Does your school let ppl with disabilities or learning difficulties attend?

[alysp13751]

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I was reading my school booklet because I start my second semester on monday, and flipping over the pages I looked at the applying requirements. It says straight up if you have dyslexia you cant apply or any kind of physical or mental illness. Also you have to hand in negative tests of HIV and hepatitis? Is this normal? I do remember thinking the HIV had some logic, since we will be handling needles and scalpels, but dyslexia? I am kind of shocked

 

[cbrons]

I was reading my school booklet because I start my second semester on monday, and flipping over the pages I looked at the applying requirements. It says straight up if you have dyslexia you cant apply or any kind of physical or mental illness. Also you have to hand in negative tests of HIV and hepatitis? Is this normal? I do remember thinking the HIV had some logic, since we will be handling needles and scalpels, but dyslexia? I am kind of shocked

Hm I didn't know they could screen people for HIV, thought it was against the law.

 

[alysp13751]

Hm I didn't know they could screen people for HIV, thought it was against the law.

Well this is not in the US, Im sure the law is different there, but I am really surprised about this. I just do not know where they draw the line for admissions? if someone is overweight, or has depression? it is very confusing

 

[Rollo]

Well this is not in the US, Im sure the law is different there, but I am really surprised about this. I just do not know where they draw the line for admissions? if someone is overweight, or has depression? it is very confusing

You answered your own question there, chief.

Now can we move this over to International Forum please? Since none of the criteria you listed are, by law, allowed to be used to bar applicants from applying to medical school in US.

 

[Law2Doc]

I was reading my school booklet because I start my second semester on monday, and flipping over the pages I looked at the applying requirements. It says straight up if you have dyslexia you cant apply or any kind of physical or mental illness. Also you have to hand in negative tests of HIV and hepatitis? Is this normal? I do remember thinking the HIV had some logic, since we will be handling needles and scalpels, but dyslexia? I am kind of shocked

if you are talking about a US program, the dyslexia statement doesnt sound accurate. If you can pass standardized tests, your dyslexia is your own business. They can, however, indicate that the accommodations they make for such a condition will be the legal minimum. As for hepatitis, they clearly ask for proof of Hep B vaccination or titers. Hep c and HIV are likely controversial topics because the hospital has high liability if you nick yourself in the OR and infect a patient, while at the same time most state laws limit the ability to force someone to even be tested.

 

[Law2Doc]

Well this is not in the US, Im sure the law is different there, but I am really surprised about this. I just do not know where they draw the line for admissions? if someone is overweight, or has depression? it is very confusing

Every nation has it's own laws on this. Some offshore places put no limits on what their schools can use as a basis of discrimination. If they want to bar you for dyslexia or HIV or even an overbite they can. As such it's not really a debatable topic.

 

[Abby_Normal]

The usual standard in the US, I think, is that there are certain technical standards (I think that's the right term?) that you have to meet, and as long as you meet those, it's fine. I think some European schools require a doctor's note attesting to your ability to successfully complete the course.

I've never heard of anywhere that flat-out bans people with any sort of disability/illness, but anything is possible.

 

[CaptainSSO]

Yea, not in the US. If I recall there was even a blind man who was completing *some* type of surgical residency.

Edit: Can't find the article now. It sounds preposterous, but I swear I remember reading it. It was like some type of honorary training or something.

 

[dr zaius]

There was a guy in pre-allo back in like 2008 that was wheelchair bound and had pretty limited upper body muscle control. He got in to quite a few schools, though I have no idea how he could even come close to performing an adequate physical exam. He was also a complete douche and wouldn't shut up about how much better of a doctor he would be than everyone else because of his condition.

 

[pkwraith]

UW had a blind medical student a couple years ago. They had to make a lot of adjustments for him.

 

[VenusinFurs]

There was a guy in pre-allo back in like 2008 that was wheelchair bound and had pretty limited upper body muscle control. He got in to quite a few schools, though I have no idea how he could even come close to performing an adequate physical exam. He was also a complete douche and wouldn't shut up about how much better of a doctor he would be than everyone else because of his condition.

He could do something like radiology or path pretty easily.

 

[dr zaius]

He could do something like radiology or path pretty easily.

Very true, but I feel like any rotation requiring dexterity would be impossible.

 

[Rollo]

Yea, not in the US. If I recall there was even a blind man who was completing *some* type of surgical residency.

Edit: Can't find the article now. It sounds preposterous, but I swear I remember reading it. It was like some type of honorary training or something.

Are you talking about the blind guy who ultimately went into psychiatry?

 

[Smurfette]

Are you talking about the blind guy who ultimately went into psychiatry?

Yes, that's who they mean. And he did go into psychiatry, not anything surgical. He's an MD/PhD and has multiple accommodations (and sighted assistants) to allow him to function as a physician.

 

[alysp13751]

You answered your own question there, chief.

Now can we move this over to International Forum please? Since none of the criteria you listed are, by law, allowed to be used to bar applicants from applying to medical school in US.

I did not know that I should post this question in the international forum? I was curious about other peoples schools regardless of where they are. I mean I can see the logic in some of the requirements but I think it is difficult to draw the line and to respect applicants privacy with all that information. I have an eating disorder and thank god I did not say anything about it in my personal statement after knowing this.

 

[valkener]

It all depends on the severity of a disability. We have some students with strabismus, one is very severe. Most of us won't be able to understand how much it takes to overcome even minor disabilities let alone blindness or immobility. These students are inspiring and my heroes.