future residency directors or peers that you have a disability if there remains a stigma in the culture of health care. Hopefully the school's diversity administrators can answer questions about how disabled students, faculty, or staff are welcomed and included.

That said, admissions cannot exclude you on disability status unless (people feel) you are unable to meet the technical standards and graduate. If you can succeed with accommodations, the disability is not disqualifying. If you are invited to an interview but require accommodations, you should request this assistance without prejudice. I think knowing what this process is across interviews, especially as many have gone virtual, should be part of your resource. Maybe something to help us with any new version for Interview Feedback.

Thanks so much!!! I wasn't really sure what you mean by "Find out if the services are run by the school or independent... there is a difference with dedicated resources vs concern about privacy." What kind of resources/services are you referring to? Do you mean like the people who are in charge of supplying accommodations?

 

[sciencehistorian]

For those interested in learning more about some of the historical imprecisions in the ADA, the following might be informative: Wheels of Injustice: How Medical Schools Retained the Power to Discriminate Against Applicants in Wheelchairs in the Era of Disability Rights

 

[Med Ed]

Wow thanks so much for this! Your story was a breath of fresh air because I've met a lot of people who haven't been quite as lucky, and I'm really glad to hear that this is the kind of experience exists in some places. It sounds like your vetting method worked well.

I will have to consider what you say about disclosing. It would obviously be a lot easier to just talk freely and not censor myself about it, because I have a lot to say and it's relevant to some of my ECs but I have been repeatedly advised to not mention it, from like several sources too. One point that I've heard in response to the idea of "showing them the real me and then I'll find the place I really belong that way" was that the people reading and evaluating your application don't always necessarily know anything about the disability resources the school offers so they might be too quick to assume disabled applicants can't succeed there, or people who are ignorant about disabilities but that doesn't reflect that much on how the school itself is. For example, I know someone who faced a pretty ableist student interviewer but that doesn't mean the actual institution wouldn't support the applicant, though the experience did scare them away and probably dinged them on the interview evaluation. I attended a talk where an admissions dean at a medical school basically made this point. Unlike med school admissions, when you're applying for residency your application isn't scrutinized by quite so many different people so the attitudes of those reading it might be more reflective of how the program actually is. Does this make sense or am I just misunderstanding things?

Do you guys think I've just met an unusually unlucky sample? lol

Can you meet the technical standards of a given medical school with or without reasonable accommodation?

 

[leedleedlee]

Can you meet the technical standards of a given medical school with or without reasonable accommodation?

Yes

 

[Med Ed]

Yes

Part II: How do you know the proposed accommodation is reasonable for a given medical school?

 

[leedleedlee]

Part II: How do you know the proposed accommodation is reasonable for a given medical school?

I guess that's a good question. I'd say because they're pretty much the same accommodations every other school has approved for me for the last 13 years. And through knowing disabled med students and what accommodations they have. However, the more common problem I run into is that after they're approved they're sometimes not actually provided. As well as a lot of discrimination, hostile bigoted comments, etc. Threatening to withhold committee letter if I use accommodations on my MCAT. Booking quizzes to be proctored by the disability office and then when I show up they refuse to proctor it and so I have to take a 0 because they won't let me take the quiz. Forcing me to drop a class mid-semester because they retroactively changed their minds about accommodations they already approved me for in the beginning of the year. Dumb stuff like that which can really be pretty stressful. For reference, I had zero challenges getting my accommodations approved for the MCAT or any other standardized test. Usually the AAMC are harder to get by, but not in my case. My stuff is well documented, that's why. My challenge is just with the school. I'm traumatized by it all and want to choose a med school that celebrates disabled students or at least is more tolerant than this.

 

[Med Ed]

I guess that's a good question. I'd say because they're pretty much the same accommodations every other school has approved for me for the last 13 years. And through knowing disabled med students and what accommodations they have. However, the more common problem I run into is that after they're approved they're sometimes not actually provided. As well as a lot of discrimination, hostile bigoted comments, etc. Threatening to withhold committee letter if I use accommodations on my MCAT. Booking quizzes to be proctored by the disability office and then when I show up they refuse to proctor it and so I have to take a 0 because they won't let me take the quiz. Forcing me to drop a class mid-semester because they retroactively changed their minds about accommodations they already approved me for in the beginning of the year. Dumb stuff like that which can really be pretty stressful.

Are we talking exam-related accommodations or physical accommodations? The former are incredibly common in medical school, and typically just require extra time. That said, I have heard of students who need their exam questions read aloud to them, and I'm sure there are other exam-related accommodations that go beyond additional time.

The physical accommodations are sometimes a lot more complicated to contend with.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks so much!!! I wasn't really sure what you mean by "Find out if the services are run by the school or independent... there is a difference with dedicated resources vs concern about privacy." What kind of resources/services are you referring to? Do you mean like the people who are in charge of supplying accommodations?

Some universities like to consolidate all learning services resources in one office. Others allow individual programs/schools to have their own learning service resources. For a different example: if you have a problem with your course management program, do you have to go to university IT or does the school have its own IT office (depending on the problem)?

For mental health services, sometimes it is very convenient to have the office close to you at school, but people worry about being seen having to go into the counseling office by their classmates. If all the services are available on the undergrad campus away from you, you may not need to be as concerned on being seen.

 

[leedleedlee]

Are we talking exam-related accommodations or physical accommodations? The former are incredibly common in medical school, and typically just require extra time. That said, I have heard of students who need their exam questions read aloud to them, and I'm sure there are other exam-related accommodations that go beyond additional time.

The physical accommodations are sometimes a lot more complicated to contend with.

Exam-related as well as reasonable extensions on assignment deadlines. The accommodations I use are pretty common in that regard, though my need arguably stronger than the average student who receives such accommodations.

I also have autoimmune disease and I suspect I might need some type of sleep-related accommodation in the future.

 

[Med Ed]

Exam-related as well as reasonable extensions on assignment deadlines. The accommodations I use are pretty common in that regard, though my need arguably stronger than the average student who receives such accommodations.

I also have autoimmune disease and I suspect I might need some type of sleep-related accommodation in the future.

If I were you I would disclose during the application process. The worst possible outcome is that you are accepted, matriculate, and then find out that the accommodations you need will not be provided. This could happen in at least two ways: (1) the accommodations are deemed unreasonable, or (2) it is determined that providing the accommodations would fundamentally alter the education program in a negative way.

The pace of medical school is unforgiving, so having extensions on assignments may require a multi-year curricular deceleration. On clinical rotations you may be expected to take call and be on your feet in unpredictable environments for very long periods of time.

If you disclose up front and get accepted, the onus is on the school to get you through. If you don't and things become problematic later on, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation with no legal recourse.

 

[jumpingbean11]

From my experience applying this cycle, I would say Stanford, UCSF, and U Mich are also at the forefront of accessibility in medicine and treat it as an element of diversity.

I’ve been lucky to have a very successful cycle having made my disability the center of my application. This will be different for everyone, but I can confirm that many schools will value your experience, which gives me a lot of hope for the support available at schools who are making an effort in this realm

 

[FrederickMarx]

Thank you all for the info, I appreciate it.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Hmm.

If your sleep accomodation is something like "cannot work night shifts", even for a bona fide physical health condition...I have not heard very encouraging stories here. It is different, but I have heard tell of a medical school graduate that looked decent on paper but disclosed being bipolar and not being able to work night shifts. They didn't match. Also tales of autistic grads that either did VERY poorly or went unmatched due to self-disclosure, despite being OK on paper.

I would honestly go the route of disclosure, perhaps take a top-20-or-bust approach, and seriously, seriously reconsider whether a career in medicine is right for you. You will probably make a fine physician as long as your health conditions are under control. This being said, securing a residency if you are unable to work nights or must work a decelerated schedule will be problematic and having a big-name school behind you can only help you. That is the risk you take here. You might seek the advice of people like @Goro and @LizzyM as well as any other physicians on this board. Good luck with everything. I am sorry - I hope that I am wrong, and hope that things are better than I've described.

I would have a very frank conversation with your doctor and anyone else who can shed some light on the situation.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

If I were you I would disclose during the application process. The worst possible outcome is that you are accepted, matriculate, and then find out that the accommodations you need will not be provided. This could happen in at least two ways: (1) the accommodations are deemed unreasonable, or (2) it is determined that providing the accommodations would fundamentally alter the education program in a negative way.

The pace of medical school is unforgiving, so having extensions on assignments may require a multi-year curricular deceleration. On clinical rotations you may be expected to take call and be on your feet in unpredictable environments for very long periods of time.

If you disclose up front and get accepted, the onus is on the school to get you through. If you don't and things become problematic later on, you may find yourself in a very difficult situation with no legal recourse.

That is pretty bad. It would be at least as bad, if not worse, to get through medical training, perhaps earn an MD, and then be unable to secure a residency. If you didn't disclose in residency apps, you might run into problems and get booted; I don't know much how this works. If you do disclose, good luck getting a spot - even if you're a strong applicant on paper. I'd honestly disclose; getting rejected from medical school and pursuing Plan B is not the worst-case scenario here.