The AMA is urging a whole-of-profession approach to support people with disabilities to pursue careers in medicine.
Medical students and doctors with a disability, including those who have acquired a disability during training or as a fellow, report a variety of barriers to pursuing a career in medicines; beginning with entry into medical school and persisting throughout medical training to fellowship and into employment.
A new AMA position statement outlines how organisations, employers, medical schools and colleges need to avoid creating barriers to participation in medicine.
Inclusive training and work environments together with fair selection, organisational support, flexibility and research are all needed to encourage and retain doctors and medical students into the profession.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson said while one in six Australians had a disability, this was not reflected in the numbers of doctors or trainee doctors with a disability.
“The AMA wants the health sector to be set up for inclusivity. Pathways to careers in medicine should adopt a strengths-based approach, focusing on abilities, knowledge and capacities rather than deficits.
“We need to ensure our system breaks down the many barriers people with disability face, such as preconceived attitudes, bias about ability and varying approaches to application processes for selection into training,” Professor Robson said.
AMA member and co-founder of Doctors with Disability Australia, Dr Dinesh Palipana, said building trust and an environment where disclosure of a disability would be treated with respect and from a strengths-based perspective was essential.
“Providing accessible information and resources and demystifying mandatory reporting and other processes can prevent individuals with disability from being discouraged to seek support for fear of repercussions, discrimination, restricted from practice or reported,” Dr Palipana said.
A webinar on the position statement will be held on Tuesday 26 September at 7:30-8:30pm. Speakers will include Professor Steve Robson; Dr Sarah Whitelaw, Chair AMA Equity Inclusion and Diversity Committee; Dr Dinesh Palipana, co-founder Doctors with Disabilities Australia; and Clinical Assoc Prof Lisa Meeks, University of Michigan Medical School.
