122 - Disability Visibility in Preclinical Neurology Education

Objectives:

1. Identify gaps in preclinical medical education regarding neurologic disabilities and their psychosocial impact.


2. Recommend specific disability topics to integrate into preclinical neurology curriculum.


3. Discuss a trainee-led approach to incorporating disability studies into medical education.

Design: Six members of the Disability Advocacy Coalition (five medical students, one PM&R resident) analyzed presentation slides and written outlines for lectures in the preclinical neurology curriculum at a medical school. Each member reviewed a subset of lectures, selected those with potential to incorporate disability education, and created a list of possible topics and resources to include. Members then met to discuss and refine the recommendations. Each member closely reviewed a different subset of lectures and recommendations. The committee ultimately created a document detailing the need for disability education in medical school containing a brief literature review, recommendations for additions to specific lecture slides, and pertinent sources for each recommendation. The proposal was reviewed by two PM&R faculty and shared with neurology curriculum directors.

Results:
Ten of the 77 lectures were identified as opportunities to incorporate disability education. Twenty-five recommendations were presented in a letter to the curriculum directors. Lecturers integrated 12 of the 25 recommendations into presentation slides and learning guides. Disability issues added to the curriculum included quality of life, functional recovery, caregiver burden, stigma, and discrimination in patients with neurologic disabilities.

Conclusions: Educating medical students on the impact of disability and ableism is essential to prepare them for the clinical environment. We present a strategy to characterize gaps in medical education regarding people with disabilities and provide practical recommendations to address them. Faculty value trainee engagement in the curriculum and are willing to implement solutions provided by students. This strategy can be applied to making further curricular changes that embody Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion while minimizing burden on teaching faculty.