Skip to main content
Ottawa 2024
Times are shown in your local time zone GMT

Creating a supportive policy for students with a disability taking a national knowledge exam

Oral Presentation
Edit Your Submission
Edit

Presentation Description

Clare Owen1
1 MSC 



Background
The Medical Schools Council (MSC) is working with UK medical schools to introduce a national applied knowledge test (AKT) that will form part of the Medical Licencing Assessment regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). A voluntary Policy Framework has been put in place that covers issues such as the adjustments available to students with disability. 


Summary of work
The introduction of the AKT provided an opportunity to put in place a policy for the provision of accommodations for students with a disability that followed best practice and was compliant with UK equalities legislation. 


Results 
Survey data on the percentage of students receiving adjustments will be shared. 


Discussion
The main considerations in putting together the policy on adjustments were; 

  • Not putting additional administrative barriers in place for students with disabilities 
  • Encouraging schools to look at requests for adjustments on a case by case basis by not  setting any blanket rules for the adjustments provided 
  • Adjustments should be made if it is reasonable for a school to make them and this decision should not be based on interpretations of what might be reasonable in clinical practice. 

Conclusions
The policy asks medical schools to make decisions on adjustments for their students to avoid any unnecessary bureaucracy for students and ensure continuity of provision. MSC will accept any adjustment signed off by a school that it can reasonably accommodate. 


Take-home messages / implications for further research or practice 
To create an inclusive environment for students with disabilities care must be taken to ensure processes for receiving adjustments are straightforward and cater to them as individuals. 



References (maximum three) 

GMC Guidance - Welcomed and Valued https://www.gmc-uk.org/- /media/documents/welcomed-and-valued-2021-english_pdf-86053468.pdf accessed August 2023 

Speakers