Hi guys,
I hope you're having a wonderful day thus far.
In case you don't know me, I’m Jerusha, a third year PhD candidate and I live with cerebral palsy. I’m an ambitious person but for the past three years I’ve been unable to gain entry into any medical program, even though I know I am qualified. Medical colleges in Australia make it very hard for people like me to get accepted. Sign the petition
I’m calling on top medical colleges in Australia, such as Notre Dame University, University of Melbourne, and Deakin University to accept applicants who live with disabilities without a GAMSAT/MCAT score.
People with disabilities are the least underrepresented in the profession. To create an inclusive medical education and representative medical workforce, colleges need to do better and establish supportive policies for prospective students.
Currently, the entire application process for medical colleges is rife with discrimination against students with disabilities. Instead of heavily relying on standardized tests, medical schools should take a more holistic approach and find alternative ways to assess an applicant’s merit.
Even at the interview stage, research has found medical students with visible disabilities face discrimination and aren’t seen as capable of the medical profession.
Integrating people with disabilities into the medical workforce will be transformational in reversing the negative attitudes society holds about us.
Representation is so important and medical colleges have the opportunity to make real, impactful change here.
Please sign and share my petition to call for inclusive medical education. Here's the link:
Many thanks,
Jerusha