Triano Sarah E, Meeks Lisa M
Acad Med. 2025 Oct 1;100(10S Suppl 1):S98-S104. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006149. Epub 2025 Jun 23.
In this article, the authors examine the important yet often overlooked role of specialized disability resource professionals (DRPs) in medical education. Although disability inclusion has gained momentum, disparities in accommodations, learning environments, and residency selection persist for medical students with disabilities (MSWDs). Despite national calls for institutional commitment to accessibility, only 9% of U.S. medical schools employ a dedicated DRP, leaving many MSWDs without specialized support to navigate the complexities of medical training. The authors argue that DRPs are essential not only for individual accommodation implementation but also for institutional change, including faculty development, policy reform, and the dismantling of systemic ableism in medical education.Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the authors propose a framework for understanding the multilevel impact of DRPs from direct student support to shaping national policies. Data from the 2024 Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) highlight significant barriers in disability support services: 15.4% of students found the accommodation process overly difficult, 27.2% refrained from seeking accommodations due to stigma, and 5.1% reported unclear institutional processes for requesting accommodations. These findings underscore the necessity of specialized DRPs to enhance transparency, streamline accommodation processes, and improve faculty preparedness to support disabled learners.The authors advocate for standardized DRP competencies in medical education to ensure consistent, high-quality disability support across institutions. Without investment in specialized DRPs, inequities in medical education may persist, undermining broader efforts toward inclusion. To create a truly accessible and equitable learning environment, medical schools should move beyond compliance and recognize DRPs as indispensable to the success of all learners.
在本文中，作者探讨了专业残疾资源专业人员（DRP）在医学教育中重要但常被忽视的作用。尽管将残疾因素纳入考量已获得发展势头，但残疾医学生（MSWD）在住宿、学习环境和住院医师选拔方面仍存在差异。尽管国家呼吁各机构致力于实现无障碍环境，但美国只有9%的医学院校聘请了专职DRP，这使得许多MSWD在应对医学培训的复杂性时得不到专业支持。作者认为，DRP不仅对个人住宿安排的实施至关重要，而且对机构变革也至关重要，包括教师发展、政策改革以及消除医学教育中的系统性能力主义。作者借鉴布朗芬布伦纳的生态系统理论，提出了一个框架，用于理解DRP从直接学生支持到塑造国家政策的多层次影响。2024年美国医学院协会毕业调查问卷（GQ）的数据凸显了残疾支持服务中的重大障碍：15.4%的学生认为住宿安排过程过于困难，27.2%的学生因耻辱感而避免寻求住宿安排，5.1%的学生报告称机构的住宿申请流程不明确。这些发现强调了专业DRP对于提高透明度、简化住宿安排流程以及提高教师支持残疾学习者的准备程度的必要性。作者主张在医学教育中制定标准化的DRP能力标准，以确保各机构提供一致、高质量的残疾支持。如果不对专业DRP进行投入，医学教育中的不平等现象可能会持续存在，从而破坏更广泛的包容努力。为了创造一个真正无障碍且公平的学习环境，医学院校应超越合规要求，认识到DRP对所有学习者的成功不可或缺。
