Related Experiment Videos
Physical disability among American medical students
S S Wu1, P Tsang, S F Wainapel
1Department of Pediatrics, New York University Medical Center, USA.
Summary
This study found that 0.19% of medical school graduates had physical disabilities, with most achieving average or above-average academic performance. The prevalence may be underestimated due to underreporting.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Disability Studies
- Physician Training
Background:
- Assessing the inclusion and academic success of medical students with physical disabilities is crucial for equitable medical education.
- Previous data on the prevalence and academic performance of physicians with disabilities is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and types of physical disabilities among medical school graduates in the United States and Puerto Rico.
- To examine the academic performance of these graduates with physical disabilities.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to 128 medical schools in the US and Puerto Rico, targeting graduating classes from 1987-1990.
- Data was collected on students with physical disabilities, their academic standing, and disability etiology.
- Sixty-seven schools responded, providing data on 64 eligible students with physical disabilities.
Main Results:
- Physically disabled students constituted 0.19% of graduates (64 out of 33,138).
- Disabilities included neurologic (39%), musculoskeletal (20%), medical-surgical (13%), visual (13%), and auditory (9%).
- The majority of students with disabilities had average (48%) or above-average (36%) academic standings.
Conclusions:
- Physical disabilities are present in a small but significant percentage of medical graduates.
- Students with physical disabilities generally achieve comparable academic success to their peers.
- Underreporting of less visible disabilities may lead to an underestimation of prevalence.