An Analysis of Pre-Medical Students and Their Attitudes towards Inclusion of Disability in the Curriculum

Presenter

Andrew James Radoc

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Ashley Woodman, Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A86, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 5 (A81-A100) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Disability is an underrepresented topic in the undergraduate curriculum. The coverage of the topic of disability is typically limited to special education. It is especially notable that general discussion of disability or health disparities experienced by disabled people is largely absent from the pre-medical curriculum. Admission testing for medical school primarily focuses on the life sciences rather than aspects of patients’ identities and backgrounds. The lack of social science coverage can cause a disconnect between the patient and the healthcare worker. While some might assume these topics are sufficiently covered in graduate education, healthcare workers often report they are not adequately prepared to support their disabled patients.  An online survey will be distributed at a large, public university in Massachusetts to pre-health undergraduate students. Responses will be analyzed to determine attitudes toward the level of coverage of these topics in their current courses as well as attitudes toward the expansion of the current curriculum to cover more disability-related topics. This study is expected to show that disability is not covered much in the current curriculum. It is expected that students will have a neutral or positive attitude toward including this topic in the curriculum. The findings can potentially impact the curriculum of the pre-health courses at this and similar universities.

Keywords

Disability, Pre-Health, Undergraduate, Curriculum

Research Area

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

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