Going to med school with a service dog?

[california_poppyseed]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
Question is what it says on the tin. I have an invisible disability I was hospitalized for a couple years ago and since then we got my service dog. She's amazing and professionally trained of course, and she's integral to my functioning. She's really saved my life a couple of times.
My question is how do I apply for med school and all that with a servie dog? I'm really nervous about being discriminated against, even though I know it's illegal under the ADA, it's never stopped people before from disrespecting us or anything like that.
How would interviews and accomodations work?
Thanks guys so much! Please be kind :')

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[DarkBluMage]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
Question is what it says on the tin. I have an invisible disability I was hospitalized for a couple years ago and since then we got my service dog. She's amazing and professionally trained of course, and she's integral to my functioning. She's really saved my life a couple of times.
My question is how do I apply for med school and all that with a servie dog? I'm really nervous about being discriminated against, even though I know it's illegal under the ADA, it's never stopped people before from disrespecting us or anything like that.
How would interviews and accomodations work?
Thanks guys so much! Please be kind :')

What accommodations are you looking for? I would check the technical standards for medical school admission to make sure you’re able to function in a medical school environment before spending money on applications. There may be situations that wouldn’t allow for a service animal during your medical school education.

 

[california_poppyseed]

What accommodations are you looking for? I would check the technical standards for medical school admission to make sure you’re able to function in a medical school environment before spending money on applications. There may be situations that wouldn’t allow for a service animal during your medical school education.

Well, she is my multipurpose medical alert + psychiatric service dog. So I'd rather have her with me at all times. Obviously too I can't just be running around for hours without giving her bathroom breaks or stuff too. I've seen another post here about an M2 student with a service dog and it seems like they've been running pretty smoothly. Though I'm not entirely sure what accomodations I'd need, per se, I haven't looked that far into it yet.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I’ve never seen them in a hospital setting (ie where rotations will be) but maybe it’s just not very common and therefore rare to see

 

[DarkBluMage]

I’ve never seen them in a hospital setting (ie where rotations will be) but maybe it’s just not very common and therefore rare to see

Yea I’m not sure if service animals are allowed on rotations. I’ve never heard of it. I could see them being allowed during preclinicals since that’s easily accommodated since it’s mostly classroom work but it’s definitely an interesting question for after the first 2 years if they need the animal with them at all times.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm having a hard time imagining a service dog belonging to a medical student or physician in a delivery room, operating room, or a patient bay in the emergency department. Have you volunteered or worked in a clinical setting? Have you shadowed physicians (in person, not virtually)? Did you have your dog with you for those encounters?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Schools and employers are legally required to accommodate your service animal if possible. The bar for refusing is very high -- they must prove it's impossible.

Many hospitals have pet therapy programs where well behaved dogs come and visit patients. If so, there's no reason your service animal can't be on the inpatient wards also. Even if not, they would have to prove that your service animal posed an unacceptable real risk.

There certainly could be problems. If a patient is highly allergic to dogs, for example. And it's likely that they will refuse to allow your dog into the OR with good reason (since you can't mask your dog)

Much depends upon whether you can do the work with the accommodation. You'd need to be able to do all of the work required of a student / resident. If because of your disability / need for a service animal you can only work half as fast as someone else, that would be a reason to refuse your request. Or if, even with your service animal, your disability impacts your ability to function.

There have been blind medical students. Patients with service animals can bring them into the hospital. You will be able to also. Don't expect it to be easy, but it can be done.

 

[gyngyn]

Schools and employers are legally required to accommodate your service animal if possible.

"If reasonable" is the standard we have been advised to uphold.

 

[DarkBluMage]

Schools and employers are legally required to accommodate your service animal if possible. The bar for refusing is very high -- they must prove it's impossible.

Many hospitals have pet therapy programs where well behaved dogs come and visit patients. If so, there's no reason your service animal can't be on the inpatient wards also. Even if not, they would have to prove that your service animal posed an unacceptable real risk.

There certainly could be problems. If a patient is highly allergic to dogs, for example. And it's likely that they will refuse to allow your dog into the OR with good reason (since you can't mask your dog)

Much depends upon whether you can do the work with the accommodation. You'd need to be able to do all of the work required of a student / resident. If because of your disability / need for a service animal you can only work half as fast as someone else, that would be a reason to refuse your request. Or if, even with your service animal, your disability impacts your ability to function.

There have been blind medical students. Patients with service animals can bring them into the hospital. You will be able to also. Don't expect it to be easy, but it can be done.

Wouldn’t blindness violate the technical standards?

 

[gyngyn]

Wouldn’t blindness violate the technical standards?

It would depend on the school's technical standards.

 

[NITRAS]

“Integral” to your functioning was your words. Regardless, there will be times when you will have to be be away from the animal because it is beyond reasonable accommodation.

If you that sick to need a service animal, you don’t sound well enough to go through medical school and residency.

 

[Goro]

Well, she is my multipurpose medical alert + psychiatric service dog. So I'd rather have her with me at all times. Obviously too I can't just be running around for hours without giving her bathroom breaks or stuff too. I've seen another post here about an M2 student with a service dog and it seems like they've been running pretty smoothly. Though I'm not entirely sure what accomodations I'd need, per se, I haven't looked that far into it yet.

Just seeing that sends my radar off. How will you be able to handle the furnace of medical school?

 

[cranberrylimeade]

FinnanTheGoldie on tiktok and IG is a service dog who's owner is in med school!

 

[gyngyn]

FinnanTheGoldie on tiktok and IG is a service dog who's owner is in med school!

Having a service animal is not exclusion criteria for medical school.

 

[california_poppyseed]

Just seeing that sends my radar off. How will you be able to handle the furnace of medical school?

Hey, I just want to let you know I am not ashamed of having psychiatric issues. I have been through a lot in my life but I work hard and I can perform just as well as any other students. I think it's unfair if we are trying to be providers and assume just because someone has been through things that now means they need extra help means that they aren't capable as anyone else. Please be kind.

 

[california_poppyseed]

FinnanTheGoldie on tiktok and IG is a service dog who's owner is in med school!

Thank you so much!!!

 

[california_poppyseed]

“Integral” to your functioning was your words. Regardless, there will be times when you will have to be be away from the animal because it is beyond reasonable accommodation.

If you that sick to need a service animal, you don’t sound well enough to go through medical school and residency.

I would like to gently remind you that that is casual ableism. There are many different kinds of disabilities that impact folks in different ways. I've made it all through my undergrad without hiccups and I will continue to work hard and be the best provider I can. I can obviously leave her for a while but I'd prefer not to.

 

[california_poppyseed]

Schools and employers are legally required to accommodate your service animal if possible. The bar for refusing is very high -- they must prove it's impossible.

Many hospitals have pet therapy programs where well behaved dogs come and visit patients. If so, there's no reason your service animal can't be on the inpatient wards also. Even if not, they would have to prove that your service animal posed an unacceptable real risk.

There certainly could be problems. If a patient is highly allergic to dogs, for example. And it's likely that they will refuse to allow your dog into the OR with good reason (since you can't mask your dog)

Much depends upon whether you can do the work with the accommodation. You'd need to be able to do all of the work required of a student / resident. If because of your disability / need for a service animal you can only work half as fast as someone else, that would be a reason to refuse your request. Or if, even with your service animal, your disability impacts your ability to function.

There have been blind medical students. Patients with service animals can bring them into the hospital. You will be able to also. Don't expect it to be easy, but it can be done.

Thanks for your extensive reply.
I don't expect anything to be handed easy. I've been disabled for a while and I've faced enough adversary with ableism and such that I know that a lot of people don't think I'm capable, but I'm excited to keep pushing forward and working hard to fulfill my dreams and to prove to others it can be done.

 

[california_poppyseed]

I'm having a hard time imagining a service dog belonging to a medical student or physician in a delivery room, operating room, or a patient bay in the emergency department. Have you volunteered or worked in a clinical setting? Have you shadowed physicians (in person, not virtually)? Did you have your dog with you for those encounters?

I worked as an EMT on the rig and I was able to leave her at home for my 12 hour shifts. I usually feel okay when I work and I just try to power through, but in daily life I tend to struggle in that. My brother is also M4 and my dad is a doctor, I've done lots of clinical work with them without any issues.

 

[Goro]

Hey, I just want to let you know I am not ashamed of having psychiatric issues. I have been through a lot in my life but I work hard and I can perform just as well as any other students. I think it's unfair if we are trying to be providers and assume just because someone has been through things that now means they need extra help means that they aren't capable as anyone else. Please be kind.

I don't expect you to be ashamed. But as someone who's been teaching medical students for >20 years, I know that the biggest reason for medical students to withdraw, be dismissed, or take a leave of absence is due to mental health issues. Medical school is not undergrad, and in fact, it can worsen preexisting mental illness.

And crying ableism is not a defense. There are technical standards to Medicine, and you need to have them. Go to this with eyes open.

 

[california_poppyseed]

I don't expect to be ashamed. But if somebody who's been teaching medical students for 20 years plus, I know that the biggest cause of our students to Dropout, be dismissed, or take a leave of absence is due to mental health issues. Medical school is not undergrad.

And crying ableism is not a defense. They're technical standards to Medicine, and you need to have them. Going to this with eyes open

I think if you'd been teaching medical students for 20 years you might be more amenable to being compassionate and empathetic toward students who have special medical needs. I don't expect to be handed success like candy. I've struggled, literally bled and almost died for my dream for med school a few times. Nothing will stop me from pursuing my dreams and goals. If you asked someone 40 years ago about a transgender student or a student in a wheelchair if they would be able to go through med school I'm sure many people would have objections. Times are changing and it's time to embrace diversity and success in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

 

[Goro]

I think if you'd been teaching medical students for 20 years you might be more amenable to being compassionate and empathetic toward students who have special medical needs. I don't expect to be handed success like candy. I've struggled, literally bled and almost died for my dream for med school a few times. Nothing will stop me from pursuing my dreams and goals. If you asked someone 40 years ago about a transgender student or a student in a wheelchair if they would be able to go through med school I'm sure many people would have objections. Times are changing and it's time to embrace diversity and success in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Again, this is not about being dispassionate or not being sympathetic. It's about being realistic, because I've seen the Damage Done.

And whataboutisms are not a defense.

 

[california_poppyseed]

Again, this is not about being dispassionate or not being sympathetic. It's about being realistic, because I've seen the Damage Done.

And whataboutisms are not a defense.

Well, it seems like other people in the thread seem to think its doable and the person from tiktok is a very real example of how folks manage to cope and get by. I've seen another thread here about another person with a SD who did their clinicals with their pupper and it went fine. So I expect it won't be easy, but that's a given.
I think you are getting a little too upset over this. I'm not sure as to what defense you are referring to. I'm just being honest with you. It's not easy and it won't be, but I don't expect anything less. I'm not sure if you intend your negativity to deter me.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I would also try to envision what working as a resident or attending would be like. I’m not sure a ton of patients would be comfortable with a dog there. Of course, if you are fine with being away from the dog this likely wouldn’t be an issue. I empathize with the situation, but the patient usually needs to come first in these situations.

I’m sure that certain specialties (any surgery, anesthesiology, OB/Gyn, EM) would be off the table if the dog is needed in the clinical settings

 

[DarkBluMage]

I worked as an EMT on the rig and I was able to leave her at home for my 12 hour shifts. I usually feel okay when I work and I just try to power through, but in daily life I tend to struggle in that. My brother is also M4 and my dad is a doctor, I've done lots of clinical work with them without any issues.

The chances are probably slim that you’ll get accommodations to have your service animal during rotations in your 3rd/4th year. If you can go long stretches of time without your service animal by your side then you should be fine. Just keep in mind that medical school isn’t similar to undergrad at all. Even the preclinical years where it’s mostly classroom work isn’t comparable to undergrad. Rotations are another environment entirely. A friend of mine just started ob rotations and she was there from 4am-6pm at times. Some days are better than others but there’s going to be multiple days on your rotations where you will be gone long stretches of time for several days or even weeks and you should be prepared for the possibility of not having your service animal for that.

 

[Goro]

Well, it seems like other people in the thread seem to think its doable and the person from tiktok is a very real example of how folks manage to cope and get by. I've seen another thread here about another person with a SD who did their clinicals with their pupper and it went fine. So I expect it won't be easy, but that's a given.
I think you are getting a little too upset over this. I'm not sure as to what defense you are referring to. I'm just being honest with you. It's not easy and it won't be, but I don't expect anything less. I'm not sure if you intend your negativity to deter me.

I just telling you what you need to hear, not want to here. Yes, there are Lotto winners in Medicine, but one should bank one's life savings in buying lottery tickets.

I wish you all the best in your path.

 

[california_poppyseed]

I would also try to envision what working as a resident or attending would be like. I’m not sure a ton of patients would be comfortable with a dog there. Of course, if you are fine with being away from the dog this likely wouldn’t be an issue. I empathize with the situation, but the patient usually needs to come first in these situations.

I’m sure that certain specialties (any surgery, anesthesiology, OB/Gyn, EM) would be off the table if the dog is needed in the clinical settings

I think I've heard of situations where they gowned the dog too! But you're absolutely right. Do you happen to know any people in med school who have service dogs? I can't imagine a medical school would admit a student with say POTS who needs a service dog with them fulltime if they know the student can't do the clinicals the same way.

 

[california_poppyseed]

The chances are probably slim that you’ll get accommodations to have your service animal during rotations in your 3rd/4th year. If you can go long stretches of time without your service animal by your side then you should be fine. Just keep in mind that medical school isn’t similar to undergrad at all. Even the preclinical years where it’s mostly classroom work isn’t comparable to undergrad. Rotations are another environment entirely. A friend of mine just started ob rotations and she was there from 4am-6pm at times. Some days are better than others but there’s going to be multiple days on your rotations where you will be gone long stretches of time for several days or even weeks and you should be prepared for the possibility of not having your service animal for that.

Yeah I've heard crazy stuff from my brother about his rotations. But I'm not sure what the other option is in that I can't obviously work hours longer than 12 or it triggers an episode and I'll probably have to be hospitalized. I really hope I can though, since that would be equivalent to asking a walking-impaired person to go a stretch without their cane. For a day or two it's probably doable but in the long run ultimately unsustainable. Do you happen to know if your friend's schoo has disability accomodations?

 

[california_poppyseed]

I know of a practicing physician who has a service dog. Family medicine, so not going in the OR or anything like that which would probably be your biggest challenge. Not sure whether he had a dog during med school/residency or not though where things might be a little trickier navigating different rotations, preceptors, and environments if you were to need the dog with you during your rotations. Since you will presumably have the dog with you for interviews and such, making it obvious you have a service dog, I'd plan on being up front during your application cycle about the accommodations you require how you plan to navigate everything so that you end up at a school that is ready and eager to support you.

I think physicians with disabilities and chronic diseases can have a lot to contribute to the medical field and to their patients. I also have some invisible chronic conditions that can be disabling at times, which were diagnosed during medical school and I got hospitalized as a result of one of them during residency. It's been hard, but has not impacted my clinical performance or stopped me from doing what I want to do with my career, and I'm very fortunate I am at an extremely supportive residency program. I think it has also made me a better doctor and a better advocate for my colleagues and patients with disabilities. Several attendings and recent alumni of my program also have disabilities/chronic conditions, visible or not, and are wonderful doctors. Goro is right that med school and residency are a furnace, and you should be prepared for that, but if you and your care team are confident you're ready, there's no reason you shouldn't go for it.

I'm so thankful for you! Yes my goal is to do family medicine. I love the way you foster a community with your patients. Yes, I think when I write about my adversary essay I'll tackle how I've managed my disability through the years. It's certainly been a struggle but I have a wonderful care team that has made me appreciate medicine and the way providers can positively influence a patient's life.
I'm sorry to hear you had a tough time in residency. You're super amazing and I look up to you!

 

[DarkBluMage]

Yeah I've heard crazy stuff from my brother about his rotations. But I'm not sure what the other option is in that I can't obviously work hours longer than 12 or it triggers an episode and I'll probably have to be hospitalized. I really hope I can though, since that would be equivalent to asking a walking-impaired person to go a stretch without their cane. For a day or two it's probably doable but in the long run ultimately unsustainable. Do you happen to know if your friend's schoo has disability accomodations?

Yea we have disability accommodations here.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm sure its the law (ADA) that every school that receives federal money has to have a disability services office. Just make sure your doctors can properly document or have documented your issues. Ask very specific questions before you apply as well as during your application process. We can't control individual reactions that are negative, but every office will try to figure out a way.

 

[lumya]

I'm not sure if my school's technical standards vary much from the original AAMC one that most schools base theirs off of, but it states as one of the standards that students must be able to complete lengthy shifts and overnight call independently without undue reliance on surrogates or aids. It's a little unclear how much of a reliance you have since you mentioned that your service dog is both integral to your function but you've also been able to have 12 hour shifts without.

If you have any schools you're particularly interested in, it may be worth reaching out to see what they say. My school has info on their diversity and inclusion as well as their accommodations office on its website and I assume most other schools do too.

 

[LunaOri]

Yeah I've heard crazy stuff from my brother about his rotations. But I'm not sure what the other option is in that I can't obviously work hours longer than 12 or it triggers an episode and I'll probably have to be hospitalized. I really hope I can though, since that would be equivalent to asking a walking-impaired person to go a stretch without their cane. For a day or two it's probably doable but in the long run ultimately unsustainable. Do you happen to know if your friend's schoo has disability accomodations?

I doubt there would be any accommodation for not being able to work more than 12 hours at a stretch. It’s just too much a part of medical training.

 

[longhaul3]

I would not recommend medical school if working for 12 hours requires you to be hospitalized.

 

[OchemOficionado]

I don't expect you to be ashamed. But as someone who's been teaching medical students for >20 years, I know that the biggest reason for medical students to withdraw, be dismissed, or take a leave of absence is due to mental health issues. Medical school is not undergrad, and in fact, it can worsen preexisting mental illness.

And crying ableism is not a defense. There are technical standards to Medicine, and you need to have them. Go to this with eyes open.

100000000% spot on.

I've seen these words from you a few times before I started med school and while I understood what you were conveying I could not relate or completely wrap my head around it. But now, just a few years later wheewwwwww. I feel this. I know it's absolutely true. I've seen several examples

 

[ajfonty]

I don’t think it’s ableism to admit that certain jobs by their nature present extraordinary requirements to function.

As a current medical student, I would feel very uncomfortable with a fellow student bringing a dog into small group/partner exercises such as patient encounters or simulations. I’m not a fan of dogs particularly when I am unaccustomed to them/their owners.

On the positive side, in my experience I suppose there are niches where such doctors could exist (family medicine comes to mind).

But I still don’t know how realistic this is .

 

[Riptoe]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
Question is what it says on the tin. I have an invisible disability I was hospitalized for a couple years ago and since then we got my service dog. She's amazing and professionally trained of course, and she's integral to my functioning. She's really saved my life a couple of times.
My question is how do I apply for med school and all that with a servie dog? I'm really nervous about being discriminated against, even though I know it's illegal under the ADA, it's never stopped people before from disrespecting us or anything like that.
How would interviews and accomodations work?
Thanks guys so much! Please be kind :')

It’s possible, there’s a student at my school that uses one for seizure alerts. She’s about to start her clinicals and to be fair I haven’t asked her how that’s going to work. But it’s been fine for the first two years. I’d say, cross that bridge when you have to.

 

[Riptoe]

It’s possible, there’s a student at my school that uses one for seizure alerts. She’s about to start her clinicals and to be fair I haven’t asked her how that’s going to work. But it’s been fine for the first two years. I’d say, cross that bridge when you have to.

To add to this, no one has had a problem with the dog, they love her

 

[Bolololol]

There is no way you'd be allowed to do clinical rotations with a service dog. Imagine sitting in the ED and you're surrounded by young med students and a dog. First thought is wtf is scooby and the gang doing here lmao.

 

[meow1985]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
Question is what it says on the tin. I have an invisible disability I was hospitalized for a couple years ago and since then we got my service dog. She's amazing and professionally trained of course, and she's integral to my functioning. She's really saved my life a couple of times.
My question is how do I apply for med school and all that with a servie dog? I'm really nervous about being discriminated against, even though I know it's illegal under the ADA, it's never stopped people before from disrespecting us or anything like that.
How would interviews and accomodations work?
Thanks guys so much! Please be kind :')

There was an attending I knew who was blind and went through all of training and their work with a service dog. Now blindness is more visible and different from what you have, but that proves it’s possible.

 

[Sajitude]

Maybe I missed it, but could you elaborate how the service animal saved your life?

 

[RangerBob]

I think everyone here is supportive of people applying to med school and trying to overcome challenges. Most of us here have had some sort.

As Goro, one of our wisest advisors here (who has overseen multitudes of students who dropped out/took LOA's due to mental health/physicial issues), has said, med school is a furnace. Pre-meds almost universally don't understand at all (I didn't--not in slightest). It really does push you. M1 and M2, in my opinion, were not stressful. They're just really fast-paced/busier versions of your heaviest year in college. Some of my classmates strongly disagreed and many sought out mental health treatment and a few dropped out. To me M3 is where it got extremely stressful. I had zero control over my schedule. Minimal ability to schedule free-time with family aside from scheduled vacation time based on my rotation schedule. Some days I showed up at 4-5am, left around 8pm or later. Couldn't always easilly take a bathroom break when I needed it. Had no idea if my attending that day was super chill and nice, or a grumpster to the extreme. The unpredictability of everything and lack of control is what I found most stressful.

Residency isn't that much better, though at least you can choose residencies with better work hours (Psych, PM&R, etc.) as I did. But expectations are even higher--really no one cares if a med student calls in sick. But if you call in sick in residency it mucks thing up a lot (for patients, co-residents, and attendings), which adds another level of stress.

People here are genuinely trying to notify you of these concerns. I don't know the nature of your disability, but it's worth talking deeply with whatever doctor oversees it if they think you will be able to manage it in med school/residency. Managing it as an attending is easy--most people will love the psychiatrist/family doctor/pediatrician with a dog at their side. The few that don't just won't go to you--that's fine, as there are plenty of patients out there. But you do need to get through med school and residency first.

 

[OchemOficionado]

There is no way you'd be allowed to do clinical rotations with a service dog. Imagine sitting in the ED and you're surrounded by young med students and a dog. First thought is wtf is scooby and the gang doing here lmao.

It’s possible and has been done. I think the dog is the least of the worry though in this case. It’s moreso about the stamina with or without the dog at their side.

 

[proudofmykids]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well.
Question is what it says on the tin. I have an invisible disability I was hospitalized for a couple years ago and since then we got my service dog. She's amazing and professionally trained of course, and she's integral to my functioning. She's really saved my life a couple of times.
My question is how do I apply for med school and all that with a servie dog? I'm really nervous about being discriminated against, even though I know it's illegal under the ADA, it's never stopped people before from disrespecting us or anything like that.
How would interviews and accomodations work?
Thanks guys so much! Please be kind :')

I haven’t yet all the replies to your post.
It is my understanding that you have zero obligation to mention your service dog. If asked you would need to disclose your disability but not the dog. If asked about the dog, as you probably already know, people / institutions are only allowed to ask if it is a service animal and not emotional support animal, and what it is trained to do. No documentation is required.

 

[meow1985]

Realistically, the only place where I have a hard time imagining a service dog being accommodated is an OR, because of sterility standards. Although idk, even so the dog can perhaps be in a far corner of the room well outside the sterile field. I don’t recall everything about surgical protocols anymore. The dog may not be able to enter certain immunocompromised patients’ rooms too, though that is rare. But otherwise, even if you work long shifts there is nothing outside of surgery that you need to be involved in that literally takes hours and hours with no possibility of an interruption. And even in surgery you can scrub in and out, it is just a pain, but as a nonessential person you can do it.

I agree with everyone who said that mental health conditions can and do get exacerbated in training but that can be anticipated and managed proactively and is not a deal breaker.

People being vaguely uncomfortable is not a reason you can be denied entry into spaces. People mentioning Scooby and the gang are out of line.

I do not feel it’s appropriate to go into detail on a public forum about the multiple people I knew whose medical conditions were accommodated in training but let’s just say accommodations were made and the students did very well. Yes, I said multiple.

 

[dnyal]

Just cast a wide net when applying. And I concur with someone who said to be upfront about your needs in order to find a school willing to support you. You really don’t want to go to a school where they won’t take your needs seriously and then you having to struggle because of it. However, as you’ve seen in the comments, there are still a lot of misconceptions about people with disabilities, and that won’t be different during the application process (i.e., being interviewed by an admissions committee with ableist views). But you’ve also seen comments from people who have been supportive. You’ll probably find such admissions individuals during your application process, too. Schools are required to abide by the ADA, but all you need is an admissions committee with enough bias for them to reject you; there’s nothing the ADA can do about that. So, you need to cast a very wide net so you come across as many supportive admissions committees as possible in order to increase your chances of acceptance.

During your interviews or in your essays (if you talk about your condition), make sure to speak of it both as a source of personal strength and how it would make you better suited to relate to patients with disabilities, while at the same time assuaging any potential fears of how your condition might impact your performance in med school. If you wanna see what possible fears those might be that you’d need to subtly refute in your interviews/essays, just read the comments to your post

 

[dnyal]

I haven’t yet all the replies to your post.
It is my understanding that you have zero obligation to mention your service dog. If asked you would need to disclose your disability but not the dog. If asked about the dog, as you probably already know, people / institutions are only allowed to ask if it is a service animal and not emotional support animal, and what it is trained to do. No documentation is required.

I agree with this, too.

 

[futureabdoc]

You may find it helpful to connect with folks from the following orgs, who may be able to provide more detailed responses: Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education, the Society of Physicians with Disabilities (SPD), Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity (SMADIE) and Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illness (MSDCI).

Wishing you the best!

 

[dawgsontop97]

There is no way you'd be allowed to do clinical rotations with a service dog. Imagine sitting in the ED and you're surrounded by young med students and a dog. First thought is wtf is scooby and the gang doing here lmao.

I've been laughing at your reply for the last ten minutes.

All jokes aside. There is a student at my medical school with a service animal that sits underneath her desk or near her in a lecture hall. It's not a barrier. Just not entirely sure how it would work during rotations and residency. But like many others have said, cross that bridge when you get to it.

 

[hopefullydoc117]

Yeah I've heard crazy stuff from my brother about his rotations. But I'm not sure what the other option is in that I can't obviously work hours longer than 12 or it triggers an episode and I'll probably have to be hospitalized. I really hope I can though, since that would be equivalent to asking a walking-impaired person to go a stretch without their cane. For a day or two it's probably doable but in the long run ultimately unsustainable. Do you happen to know if your friend's schoo has disability accomodations?

Not sure about service dogs but have some knowledge regarding ADA, accomodations, and long shifts in M3 and M4. Some folks have it in their letter of accommodation (LOA) that they need a 12-hour break in between shifts. I've also seen folks who have break times incorporated in their LOA, for example, 30 minutes of break after 6 hours of work. Usually, because of the ADA and your university's disability office guiding this, clerkship directors and admin are pretty understanding of it. And, since the disability office guides this, they have a list of reasonable accommodations or might reach out to other colleagues to navigate it.

Now realistically, it might affect perception and grades on a day-to-day level. Obviously not fair, and ableism exists in all fields including medicine. But, just being honest. A lot also depends on team dynamics. And, the onus still falls on the student to have to ask to leave if the day is running super long. You will need to get very comfortable saying "I need X, because of my accommodations" because teams change frequently. I have some invisible chronic conditions, and I often find it hard to ask for things that I am technically granted in my LOA. Also, for example, certain fields like surgery were pretty easily out of question for me due to the physical demands.