Support For Students With LD?

[Nebakanezer]

One of my friends is very interested in applying to medical school. She has a B.S. in Biochemistry as well as having graduated with honors, but suffers from a severe form of ADHD (Subtype - Combined) and would most likely need support/accommodations from a medical college for the Learning Disability. Do medical schools offer support for people with LD's? If so, to what extent? Does anyone know where I can find information regarding this subject and any websites or a listing of medical schools that offer such support? Any information that can be provided is appreciated greatly as she wishes to start preparing her application materials soon, but is not going to apply if she can't receive support.

Mike

[Habeed]

Unfortunatly, in this case the answer is no. There's a long list of requirements a for a potential physician. They include full use of hands, eyesight, smell, and no lifelong debilitating illnesses. Making accomadations for people without this conditions is not practical in medicine because patient's lives are at stake, and the tiniest difference in skill for actual M.D.s will result in completely different outcomes sometimes. Unless your friend can do it without any special treatment and keep the disorder from manifesting itself to others, she won't be able to become a doctor.

[heart1st]

Unfortunatly, in this case the answer is no. There's a long list of requirements a for a potential physician. They include full use of hands, eyesight, smell, and no lifelong debilitating illnesses. Making accomadations for people without this conditions is not practical in medicine because patient's lives are at stake, and the tiniest difference in skill for actual M.D.s will result in completely different outcomes sometimes. Unless your friend can do it without any special treatment and keep the disorder from manifesting itself to others, she won't be able to become a doctor.

There are any number of practioners in medical specialties who do not deal with immediate life and death decisions on a daily basis. Your average paramedic deals with more immediate life and death decisions more often than your average physician (and even paramedics do not always do so every day). To eliminate people who have something to contribute, but, perhaps do not have the skills to be an ER doc, would be sad, imo. There are any number of deficiencies in physicians that are not screened out (because there is no way to do so, and is evidenced by the fact that there are incompetent physicians out there), and perhaps it's better to deal with someone whose deficiencies are known and can be worked with, than those which are unknown and can not be helped. (For another example, how a person deals with stress might be a much more critical factor in physician performance, than, say, having vision in both eyes. You are not proposing that someone who is blind in one eye should not be allowed to be a physician, are you?) If there are all these requirements, does this mean that physicians who have, say, cancer, should not be able to practice? Or physicians should no longer be allowed to practice if they lose certain of their faculties (e.g., a middle-age physician who is losing his hearing). What about fat physicians and physicians who smoke?

Perhaps such requirements are stated because of the kinds of rigors that are presented to physicians during their internship/residency years--but even that is more a matter of generally unreasonable work hours than of the overall copmetence of a physician. Indeed, a person who has had some kind of difficulty might have that trait that has been shown to be healthful for patients which many physicians do not have: empathy. This myth of the physician as "super-being" is just that...a myth.

However, that being said, there are any number of medical schools who list on their website the "physical requirements" for being a physician, in which such things as sight and hearing, manual dexterity, etc., are listed.

Just my thoughts (and, btw, I worked as a paramedic in the past, and spent 4 1/2 years working in an emergency room while going to school.)

[Picard]

Learning disability in and of itself does not disqualify you from medical school. Many schools have academic/educational services that help their students to adjust to the demands of medical school. You do need to have the cognitive ability to learn medicine in a pace that is taught... there are simply no way around this. If the help she needs are in terms of test taking skills, studying skills... etc, then I'm sure there are schools that will accomadate.

As for physical requirements -- yes, you do need to be able to see and hear, and to palpate your patients -- these are necessary skills to exam patients competently. This does not mean that you cannot have any physical disability -- I know a few surgeons in wheelchairs...

P

[MD2004]

Yes - all the medical schools in the states are set up to accommadate people with LDs. I am not sure about any Caribbean schools - also - for what it is worth - the MCAT and USMLE both have provisions for people with a documented LD so they can have more time to take their exam. In order to better find out about which med schools are more suited for her she should consult a knowlegable pre med advisor, also the pre med advisor can point her in the right direction to find out about getting accomadations for taking the MCAT.

[ResearchingGuy]

I would suggest your friend contact the admissions offices of each school in which he/she is interested and ask them about potential programs for those with learning disabilities. I do know people in med school who have certain types of disabilities which are being addressed. It is not easy, but it can be done if you are willing to make the extra effort and (probably) take extra time.

Above all, be up-front about your situation with the admissions folks so you will know exactly what level of support to expect as you go through your education.

Best of Luck!

[Tellorn]

There are deaf doctors.


Anyways medical schools in the US, by law, if they admit you have offer resonable accomodations because of ADA. There are also programs to help medical students and doctors with learning disabilities. I believe one of them is called Med HELP.

[october]

Originally Posted by Tellorn

There are deaf doctors.


Anyways medical schools in the US, by law, if they admit you have offer resonable accomodations because of ADA. There are also programs to help medical students and doctors with learning disabilities. I believe one of them is called Med HELP.

What?


Are there not doctors with disabilities including but not limited to paralysis (plegia's and palsy's) blindness?, deafness?,

[Tellorn]

Originally Posted by october

What?


Are there not doctors with disabilities including but not limited to paralysis (plegia's and palsy's) blindness?, deafness?,

Um.. yeah. That was what I said. I know I used alot of words but if you read it carefully the sentence reads " There are deaf doctors. There are paralized doctors too etc.

[october]

Originally Posted by Tellorn

Um.. yeah. That was what I said. I know I used alot of words but if you read it carefully the sentence reads " There are deaf doctors. There are paralized doctors too etc.

Yes, I specifically replied with "What"? regarding your "deaf" issue. Sorry. I'll lay off the humour.