Episode 22: Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition

Collection IV: Policies towards Disability Inclusivity in the Health Sciences.

Article or Publication discussed: "Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition"

Authors: Zoie Sheets, Maureen Fausone, Anne Messman, Pilar Ortega, Jessica Ramsay, Megan Creasman, and Nalinda Charnsangavej

Citation: Sheets, Zoie C., Maureen Fausone, Anne Messman, et al. "Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition." Academic Medicine 100, no. 10S (2025): S161. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000006136.

Description: This episode explores concrete strategies for supporting disabled medical students as they navigate the critical transition from medical school to residency. The authors organize their recommendations across four key areas: disability disclosure, specialty selection, program selection, and requesting accommodations in graduate medical education. The episode describes the vital roles that faculty mentors, Disability Resource Professionals (DRPs), UME institutions, GME programs, and accrediting bodies each play in creating environments where disabled learners can thrive.

Producer: Zoey Martin Lockhart, Lisa Meeks

Audio Engineer: Jacob Feeman

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n_6VUQr0mwmQHOPBgUXU3qJhKHQGyiztVGFUa-kef2E/edit?usp=sharing

Keywords: Residency, Graduate Medical Education, Disability Resource Professionals

Disclaimer: This podcast is a production of the DWDI and the CDHW. The opinions on this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of their respective institutions or organizations. It is released under creative commons attribution, non-commercial, non-derivative license. This episode was produced by Zoey Martin-Lockhart and Lisa Meeks, with assistance from our audio editor Jacob Feeman.

Funding: This episode is sponsored, in part, by the University of Michigan Center for Disability Health and Wellness and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Grant #90RTHF0005, the Ford Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.