Taking it to the Next Level: Advancing Awareness and Equity of Medical Trainees with Invisible Disabilities

1. Taking it to the Next Level:Advancing Awareness and Equity of Medical Trainees with Invisible Disabilities • Minnesota Symposium on Disability Studies and Inclusive Education • Susan Aase, J.D, M.S.Ed., • Barbara Blacklock, MA, LISW, • Donna Johnson, M.A., M.S. • Disability Services, University of Minnesota

2. What’s Different about Disability?

3. Models of Disability

4. Overview of the Project • Rationale • Partnership between the University of Minnesota’s Disability Services and the Medical School • $75,000 grant from the Marcus Foundation for Faculty Development • 3 year project – beginning September 2009

5. Overview of the Project • Project Staff: • Marilyn Becker, Ph.D., • U of MN Medical School, Principal Investigator • Donna Johnson, M.A., M.S., • U of MN Disability Services, Co-Principal Investigator • Barbara Blacklock, M.A., L.I.S.W, • U of MN Disability Services, Project Director • Susan Aase, J.D., M.S.Ed., • U of MN Disability Services, Project Consultant

6. Overview of the Project • Project goals • Promote welcoming and inclusive learning environments for all medical trainees, including those with invisible disabilities (psychiatric, attentional and/or learning) • Identify best practices

7. Overview of the Project • Project Elements • Project Staff (5% to 10% of work time) • Advisory Committee • Focus Groups • Electronic Survey • Online and in-person educational training • Evaluation • Faculty Guidebook

8. Preliminary Findings • 8 Focus Groups • Medical students • Medical residents/fellows • Undergraduate Medical Educators (UME) • Graduate Medical Educators (GME) • 81 participants

9. Preliminary Findings • Knowledge/Skills • Attitudinal • Process/Structure

10. Preliminary Findings

11. Information Needed • What is an invisible disability? • How and what should I disclose? • What are the consequences of disclosing? • How do I talk to a student I have concerns about? • What do I do if a medical trainee discloses – what are the resources and supports?

12. Preliminary Findings

13. Questions to Answer • How to find physicians with invisible disabilities who are willing to share their story? • How to connect disability (especially invisible disabilities) with diversity? • What are the facts? (Incidence of divorce, suicide, mood disorders.)

14. Preliminary Findings

15. Benefits for All • Identify and implement tools that support student well-being • Promote and update student resources • Develop procedures for timely feedback with options for remediation

16. Preliminary FindingsMost important issue discussed

17. Preliminary FindingsMost important issue discussed

18. Preliminary FindingsUnexpected Benefits

19. Barriers • Stigma • Lack of knowledge about invisible disabilities • Perceived culture of perfectionism • Lack of tools for providing quality feedback • Lack of knowledge about resources for support or intervention

20. Small Group Discussion • Do you believe the barriers listed on the previous slide are the potential barriers for people with disabilities in your environment/setting? • If so, how do they affect people with disabilities?

21. Potential Strategies • Increase awareness of physicians with disabilities • Provide mentoring • Promote social model of disability • Provide education to medical trainees and faculty • Provide multiple evaluation methods • Develop and implement tools for intervention and support

22. Small Group Discussion • How might you apply some of the strategies presented on the previous slide to your own environment/setting? • What other strategies have you used that were useful in reducing barriers for people with disabilities?

23. Creating Change • Obtain interest and buy-in from administrators • Share data • Dispel myths • Highlight benefits to all • Survey stakeholders

24. Small Group Discussion • Given the identified Barriers and Potential Strategies, discuss the suggested ideas for Creating Change and how they might be useful in your environment/setting. • What are some other ideas for Creating Change that will be useful in your environment/setting?

25. Take active steps to ensure that the healthcare • practitioner community mirrors society’s gender, • racial, ethnic and disability profile. • Jordan Cohen, MD • President, Association of American Medical Colleges (2003)