Disability is no bar to medical school, say the deans

Medical students with disabilities might have just the resilience and empathy needed to make great doctors.

Medical deans president Professor Richard Murray says a more inclusive health workforce would benefit everyone. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Medical schools should make every reasonable effort to support and accommodate people with disabilities who want to become doctors, new guidelines from Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand say.

“When this support isn’t provided, not only are (prospective students) losing a fulfilling career but the community is losing a potentially excellent doctor,” Medical Deans working group leader and University of Otago public health professor Peter Crampton said.

The guidelines, updated from 2017, emphasise the need for “early, open and constructive” discussions between students who are applying for places in medical courses, and those who have already embarked on training, about what support and adjustments are needed.

They strongly recommend that medical schools initiate early discussions with students whose disabilities “may limit their ability to be registered after graduation” and counsel those who might find it difficult to find an internship or employment.

“It is essential to promote an inclusive culture so students feel comfortable and confident to come forward and seek reasonable adjustments when they need them” Professor Crampton said. “We recognise that adjustments won’t always be possible or make a difference, but if they are feasible and likely to be effective then we should and we will make them.”

The report says some factors, “such as resilience and empathy for the patient journey, may enhance the prospective student’s ability to successfully navigate an educational program and equip them to be doctors”.

“This guidance will go a long way to helping us identify and remove those unnecessary barriers that impact students with a disability. We will all benefit from having a more inclusive medical education system and health workforce,” Medical Deans president and James Cook University acting deputy vice-chancellor in the tropical health and medicine division Richard Murray said.