Physically disability=barred from most health professions?

[biogirl215]

Hi,
I'm a human biology major (rising college sophmore), and I'm worried my physical disability might keep me out of healthcare and/or licensure. I'm leaning heavily toward podiatry but still haven't ruled out of the possibility of DO, or, less strongly but still in the ballpark, med. technology. The last one I could see as possible "temporary professions" to get a strong clinical background as well. I'm planning on doing some shadowing the summer to get a better feel for exactly what I want to do. I do biomedical research and love it so far, but my heart's really in practice, not research.

I have cerebral palsy, which is pretty much a catch-all term for neuromuscular impairment resulting from brain damage (I'm assuming most of you already now that!😉. In my case, it affects my mobility and motor skills. I walk with a walker and obviously can't lift on carry much weight. My gross motor skills are good, but my fine motor's a bit weak, and I'd be worried about this impacting the surgerical part of DPM training and general ability to do the procedures required in these fields. I know you can't give a definitive answer as you don't know me, and I do intend to ask the pod and others I'm shadowing for his opinion, but on the basis of what you know about the physical requirements for schools, licensure, and practice, do you think someone who can't stand/walk unassisted and with some fine motor difficulties would be barred from the profession on the basis of tasks required? Know any physically disabled health professionals?

Please be honest; you don't need to sugar coat your answer. If I can do it, that's wonderful. If I can't, I'd like to know that before I spend the next 3-ish years preparing only to be denied on physical grounds.

Thanks.

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[sdn1977]

You asked specifically about DPM & DO & I can't answer that.

But, I'm a pharmacist & I have worked with a pharmacist who developed MS after she graduated. She later went on to obtain another degree in pharmacy & still is working, although now needs to occasionally use a wheelchair (sometimes difficult in the narrow passges of a hospital pharmacy).

So...for whatever that is worth - that's what I know.

 

[oneironaut]

I don't think it would keep you out of most med schools. I've heard of people with one arm graduating, a deaf girl graduated from my school a couple years ago, there is a stipulation that you have to be able to 'perform the functions of a clinical physician' but that is very subjective and often viewed broadly (as noted above) I mean, i don't know what the deaf girl would do with a stethoscope ? and really, that limits a lot of basic physical exam, but she still could be a hell of a radiologist (haha, or surgeon ;-)

and the physical requirements vary from school to school. it's not law. I think you could get in and do fine.

 

[Miami_med]

DPM might actually be harder than just MD or DO. You could always go into a "thinking specialty" in medicine. Many doctors do minimal exams that require exceptionally fine motor skills. I've seen doctors confined to wheelchairs at my institution who still practice.

 

[Llenroc]

Doesn't Podiatry involve a lot of surgeries?

Honestly, anything procedural isn't good for you. You could go to medical school and become a Psychiatrist, but going into Podiatry which is procedural makes no sense.

 

[Amy]

Doesn't Podiatry involve a lot of surgeries?

Honestly, anything procedural isn't good for you. You could go to medical school and become a Psychiatrist, but going into Podiatry which is procedural makes no sense.

I agree. I'd say procedural fields are out, but that still leaves a lot of options. Medicine, Peds, Psych, Path, Radiology... the list goes on.

 

[biogirl215]

But won't I have to get into/through the schooling first? That's what concerns me...

 

[Miami_med]

But won't I have to get into/through the schooling first? That's what concerns me...

I assume that if it's just cerebral palsy (I'm not prying), that you are otherwise young and healthy. Is there another reason that you wouldn't want to go to medical school? A blind guy graduated from University of Chicago just a couple of years back. I'm pretty sure that you could get around actually doing anything extremely technical.

 

[elwademd]

having a physcial disability and having a mental disability are 2 different things. yours is physical, and should be fine.

when i was in college, i shadowed a physican who was wheelchair bound.

i went to medical school with a girl who was legally deaf (as a consequence of meningitis as a child) who was outfitted with different hearing aids. in class, the school actually accomodated her and had the lecturers wear a special microphone that enhanced the audio for her.

don't know what the deaf girl would do with a stethoscope ?

if she were like my friend, she had a specially outfitted stethoscope.

i believe that ucla just graduated a student who had one or two limbs missing (as a result of an accident as a child), and she will now be entering residency.

in the end, i believe that the school would be accomodating for your physical disability.

however, your physical disability would likely compromise your ability to do some procedures. there's the rub. so if you want to do a procedure/surgery oriented field, i would imagine there would be a lot of obstacles that you might not be able to overcome... but, as amy pointed out, there are plenty of other fields out there.

 

[Nightengale]

No no no, with a side order of No.

I have mild athetoid CP and just started my peds residency. There are doctors with CP out there - I know one in PM+R who runs a rehab hospital and have heard of others. And I have a friend who uses a wheelchair and has some limited hand use from an SCI/TBI that she describes as affecting her similarly to CP.

Some specialties may be better than others. With my poor grip strength, dystonia and clonus, surgery wasn't for me. But peds is going OK - I have a very accommodating program - and I also considered psych or PM+R (I want to work with kids with developmental disabilities.) My disability probably would have gotten in the way of my doing an adult neuro residency, which is why I scrapped the peds neuro idea pretty early.

I had a lot of problems with my medical school in terms of their attutides about disability and their willingness to accommodate me in useful ways. So if this is something you want to persue, the school you attend will make a big difference in your experiences.

I'm working with other med students/premed and residents with disabilites on trying to start a website where we can share tips and techniques. There really are more of us out there than we think!

Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more about this.