Abstract
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Ensuring diversity, and that the medical profession is representative of the varied communities it serves is a worldwide equity concern. The widening participation movement in higher education aims to attract more students from non-traditional backgrounds into university. Yet, there is persistent under-representation of students with disabilities in medical education, and subsequently, the profession. The inclusion of these students is greatly influenced by the policies which regulate and accredit medical schools, which demand that educators consider students with disabilities as future doctors. While these policies may aim to promote inclusion, they may also have unintended consequences. In this paper we critically analyse key policies in undergraduate medical education to examine how disability in medical students is represented and problematized, and the educational implications of such representations. Method: Key policies concerning medical school accreditation and educational standards from the General Medical Council (UK), Australian Medical Council (Australia) were selected for analysis. Carol Bacchi's 'What's the Problem Represented to Be?' six critical questions approach was applied to conduct a critical interpretive analysis of how disability is problematized in these policies. Findings: Our analysis revealed a distinctive construction of disability in medicine, supported by themes of containment of disability, disability and competence, and disability and risk. Disability is framed as risk and potential educational burden for schools which must adapt practices to meet legal requirements. Risk is conceptualised as a quality of individuals, rather than being constructed through interactions between persons and environments. The ways in which disability is problematized relates to presuppositions which have the effect of restricting access for learners with disabilities. Conclusions: The policies which regulate medical education can inadvertently limit inclusion of students with disabilities by being silent on the value of a diverse medical workforce. Bacchi's six critical questions are an accessible and practical method for identifying the norms and assumptions which may impede change in educational policy and practice. By making visible these hidden suppositions and their consequences for learners, their impact may be ameliorated, and progress made.
Highlights
Ensuring diversity, and that the medical profession is representative of the varied communities it serves is a worldwide equity concern
Ensuring that the future medical workforce embraces diversity and can represent, as well as respect, the varied peoples it serves, is a global concern (Moore, Sanders, & Higham, 2013). In higher education this concern is met through widening participation movements which have spread across education systems in the United Kingdom (UK), United States and Australia (Moore et al, 2013; Rickinson, 2010; Shrewsbury, 2015; Zaxove, 2016)
The GMC and Australian Medical Council (AMC) documents contain the standards that all medical schools must meet for accreditation in their respective countries, the GMP document outlines the principles of professional practice for all medical practitioners in Australia and is derived from the UK document of the same name ("GMP UK") (General Medical Council, 2013)
Summary
That the medical profession is representative of the varied communities it serves is a worldwide equity concern. There is persistent under-representation of students with disabilities in medical education, and subsequently, the profession The inclusion of these students is greatly influenced by the policies which regulate and accredit medical schools, which demand that educators consider students with disabilities as future doctors. Ensuring that the future medical workforce embraces diversity and can represent, as well as respect, the varied peoples it serves, is a global concern (Moore, Sanders, & Higham, 2013) In higher education this concern is met through widening participation movements which have spread across education systems in the United Kingdom (UK), United States and Australia (Moore et al, 2013; Rickinson, 2010; Shrewsbury, 2015; Zaxove, 2016). In addition to equity considerations and the requirements of anti-discrimination legislation, it is argued that medical students with disabilities, due to their personal experiences, bring positive attributes such as enhanced patient-centeredness, to their roles as future doctors (Roberts, Butler, & Boursicot, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
