UAB School of Medicine faculty, residents and students are invited to participate in a research study to help the medical community understand barriers in medical training for individuals with disabilities, and to facilitate the supports that contribute to full access.
The Association of American Medical Colleges and the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine are conducting a qualitative research study of physicians and learners (residents and medical students) with disabilities to better understand their lived experiences during medical training. All forms of disability (learning, psychological, physical, sensory, chronic health and ADHD) will be included in this research. The research will culminate in a joint AAMC/UCSF special report scheduled for release in 2017, as well as further scholarly publications.
Lisa Meeks, Ph.D., director of medical student disability at UCSF and co- principal investigator on the study, will be at UAB in mid-July to interview faculty, residents and students volunteering their time. If selected for the study, Meeks and her team would work with individuals to schedule a two-hour comprehensive interview on those dates.
The research team hopes to highlight approximately 15 individuals for the special report. All interviews will be used to help identify common barriers and supports experienced by learners with disabilities. At the conclusion of the interviews we will identify quotes that might be highlighted in the report. Each individual will be contacted for permission to use these quotes, and providing this consent is voluntary.
Any faculty, residents or student interested in participating in the study should contact contact Lisa Meeks and Neera Jain by email at lisa.meeks@ucsf.edu (subject line: AAMC/UCSF Study). Both are available to answer any questions you may have about participating in this program.
May 26, 2016