Student with disabilities?

[luke77]

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Hi guys,

I'm one year out of undergrad and seriously considering going to med school. My stats are fairly strong and I'm fairly certain that if I worked for a year in a research setting while preparing for the application process, studying for MCATs, etc. I would be able to get in to a top-25 school, perhaps top-10, depending on my MCAT scores. However, I'm extremely wary about debt and probably will not attend if it means going deeply into debt to finance things. I'd rather go to a lower-ranked or no-name school than go into deep debt, especially since I'm not sure my specialty will be one where I can easily repay the debt after graduation.

So anyways, I'm trying to determine whether it's likely that I'll be able to get a scholarship/fellowship or something. It looks (from my reading of it) like I am not a URM, but I do have a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities act. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether there are any scholarships available for people with disabilities? Thanks for any help.

Luke

 

[amoebatt]

I know that I am not answering your question, but I would just like to give you some advice - as a recent medical school graduate with a disability.

You did not specify what kind of disability you have, but be sure to attend a school which is supportive of students with disabilities. Many programs are not very forgiving or supportive. I developed a chronic illness after acceptance into medical school and was lucky that my school was understanding. That being said, it is still difficult to deal with a disability while going through medical school. It is very important to have a good support system as soon as possible. I formed close relationships with counselors in my school's student affairs area, made friends with fellow students and joined a student organization for those with disabilities.

The best way to look for scholarships for those with a disability is to talk to the financial aid departments of the schools which you are looking at. They would have the most information about getting money for school. I unfortunately was unable to find any scholarsips for myself and am 200k in debt.

Depending on the type of disability you have, you may find a scholarship available if you register online with sites such as fastweb.com.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help. Good luck with your applications.