Building a More Inclusive
Future in Medicine
Inclusion and accessibility in medicine benefit everyone. MSDCI is working to remove barriers for students and professionals with disabilities, increasing representation of diverse perspectives in medicine. We are fighting health disparities faced by the disability community from within, working to ensure future physicians are trained with a more comprehensive understanding of disabled patients’ healthcare needs.
- Guiding Values
MSDCI is a student-led organization striving to support and serve medical students with disability and/or chronic illness. We are committed to increasing accessibility of medical education for trainees of all abilities as well as advocating for and improving health equity for patients with disabilities.
COMMUNITY
MSDCI fosters connections between disability student groups at medical schools across the country and between our chapters and near-peer mentors. By developing new chapters, we broaden the reach of disability advocacy and further normalize disability in medical students and trainees.
ADVOCACY
Our programming is heavily focused on bringing disability awareness into medical communities. MSDCI provides shared resources and strategies for effective advocacy and seeks to illuminate the intersectional role of the disability community in social justice efforts.
EDUCATION
MSDCI is dedicated to improving accessibility for students and trainees with disabilities or chronic illnesses. We are creating resource guides with tips and tricks to help navigate the medical journey and documents to guide accessibility changes at medical institutions.
Accessibility
We believe that disability education is essential for addressing bias against disabled providers and advancing health equity for patients with disabilities. Through curricular recommendations, clinical skills projects, and examinations of technical standards at our institutions, we seek to improve medical education for patients and providers alike.
- News and Updates
- Blog Post
Understanding the Latest Challenge to Section 504 and Disability Rights
In January 2026, a group of nine U.S. states—Texas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and South Dakota—filed a renewed legal challenge against federal disability civil-rights protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Endometriosis Is a Systemic Disease. The Immune System Has Been Saying It for Years.
For many people living with endometriosis, disability does not start and stop in the pelvis. It shows up in energy levels, brain fog, pain flares, gastrointestinal symptoms, missed classes, canceled plans, and a body that feels like it is constantly “overreacting.”
My Story: Showing Up Anyway
Featured Image Source: Dame Magazine
For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived with a speech disability. I stutter. Not always, and not in the same way every day—but often enough that it’s shaped how I move through the world. Growing up, I noticed how people sometimes paused, looked away, or finished my sentences.
2024 They Called Us Exceptional: A Book Review and Reflection on Generational Trauma and Mental Health in Immigrant Communities
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