Informed Inclusion Model: Medical Student Wheelchair User in an Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

Abstract

Abstract Students with physical disabilities are underrepresented in medicine, driven in part by ableist beliefs about the ability of individuals with disabilities to complete procedure-based or surgically oriented clerkships, including obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn). There is a growing commitment to disability inclusion by medical and specialty training associations. Yet published case studies and accommodation protocols for medical student wheelchair users navigating an Ob/Gyn clerkship are absent in the literature. This article describes successful disability inclusion for an Ob/Gyn clerkship, including accommodations for medical student wheelchair users. The authors share mechanisms to address and combat ableist assumptions and facilitate access for future medical students by working collaboratively with student and key stakeholders to develop an inclusive and accessible training experience. These recommendations are shared through the story of a third-year medical student who rotated through the longitudinal clerkships at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. The student, an individual with osteogenesis imperfecta who uses a power wheelchair with a seat elevator, completed third-year rotations and thrived in her clinical experiences. The authors describe her journey through a robust 4-week Ob/Gyn clerkship, in which she fulfilled the required clinical core conditions and observation skills with reasonable accommodation. Given the high acuity, surgery, and outpatient demands in Ob/Gyn—and the transferrable skills to other clerkships—the student’s experience is an excellent exemplar for demonstrating disability inclusion and reasonable accommodation. Ob/Gyn clerkship directors and clinical faculty can broadly use the recommended timelines and communication protocols to create accessible training environments. With student input, minor scheduling adjustments, ongoing communication, reasonable accommodations, and an open mind, medical students on the clinical wards who are wheelchair users can successfully navigate the required expectations of medical training.