Thread by @appyjumpindaze, #MedTwitter it's time for a little story of how the MCAT fines [...]

#MedTwitter it's time for a little story of how the MCAT fines Disabled students for being Disabled and gatekeeps medicine

Buckle up because this is pretty horrific

/20

Accommodations are ways to make situations equitable (ideally) for Disabled applicants. For a exam like the MCAT this can mean extended time, private room, extra breaks, medical equipment in the room, breaks to eat/test blood sugar 2/20

Disabled students are allowed accommodations but only IF the organization accepts the applicant is Disabled & even then they get to dictate what accommodations the applicant will receive, regardless what their physicians might say is necessary 3/20

Proof of disability varies depending on what the disability is. Some require a letter from a physician w/official dx, others might require specific tests. Learning and developmental disabilities require neuropsychological workups done by educational psychologists 4/20

This is a battery of tests, usually done over several days, which, on average, costs $2k. A few places do have sliding scales, but the lowest I've seen is >$500. Unfortunately the places with the lowest fees are also the ones with the longest wait times. Some >6 months 5/20

So a poor Disabled applicant would need to
1. Save $500-$2k
2. Wait 6+ months for testing
3. Apply for MCAT accommodations
4. Wait
5. Wait
6. Wait....
7. Get rejected
6/20

Yuppers. Most ppl applying for accommodations, even after jumping through the hoops to get accommodations, get those accommodations refused. You can appeal and sometimes you will get *some* accommodations approved, but the appeals take more time 7/20

The kicker is, this is part of the hidden curriculum. You can't possibly know all this unless you've spoken to ppl who've gone through this process. You can't know that to get accommodations you need to start this process a full year before you plan to take the MCAT 8/20

That takes a LOT of advanced planning. What sucks late diagnosed individuals get short changed the most. Why? Bc unless you show proof of needing accommodations in K-12 (504 or IEP) the implication is you do fine w/o accommodations. But guess who is normally dx late? 9/20

BIPOC and AFAB individuals with developmental and learning disabilities are often misdiagnosed or missed entirely as kids. There are less resources and more stigma for these populations. Not only are these groups already marginalized but the MCAT further gatekeeps them here 10/20

In the end a lot of Disabled applicants end up unable to get accommodations & take the MCAT w/o them

"Oh, so they didn't NEED them!"

I hear you saying

11/20

BAD. TAKE.

The score on the MCAT impacts where they can apply and overall cost of an application cycle (needing to apply to fewer schools) but even if you ignore this, not getting MCAT accommodations has profound implications for them once they are in med school 12/20

Why?

Because if you take the MCAT w/o accommodations it is basically impossible to get accommodations for STEP.

"You got accepted to med school w/o accommodations thus you don't need them"

Is complete and total BULL SHIT 13/20

Forcing Disabled students to go though a process as wildly difficult as Step without accommodations is a crime. Full stop. It is cruel and impacts where they can match along with making them face the very real possibility of having to retake one of them. 14/20

And it all starts with the MCAT and how inaccessible it is for Disabled students to get accommodations. (Oh, btw, the tests have to be <3 hrs for Step accommodations too, so Disabled students would need to pony up that $2k again in med school at least once

)15/20

It's hard to argue that medicine would be better if it was more diverse, but the reality is a LOT of work has gone into making sure that diversity never happens

It's lip service only

Ya, programs exist which appear to further that goal, but it is shallow af. 16/20

Just deep enough so ppl in power can go "

well, we tried!" And go happily back to a predominantly rich, white abled bodied career.

It. Isn't. Enough

#EndTheLipService

Stop penalizing Disabled applicants/students 17/20

1. You don't outgrow developmental/learning disabilities. Requiring expensive tests to be redone is nothing but gatekeeping
2. Denying accommodations that the applicants physicians say they need is cruel

This isn't ok & it will stop only if abled physicians demand it 18/20

So what say you, #MedTwitter? Is this the way you want medicine? Are you secretly glad most disabled applicants get screened out because they either can't afford to get retested or get denied accommodations?

If not speak up! 19/20

If you want to help a premed fighting to get accommodations for the MCAT I'm currently trying to get retested. I'll need at least $1,000 now, not even counting the cost of MCAT prep or exam fee. Venmo Appyjumpindaze

To help others, ask them to accept older documentation! 20/20

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