Expert: Christine Fader - 3/25/2010

Question
I am interested in studying medicine and will begin medical school soon. I am, however, a bit worried about residency. I have a disability which slightly effects my balance, walking, and ability to stand for long periods (Due to pain). My condition is only minor and I can walk just fine without support, but I'm not very quick and I don't want that to hold me back. It's always scared me about medicine because I know hospitals are busy, fast-placed places to work. It bothered me so much that originally I decided I was not going to go to medical school and I was going to give up on my dream of becoming a pediatrician. However, I decided that if I did that, I'd always regret not going to medical school and not becoming a doctor, so I told myself I wanted to try.

Basically, I just want to know what kind of help exists for someone in my place? I'm able to perform medical procedures without issue as the only thing that is effected are the things I've outlined above. How will this effect my residency. Would you advise me to stick with it?g

Answer
Hi Stephen,

Congratulations on starting medical school!  What an exciting time in your life.

I am a bit out of my depth with regards to your question, only because I know about laws in Canada and some of them differ in the US depending on where you're going to school.  Certainly, in Canada, it is illegal to discriminate against someone who has a disability and further, you must be accommodated in your education program so that you can attend on an equal level with others.  So you would need to be accommodated for your disability in a Canadian medical school or residency program.  In some states, it may be similar.

As a person who had dealt with an "invisible" disability in my career in the past, I can say that my approach has been to let people know about it if it's relevant to the situation or has the potential to negatively affect my performance in some way.  For example, if I know that I am going into a situation where I'm likely (or more likely) for my disability to become noticeable or a barrier for me, I might say something to the person I'm working with (e.g. "I'm able to sustain my energy better if I sit down for a 5 minutes every hour.  Thanks for accommodating my disability in this way.")  Alternatively, sometimes I've notified the person in charge of a department or program and that way I only have to divulge my disability to one person but can receive accommodation to do my work effectively without having to tell everyone about it.  You may need to do this on each rotation you embark on during medical school clerkship/internship years and also during residency. I also always try to offer an alternative method that I could do the same task so that it helps the people involved figure out how I can accomplish what needs to be accomplished.  Sometimes, we've discovered that a so-called "essential duty" or way of doing something is really just something that's always been done that way...and isn't necessary at all or can be done completely differently.

I think that issues around accommodation and disability happen when communication breaks down.  I am always weighing the options -- is it better for me to divulge up front (uncomfortable for me, and sometimes I feel, unfair!) but then have people understand what's going on or is it better to wait until it becomes an issue and then explain (feels more fair to me but then I run the risk of making the other people in the situation feel that it was hidden from them or that they interpret something I'm doing or not doing as a lack of work ethic rather than a disability).  

I hope this helps you think about it a bit.  It seems highly ironic and WRONG to me that a person with a disability should not be able to receive understanding and accommodation in--of all professions--the profession of physician!  Go for your dreams.

Good luck!

Christine
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Christine Fader
Career Counsellor
Author, "Career Cupid:  Your Guide to Landing and Loving Your Dream Job"
www.careercupid.com
Follow my blog at:  careercupid.blogspot.com