Across medicine, both for students as well as doctors, the representation of people with disabilities is still lacklustre. Research from the BMA found that only 55% of disabled doctors and medical students who require reasonable adjustments say that they have obtained them, as well as 77% of respondents in their research felt worried about being treated unfavourably if they disclosed a disability or long-term health condition to their employer or place of study (BMA, 2020). This shows that a large proportion of people in medicine feel as if there is not enough of a support system in place that allows them to work to their full capabilities as well as being able to work as comfortably as possible. Therefore, this research will analyse specifically what support systems are in place for medical students with disabilities, and offer suggestions on how this can improve in order to make studying medicine more inclusive for those who require extra adjustments for their disabilities.
Support offered for students with disabilities include using creative approaches to clinical work, or making systemic changes to create better opportunities and sustain the desire for individuals with disabilities to pursue medical careers (Nash et al, 2022). This support system within medical education work to an extent, however, due to the perceived idea that having a disability may harm a student’s chance to achieving their medical education, students, particularly with specific learning disabilities, may not declare that they have a disability, therefore leading to a lack of support throughout their medical education which could lead to further difficulties during their qualifications (Murphy, Dowell & Smith, 2022). Therefore, a step that can be taken in medical education to ensure that students who require support receive it, is to attempt to remove the stigma surrounding disability harming your opportunities in medicine by highlighting evidence that this is not the case, and show that the only thing that will occur by highlighting a disability is university knowing what support networks should be put in to aid students. Furthermore, having students declare their disabilities more openly further removes the stigma surrounding disability, creating a further sense of support within medicine for those who require this in certain elements of their education.
Regarding physical disability, the simplest method of supporting students is to make the facilities accessible. This includes the physical environment, equipment, and the methods of teaching (GMC, n.d.). By doing these simple steps, it makes learning far less distressing for certain students. For example, a student in a wheelchair would struggle accessing certain areas if corridors are too tight, or if there are too many stairs that do not have any other forms of access, however, if facilities are chosen that allow a wheelchair user to access them, then suddenly it is infinitely more inclusive for students with a physical disability. This research shows that medical education can be a place that is inclusive for students with different types of disabilities, however, there needs to be further effort made to broadcast this so that students know that there are support systems in place that can help with their education, rather than them feeling the need to hide it, as well as ensuring facilities are accessible to all.
References
BMA (2020). Disability in the medical profession. Survey findings 2020. BMA. Available at: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/2923/bma-disability-in-the-medical-profession.pdf (Accessed 22 January 2025)
GMC (n.d.) How can medical schools apply their duties?. GMC Available at: https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/standards-guidance-and-curricula/guidance/welcomed-and-valued/how-can-medical-schools-apply-their-duties#:~:text=Medical%20schools%20must%20support%20disabled,disabled%20learners%20are%20not%20disadvantaged (Accessed 22 January 2025)
Murphy, M., Dowell, J., Smith, D (2022). Factors associated with declaration of disability in medical students and junior doctors, and the association of declared disability with academic performance: observational study using data from the UK Medical Education Database, 2002-2018 (UKMED54). BMJ Open
Nash, R., Conner, B., Fellows, K., Clemmensen, B., Gullickson, R., Goldrup, S (2022). Barriers in medical education: a scoping review of common themes for medical students with disabilities. Discover Education
Comentários