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- Page navigation anchor for Unintended consequences of focusing on accommodations and supports as barriers for medical trainees with disabilitiesUnintended consequences of focusing on accommodations and supports as barriers for medical trainees with disabilities
The CMAJ is to be commended for calling attention to gaps in the provision of accommodations for trainees with disabilities [1]. One topic not mentioned in its recent news report is provision of accommodations on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), which serves as a major bottleneck in the medical education pipeline for persons with disabilities. Without accommodations (usually 50% extra time), the MCAT would selectively eliminate many otherwise qualified individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning disorders (learning disabilities) and other disabilities from the medical profession altogether.
Yet we have no up-to-date or publicly available data available on the provision of MCAT accommodations. One source in 2006 [2] reported that one third of those who apply for extra time on the MCAT (presumably all have documented disabilities) are not approved. It would be useful to know what percentage of those who apply for at least 50% extra time on the MCAT receive it without a letter from an attorney or court order.
There are also some possible unintended consequences of focusing on one limiting aspect for trainees with disabilities (lack of accommodations) to the exclusion of another (avoiding discrimination against trainees with real or suspected physical and mental disorders/disabilities [3]). For one, it may reinforce stereotypes that they are economically burdensome and demand special treatment. Yet many trainees...
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