NYMC Faculty Publications

Barriers to Usmle Step-1 Accommodations: Students With Type 1 Diabetes

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0304784

Journal Title

PLoS One

First Page

e0304784

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Department

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Abstract

PURPOSE: Students who earn their medical doctorate (MD) in the U.S. must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step-1. The application process for students with disabilities who seek Step-1 accommodations can be arduous, barrier-ridden, and can impose a significant burden that may have long-lasting effects. We sought to understand the experiences of medical students with Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) who applied for Step-1 accommodations. METHODS: A Qualtrics survey was administered to students enrolled in Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited MD programs who disclosed having a primary diagnosis of T1D. Basic counts and qualitative inductive analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Of the 21 surveys sent, 16 (76.2%) participants responded. Of the 16 respondents, 11 (68.8%) applied for USMLE Step-1 accommodations, whereas 5 (31.2%) did not. Of the 11 who applied for accommodations, 7 (63.6%) received the accommodations requested, while 4 (36.4%) did not. Of those who received the accommodations requested, 5/7 (71.4%) experienced at least one diabetes-related barrier on exam day. Of those who did not apply for Step-1 accommodations, 4/5 (80%) participants reported experiencing at least one diabetes-related barrier on exam day. Overall, 11/16 (68.8%) students experienced barriers on exam day with or without accommodations. Qualitative analysis revealed themes among participants about their experience with the process: frustration, anger, stress, and some areas of general satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the perceptions of students with T1D about barriers and inequities in the Step-1 accommodations application process. Students with and without accommodations encountered T1D-related obstacles on test day.

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