Objective:

Provide a curriculum for medical students that informs the adaptive successes of people with disabilities – patients and colleagues alike.

Background:

Physicians have been ill equipped with the knowledge, communication and clinical skills to meet the needs of persons with disabilities (PWD), which contributes to healthcare disparities for this population and barriers such as bias, stigma, and ableism. Further, while the number of PWD working as physicians is unknown, the medical profession has lagged behind the social progress in affording physicians with disabilities an inclusive, supportive physical and emotional environment throughout their training and careers. Historically, disability “simulation” has been criticized as evoking negative emotions and reinforcing ableist attitudes. We designed a novel curriculum for medical students that builds insight through observation and discussion, and through a disability immersive experience focused on successful adaptive techniques, communication, and team-building.

Design/Methods:

Through asynchronous preparatory work and observations medical students gain the background to participate in a team-based sensory/motor simulation. Collectvely, these exercises inform group discussions.

Results:

Prior to the curriculum, 58% of students expressed comfort speaking with patients about disabilities, while 96% of students expressed comfort with these issues following the module. Similarly, students expressed increased comfort discussing accommodations and adaptive strategies with patients following the module (65% prior or the module, 96% following the module). While students almost universally expressed acceptance of doctors with disabilities prior to the module, they developed increased understanding of how to support colleagues with disabilities following the module, with 33% expressing comfort prior to the module, and 96% expressing comfort after the module.

Conclusions:

Creating a disability focused curriculum in neurology clerkships is feasible and can achieve attitudinal and behavioral change. This approach serves to benefit not only PWD who are patients by fostering a disability-competent workforce, but also promotes a more inclusive professional community for physicians with disabilities.