Significantly more medical students reported disabilities in 2019 compared to 2016, according to a research letter published in JAMA.
The letter, based on the results of a survey conducted in both 2016 and 2019, finds that 69 percent more medical students reported disabilities this year (4.6 percent in 2019 vs. 2.7 percent in 2016). Most commonly these disabilities were psychological, related to chronic health conditions or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Researchers said the increase could be due to an uptick in admitted students with disabilities, more students reporting their disabilities, better data reporting practices or increased development of disabilities in medical schools. Most of the students (93.3 percent) were accommodated by their schools.
The survey was distributed to disability professionals at fully accredited medical schools. Read more here.
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