I have a physical disability: should I pursue medicine?

[ijustmadethis]

Hello SDN,

It's my first-ever post here, and I guess that means I've really been thinking seriously about my career path forward. I'm excited to gather input from everyone on this.

I just turned 30 and have a master's degree in public health/nutrition. I'm a registered dietitian by training but with a research focus (the only clinical hours I had are ~1,000 from the hospital rotations back in 2019): I've worked in a research setting where I code, perform statistical analyses, publish manuscripts, present at conferences, etc. I like research and can see myself continue making a living this way, but I know that I want to go to school again for an MD or PhD to further my career, too (for one, research opportunities with autonomy are pretty limited for RDs). I've interacted with countless folks with either/both of the MD and PhD degrees in the academic (non-clinical) research settings, and found it intriguing that a number of pure-MDs I've worked with saw patients and did research/teach, too (FYI, it's no bench work but serving as PIs of cohort studies and RCTs). And as someone particularly interested in nutrition/dietetics and early intervention with pregnancy/birth/longitudinal outcomes, I've been thinking a lot about becoming a pediatrician with both clinical and research roles down the road (is that what people call an "academic physician"?). As an aside, part of what pulls me towards MD and not PhD is the rewarding experiences I had while interacting with patients during my clinical training.

What makes me hesitate, though, is that I have hemiparesis from a stroke I suffered when I was a teenager (hence the interest in early intervention and nutrition--because that's what I primarily rely on for my well-being). I have no issues with the daily activities whatsoever (e.g. I cook, hike, and type right-handed 75 wpm), but my left hand is functionally useless (I wear an ankle brace on my left for foot drop, which lets me walk without any problem).

So it comes down to this: I can't help but wonder if I can be an effective, reliable physician with my physical limitation. FYI, this is much less of a concern for RDs whose bedside work is mostly limited to palpation.

I've spoken to a number of physician-friends and associates about this, and everyone, despite the acknowledgment of my concern, said that I can "do it." But maybe they just said that because they don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I wanted to ask you--the impartial judges who know me based only on the short text above--for your opinion/advice about whether I can be the kind of a pediatrician you'd entrust me with your child. Please consider any assessments/procedures I'd need to perform as one; at this time, I'm thinking of becoming a gen-ped or ped GI (no interest in surgery). No need to worry about any other life variables including age, income, prerequisites, MCAT, and family. I'm just interested to gauge my ability to work on the floor based on your experiences.

Also, I'm posting on the non-trad thread because that's who I'd be as an applicant, but I'm worried that I'd miss the input from the actual MDs/DOs in the forum. So, admins, please feel free to move my post if deemed necessary.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts. No feelings will be hurt. Thank you!

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[M&L]

Just a medical student here, so definitely advice from faculty is better (@Goro @gyngyn ?)

My thoughts are not regarding when you are an attending as much as, when you are in training. I wonder if you can fulfill all the requirements during M3, M4 and residency. Especially M3, when you have fixed curriculum and have to do IM, Peds, surgery, FM, OB/GYN, and whatever else. For example, to do OB/GYN you have to do pelvic exams. I honestly cannot imagine doing them with one hand. So i wonder if this is something that you HAVE to do to get a degree, or you could be excused from that. Lets see what faculty says, they will definitely know better.

 

[gyngyn]

Check the Technical Standards for the schools to which you might plan to apply.
As long as you can meet them or meet them with reasonable accommodation, this would not be a barrier.

One is not excused from performing all required tasks, though.

 

[Goro]

Hello SDN,

It's my first-ever post here, and I guess that means I've really been thinking seriously about my career path forward. I'm excited to gather input from everyone on this.

I just turned 30 and have a master's degree in public health/nutrition. I'm a registered dietitian by training but with a research focus (the only clinical hours I had are ~1,000 from the hospital rotations back in 2019): I've worked in a research setting where I code, perform statistical analyses, publish manuscripts, present at conferences, etc. I like research and can see myself continue making a living this way, but I know that I want to go to school again for an MD or PhD to further my career, too (for one, research opportunities with autonomy are pretty limited for RDs). I've interacted with countless folks with either/both of the MD and PhD degrees in the academic (non-clinical) research settings, and found it intriguing that a number of pure-MDs I've worked with saw patients and did research/teach, too (FYI, it's no bench work but serving as PIs of cohort studies and RCTs). And as someone particularly interested in nutrition/dietetics and early intervention with pregnancy/birth/longitudinal outcomes, I've been thinking a lot about becoming a pediatrician with both clinical and research roles down the road (is that what people call an "academic physician"?). As an aside, part of what pulls me towards MD and not PhD is the rewarding experiences I had while interacting with patients during my clinical training.

What makes me hesitate, though, is that I have hemiparesis from a stroke I suffered when I was a teenager (hence the interest in early intervention and nutrition--because that's what I primarily rely on for my well-being). I have no issues with the daily activities whatsoever (e.g. I cook, hike, and type right-handed 75 wpm), but my left hand is functionally useless (I wear an ankle brace on my left for foot drop, which lets me walk without any problem).

So it comes down to this: I can't help but wonder if I can be an effective, reliable physician with my physical limitation. FYI, this is much less of a concern for RDs whose bedside work is mostly limited to palpation.

I've spoken to a number of physician-friends and associates about this, and everyone, despite the acknowledgment of my concern, said that I can "do it." But maybe they just said that because they don't want to be a Debbie Downer, so I wanted to ask you--the impartial judges who know me based only on the short text above--for your opinion/advice about whether I can be the kind of a pediatrician you'd entrust me with your child. Please consider any assessments/procedures I'd need to perform as one; at this time, I'm thinking of becoming a gen-ped or ped GI (no interest in surgery). No need to worry about any other life variables including age, income, prerequisites, MCAT, and family. I'm just interested to gauge my ability to work on the floor based on your experiences.

Also, I'm posting on the non-trad thread because that's who I'd be as an applicant, but I'm worried that I'd miss the input from the actual MDs/DOs in the forum. So, admins, please feel free to move my post if deemed necessary.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts. No feelings will be hurt. Thank you!

It sounds like DO is not an option.

But people in wheelchairs have made through MD schools.

 

[ijustmadethis]

It sounds like DO is not an option.

But people in wheelchairs have made through MD schools.

Hi, thank you for your reply. May I ask why DO isn't an option? Just curious! I looked up the differences between MD and DO but what I'm finding is mostly on the philosophical approaches of care and not on the technical aspect of it. If you happen to have a link to information about this, that would be great, too.

@M&L & @gyngyn: Thank you for your input! I was encouraged to read recently about a UCLA medical student with triple amputation graduating (though the story was from many years ago), but I'll definitely reach out to individual schools to see what they think/require.

 

[M&L]

Hi, thank you for your reply. May I ask why DO isn't an option? Just curious! But maybe I just need to read about the differences between MD and DO practice.

@M&L & @gyngyn: Thank you for your input! I was encouraged to read recently about a UCLA medical student with triple amputation graduating (though the story was from many years ago), but I'll definitely reach out to individual schools to see what they think/require.

please look into that!

We are definitely NOT telling you it cant be done. look, do your homework, and see what happens.

 

[ijustmadethis]

please look into that!

We are definitely NOT telling you it cant be done. look, do your homework, and see what happens.

Much appreciate the encouragement

 

[M&L]

Hi, thank you for your reply. May I ask why DO isn't an option? Just curious! I looked up the differences between MD and DO but what I'm finding is mostly on the philosophical approaches of care and not on the technical aspect of it. If you happen to have a link to information about this, that would be great, too.

@M&L & @gyngyn: Thank you for your input! I was encouraged to read recently about a UCLA medical student with triple amputation graduating (though the story was from many years ago), but I'll definitely reach out to individual schools to see what they think/require.

DO requires manipulation of the patient's body physically. With both hands. LIke, you do stuff to muscles, bones, etc. And its built into the curriculum

 

[M&L]

btw Goro is faculty in a DO school. He is our go-to expert on anything DO related. So if he says there is no way, - there is no way. But MD is different, so definitely look!!!!

 

[Natremia]

I have worked with multiple physicians who have physical disabilities parallel to or worse than what you have described. I even know a couple that are significantly WORSE. So, yes, you 100% can do this. Go for it!

 

[Dave1980]

there is a fully paralyzed guy who went to johns hopkins for med school but didnt go on for residency. i think he got into medicare policy.

you could always go into a non procedural specialty. peds GI will be out as you wont be able to scope without both hands. psych, rheum, general peds would like be ok.

do you have a competitive application?

 

[Goro]

Hi, thank you for your reply. May I ask why DO isn't an option? Just curious! I looked up the differences between MD and DO but what I'm finding is mostly on the philosophical approaches of care and not on the technical aspect of it. If you happen to have a link to information about this,

This question was answered above, but I just remembered at that when I was working at Sloan-Kettering, I remember there was a nephrologist who had a withered arm.

How withered? Tiny, like a T-Rex forearm.

 

[M&L]

you can do peds psychiatry (among other things) !!!!!!! amazing specialty in high demand. so rewarding!!!

 

[GreenDuck12]

There are a few folks in my class who have physical disabilities. I have no idea what their accommodations are as it is none of my business but it seems as though they are well supported in making their way through our program. I would definitely try to look at medical schools that offer more robust student support services and have more experience/flexibility regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. I remember coming across a Reddit thread a year or two ago about someone dropping out due to a lack of support and accommodation.

As a side note, based on my experience in education, I think the insights and perspectives you can bring to a medical school class and the field will be highly valuable. Simply put there is not much representation of folks who have disabilities in the medical field which IMO is a disservice to our patients.

Best of luck to you.

 

[ijustmadethis]

there is a fully paralyzed guy who went to johns hopkins for med school but didnt go on for residency. i think he got into medicare policy.

you could always go into a non procedural specialty. peds GI will be out as you wont be able to scope without both hands. psych, rheum, general peds would like be ok.

do you have a competitive application?

Thank you for this information! Bummer about the GI, but I'm happy to know that there are multiple options for me nevertheless; I'll definitely look into these. But, having at least pediatrics down, maybe I'll worry about the specialties once (if) I get into a medical school first? I feel like I'm getting way too ahead with specialties maybe, though I initially found GI particularly interesting for its role in nutrition.

May I ask what a competitive application might entail? I haven't taken MCAT and nor have I had any shadowing (if anything, it was interacting with physicians in-and-out of patient rooms during my rotations/rounds). I don't plan on applying for 2-3 more years from now if I were to, so I think I'll work on these in the meantime.

Or, if you had a minute, I wonder if you could gauge the competitiveness of my application based on my quick summary profile below as well as the areas I could improve on:

3.85 undergrad GPA (Midwest liberal arts college, biology & history double-major), 3.86 master's GPA (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg SPH, international health/human nutrition with biostat/epi exp), RD with clinical experience, employment in research (Hopkins, Harvard, etc.) and hospital, Q1 nutrition/public health publications as first- and co-authors, conferences, external contributor to WHO self-care guideline development, GRE in the 95%ile (as a proxy for MCAT, if at all), and volunteer at a local at-risk teens center (early nutrition!) and non-profit refugee resettlement office (as an immigrant myself). I completed all my prerequisites (I did think about going to medical school when I was in college, but turned towards public health and nutrition in the years I worked after graduation), and I think my science GPA is ~3.85, too. I have professors and managers who offered to provide strong references/LORs for work or further schooling, and I'm confident I can develop a compelling SOP, too.

I'm not sure if the above constitutes a "competitive" application as a non-trad in particular, and I'm also considering a 3-year MD track given my high interest in pediatrics and my age (cough), which I heard can be extra competitive, too!

 

[ijustmadethis]

This question was answered above, but I just remembered at that when I was working at Sloan-Kettering, I remember there was a nephrologist who had a withered arm.

How withered? Tiny, like a T-Rex forearm.

Nephrology is now added to my list!

 

[ijustmadethis]

I have worked with multiple physicians who have physical disabilities parallel to or worse than what you have described. I even know a couple that are significantly WORSE. So, yes, you 100% can do this. Go for it!

This is very encouraging to hear. Thank you!

 

[ijustmadethis]

you can do peds psychiatry (among other things) !!!!!!! amazing specialty in high demand. so rewarding!!!

So many options! SDN is already proving to be a great therapy session for me

 

[ijustmadethis]

There are a few folks in my class who have physical disabilities. I have no idea what their accommodations are as it is none of my business but it seems as though they are well supported in making their way through our program. I would definitely try to look at medical schools that offer more robust student support services and have more experience/flexibility regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. I remember coming across a Reddit thread a year or two ago about someone dropping out due to a lack of support and accommodation.

As a side note, based on my experience in education, I think the insights and perspectives you can bring to a medical school class and the field will be highly valuable. Simply put there is not much representation of folks who have disabilities in the medical field which IMO is a disservice to our patients.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you so much for your advice and heartwarming comment. Based on my experience, I also do believe that having a disability can be an asset and a source of relatability when working with patients. I do hope my current thoughts about MD go somewhere!

 

[Dave1980]

Nephrology is now added to my list!

recommend removing it

 

[Apramana]

Here's another triple amputee who graduated [MD] from UCSF (although some years ago ; '97-'01 according to his Linkedin):

BJ Miller, pain doctor at the Zen Hospice Project

Miller, then a sophomore at Princeton University, got together for drinks with two close...

www.sfgate.com

I'm not quite sure how his residency worked, although his LinkedIn makes it seem like he did an IM residency followed by a palliative fellowship?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj-miller-md/

He also apparently won a >$5mil lawsuit as a result of his injury, so I presume he had more financial support in his medical pursuits than most students with disabilities:

BJ Miller ’93: Wounded Healer

Twenty-three years ago, in the wee hours of a November night during his sophomore year at Princeton, BJ Miller ’93 was horsing around with friends after leaving a party.

paw.princeton.edu

 

[deleted367183]

I have a prosthetic leg and missing fingers and am now a PGY-3 in pathology. I have a thread where I talk at length about my experiences: I am a physically disabled (successful) applicant in my 30s...ask me anything

Not on the thread yet--I would avoid Creighton (gave a deaf student trouble) and NEOCOM (same with a student that had a problem with their hands).