The Unexamined Diversity: Disability Policies and Practices in US Graduate Medical Education Programs

• DOI: 10.4300/jgme-d-19-00940.1
• Publication Date: 2020-10-23T19:48:10Z
• Authors: Lisa M. Meeks; Nichole Taylor; Ben Case; Erene Stergiopoulos; Philip Zazove; Lisa Graves; Michael McKee; Bonnielin K. Swenor; Anah Salgat; Caroline Cerilli; Heidi Joshi; Christopher J. Mo...
• Keywords: Graduate medical education; Best practice

Graduate medical education (GME) institutions must ensure equal access for trainees with disabilities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations policies. To date, no comprehensive review of the availability inclusiveness GME policies residents exists.We examined institutions' compliance Accreditation Council Medical Education (ACGME) requirements alignment Association American Colleges (AAMC) policy considerations.Between June August 2019, we conducted a directed content analysis institutional using AAMC report on disability considerations ACGME as framework.Of 47 handbooks available review, 32 (68%) included policy. Forty-one (87%) maintained nondiscrimination statement that disability. Twelve (38%) specific language encouraged disclosure, 17 (53%) about confidential documentation used to determine accommodations. Nineteen (59%) clear procedure disclosing requesting accommodations.While are present in many largest institutions, it is not yet standardized practice. For maintaining policy, lack key elements identified best practices considerations.