Episode 24: "The Role, Challenges, and Employment Characteristics of Disability Resource Professionals in Medical Education: A National Study"

Collection V: Disclosure: the social, political, cultural, and legal dimensions of the choice to disclose disability.

Article or Publication discussed: "The Role, Challenges, and Employment Characteristics of Disability Resource Professionals in Medical Education: A National Study"

Authors: Erin Broskowski, Sarah E. Triano, Kara James, Rylee Betchkal, Karyn LaTurner Echols, Suzanne Hawks, Ochanya Ogah, Mytien Nguyen, and Lisa M. Meeks

Citation: Broskowski, Erin, Sarah E. Triano, Kara James, Rylee Betchkal, Karyn LaTurner Echols, Suzanne Hawks, Ochanya Ogah, Mytien Nguyen, and Lisa M. Meeks. "The Role, Challenges, and Employment Characteristics of Disability Resource Professionals in Medical Education: A National Study." Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development 12 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205251344771.

Description: This episode examines the first national survey of disability resource professionals (DRPs) working in US medical education. Led by DRPs themselves, the study reveals the breadth of their responsibilities and the structural constraints they face. Most DRPs serve not just a single medical school but multiple health science programs, with caseloads frequently exceeding recommended ratios. DRPs nimbly liaise between multiple stakeholders to arrange accommodations for medical students. They're often required to act as cultural ambassadors, navigating and addressing faculty, staff, and administrative ableism or misinformation regarding disability. While more widespread specialized training pathways and mentorship is needed, resources like the DRP Academy are growing, and organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) endorse the need for dedicated DRPs at medical schools. The article highlights reasons for optimism, including rising rates of disability self-disclosure among medical students and the growing advocacy from medical associations for dedicated DRP positions. The episode closes with the authors' actionable recommendations for institutions, professional associations, and faculty.

Producers: Zoey Martin Lockhart, Lisa Meeks

Audio Engineer: Jacob Feeman

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QOeEEoOj3jV58JIn_cZ-gc565tOy_21DBRutjb2VowI/edit?tab=t.0

Release: 2026

Keywords: Disability Resource Professionals, Accommodations in Medical Education, Disability Disclosure, Medical Student Support, DRP Academy

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.

Episode 23. "Political Disclosure: Resisting Ableism in Medical Education."

Citation: Jain, Neera R. "Political Disclosure: Resisting Ableism in Medical Education." Disability & Society 35, no. 3 (2020): 389–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2019.1647149.

Description: This episode opens Collection V, Disclosure: the social, political, cultural, and legal dimensions of the choice to disclose disability in the health sciences.

Jain introduces the concept of "political disclosure," a form of disability disclosure oriented towards leveraging disability identity for collective benefit and the destigmatization of disability in medicine–rather than securing accommodations. The article identifies three forms of political disclosure—visibility, upstanding, and activism—and examines the personal, relational, and institutional factors that tilt individuals toward or away from these acts. Grounded in disability studies and social theory, Jain's analysis situates students' disclosure practices within the broader ableist culture of medicine and foregrounds the value of disability epistemologies in medical education. Jain's work is grounded in interviews with disabled medical students and school officials across four medical schools. The episode also highlights resources for disability community-building in medicine that has flourished in the years since the article's publication.

Producer: Zoey Martin Lockhart, Lisa Meeks

Audio Engineer: Jacob Feeman

Transcript: Episode 23 Transcript

Release: 2026

Keywords: Political Disclosure, Disability Disclosure, Disability Epistemologies

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.

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.