Access to All? Medical School Admissions and Learners With Disabilities

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: Division I Poster Session

Abstract

Despite making gains in admission to undergraduate programs, the number of students with disabilities in institutions of health science education has not grown accordingly, and applicants with disabilities are often denied admission to professional health sciences programs, especially medical school (Reichgott, 1998, Helms & Helms, 1994). Specifically, problems have arisen in defining what an “otherwise qualified person” is in the highly selective medical school admissions process and what, if any, might be appropriate accommodations. Drawing on the literature, this paper explores the causes of the very low numbers of enrolled medical students with disabilities by describing the systematic and institutional policies, society views, and individual reasons for not achieving medical school admission.

Author

• Jane Rosenthal, University of Southern California