Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) provides a support system and platform for advocacy for students with disabilities and chronic illness. We open the conversation about the difficulties of becoming a healthcare provider while having personal experiences with illness and disease, and how these experiences can better inform our colleagues and patient care.

Medical Students for Disability Health & Advocacy (MSDHA) is a student-led group at the University of Michigan Medical School. Our mission is to promote disability health initiatives and advocate for health science learners with disability and chronic illness.

The Disabled Medical Student Association at Emory University is an affinity group that supports, represents, and connects Disabled, chronically ill, and Neurodivergent medical students. In addition to increasing disability visibility and accessibility on campus, we aim to shift the narrative of disability in medicine and improve patient care by challenging the medical model of disability, dismantling ableism, and promoting disability pride.

We are a group dedicated to elevating the conversations about disabilities. We are committed to increasing education about disability etiquette and advocacy, and we strive to provide our community with opportunities to interact with people with disabilities. Lastly, we aim to provide support and a platform for advocacy for our Penn State students, faculty, and community members with disabilities.

UConn Health’s Disabilities Interest Group (UConn DIG) is a student-run organization that strives to promote disability rights through community outreach, curricular development, service, and political advocacy. We spearhead a variety of activities, including local volunteering, an elective course on disability issues in healthcare, and service events that connect students with members of the local disability community. We also aim to create an inclusive environment for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses to provide support, information, and allyship.

The purpose of RMAC shall be to create a more inclusive environment toward people with disabilities within the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (“UR SMD”) community. Specifically, RMAC’s activities shall be aimed at raising understanding of the challenges that people with disabilities face both in accessing healthcare and during medical training, supporting members of the URSMD community with disabilities, and conducting outreach to the surrounding community to ameliorate disparities that individuals with disabilities encounter in healthcare settings.

The mission of DCI is to foster a community of individuals with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses, as well as their allies, in order to promote justice, diversity, and inclusion. DCI is focused on five primary goals to enhance advocacy and accessibility:
1. Community for trainees and faculty with disability and chronic illness.
2. Accessibility of resources and campus.
3. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and representation.
4. Admissions and curriculum inclusion.
5. Quality and inclusive patient care.

The Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) Disability Coalition is dedicated to building community for disabled, chronically ill, Deaf and neurodivergent medical students at the University of South Florida (USF), as well as providing opportunities for education, volunteerism and advocacy related to disability. We accept all USF MCOM medical students, regardless of how they identify, and define all aforementioned terms inclusively.

The UMed Abilities Coalition at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine works to foster an inclusive environment for medical students and faculty with disabilities and/or differing abilities and to advocate for equity. We facilitate collaboration among people who are passionate about disability to promote advocacy for disability in medicine. We aim to increase access to and utilization of resources and services and to ensure that disability is included in our mission of promoting diversity and inclusion.

The Disability and Medicine Interest Group (DMIG) at UIC is a group of disabled and non-disabled medical students working to combat disability misconceptions in medicine. Our mission is to provide opportunities to unlearn ableism, rebuild a foundation of disability justice, and create opportunities for disabled students to find support and community.

The Washington University School of Medicine Science and Healthcare Abilities Coalition (SHAC) was formed in fall 2020. This group aims to both improve healthcare for disabled people and create a community by and for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses and their allies across all programs at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Pritzker Alliance on Disability (PAD) is a student-run group at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Our members our dedicated to 1) advancing health justice for people with disabilities through education, service, and advocacy, and 2) supporting medical trainees with disabilities.

MSDCI at Tulane University School of Medicine strives to educate our community on the issues and experiences of medical students and patients with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses in order to
promote a more understanding and accommodating learning and clinical environment.

Spartan Alliance for Disability Inclusion and Equity (SADIE) at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is an organization hoping to advocate for students, patients, and providers with disabilities and chronic illnesses. It is through this that we hope to promote and empower patient autonomy, beneficence, and justice for individuals living with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

The RAMS Accessibility and Advocacy Coalition of Sidney Kimmel Medical College is a student-led group at Thomas Jefferson University committed to elevating conversations about disability and chronic illness in medicine. Their mission is to promote disability health initiatives and advocate for community members with disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence.

MSDCI@Iowa is a student-run organization at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. We are dedicated to raising awareness of the realities faced by disabled and chronically ill students in medical education. Our mission is to support and advocate for the next generation of healthcare professionals who can leverage their backgrounds as patients with disabilities/chronic illnesses to become excellent clinicians. We welcome disabled and non-disabled students of all healthcare professions.

Medical Students for Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) at OUWB School of Medicine is an organization hoping to advocate for students, patients, and providers with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses. It is through this that we hope to promote and empower patient autonomy, beneficence, and justice for individuals living with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Founded in spring 2022, the mission of this group is to advance curricular efforts on disability at UT Southwestern, support and create a welcome environment for students with disabilities, educate others about individuals with disabilities, and create community amongst people who care about disability. This group will work to create open communication and empowerment for students with disabilities, as well as help educate our current students on people with disabilities.

The Disability in Medicine Student Interest Group is a student-led group focusing on the inclusion and special circumstances of individuals with disabilities. We are committed to increasing education on interacting with patients and medical staff with disabilities and providing advocacy for individuals of all ability levels.

Access Penn Med is Perelman School of Medicine’s affinity group for students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. Our group is committed to providing an accessible and supportive community for students living the duality of being both a patient and a physician-in-training. Access Penn Med champions a social model of disability, acknowledging that sociocultural identification as someone with an accessibility need or health concern can exist outside of the confines of strict medical diagnoses. As an organization, we focus on raising awareness of and educating the Penn Med community on disability issues in medicine, advocating for relevant policy and process reform to make the PSOM experience more accessible to all, promoting outreach to the Philadelphia disability community, and engaging with faculty, staff, and students who are passionate about accessibility and disability issues.

Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) at McGovern Medical School unites and empowers medical students with disability and chronic illness, providing support, advocacy, and representation. We endeavor to leverage our collective experience with illness to advance health justice and equity for persons with disability.

Medical Students for Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) at UNLV is a student-led group committed to enhancing accessibility of resources and providing a support system to students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Through community outreach and curriculum inclusion, we aim to promote education on disability rights and advocacy in medicine.

We are an affinity group representing the interests of students with disabilities and chronic illnesses at Yale School of Medicine. Our purpose is to build and strengthen community amongst medical trainees and clinicians living with disability, provide education and a forum for discussion on issues of disability in medicine, and advocate for progressive disability curriculum and policy at Yale School of Medicine and beyond.

DAAG was created to introduce students to school and community resources that support the needs of individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. We also hope to address areas of ableism within the curriculum and culture of medicine by working with UICOM faculty, student affairs, and student health and wellness.

MSDCI at UNC provides a dual purpose — to advocate for and support students with chronic illnesses and disability at UNC while also advocating for the increase of a disability-centered medical school curriculum. By hosting talks, informal events and partnering with administration, MSDCI at UNC helps to increase the confidence and representation of medical students with disability and chronic illness.

Brown Medical Students for Disability Justice is a student organization that is dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion for disability and chronic illness throughout healthcare and graduate health sciences education. The Alpert Medical School (AMS) chapter aims to 1) create supportive spaces for AMS students with a range of disabilities (e.g. neurodivergent students, students with chronic illnesses, and other kinds of disabilities), 2) provide educational opportunities for AMS students and faculty that facilitate an understanding of ableism in medicine and medical training, and provide a framework for interacting with patients and peers with disabilities, and 3) collaborate with community organizations to better advocate for and with people with disabilities.

MSDCI is a student-led organization that aims to improve the education of medical students on disability-related topics. In so doing, we hope to empower current and future clinicians and patients with disabilities.

We are a student-run organization that strives to promote disability health initiatives for patients with chronic conditions, provide a platform for healthcare professionals with disabilities, advocate for further incorporation of disability into our medical curriculum, and uplift NEOMED students with disabilities through community building and outreach.

South Texas Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (STX MSDCI) serves to unite students and faculty at UT Health San Antonio that are passionate about health equity and diversity in the healthcare and biomedical science fields. Our mission is to empower students, faculty, and community members with disability and chronic illness through advocacy, with a focus on developing new and improved curricula, policies, and other systems of support at UT Health San Antonio and beyond.

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences MSDCI chapter aims to foster a community of students and providers with disabilities and chronic illnesses and their allies to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare and medical education. We advocate for and empower patient autonomy, justice, and dignity for individuals living with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

The Mizzou Med Disability Alliance is a student-led group that supports, represents, and connects disabled medical students. We aim to increase visibility of medical professionals with disabilities and advocate for accessibility in education and in healthcare.

The Disability Advocacy Group is a group of faculty, staff, and medical students who are passionate about incorporating more disability-focused education into the Geisel curriculum and raising awareness of the health challenges that patients with disabilities face both informally and formally. We aim to improve our medical education around caring for patients with disabilities and work with faculty who are willing to help us achieve these long term goals. Some of the initiatives we’re currently working on include: creating a disability-focused longitudinal curriculum, designing an accessibility-focused elective, incorporating more patient panels, adding more course-content, work to pair community partners/clinics with medical student volunteers, creating events to educate ourselves on these topics, and more.

Access-ABLE at Hopkins is a dynamic and inclusive student group at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, dedicated to fostering a supportive community for students and clinicians with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and access needs. Our core values revolve around empathy, understanding, and advocacy, as we aim to create a safe space where members can share their experiences and challenges without judgment. Through workshops, events, and guest speaker sessions, we aim to raise awareness and advocate for accessibility within the medical community. Together, we strive to create a more inclusive and empowering medical community where everyone’s unique experiences and perspectives are respected and valued.

The Disability in Medicine Interest Group at the John A. Burns School of Medicine is dedicated to educating future physicians on the best practices for helping their patients and supporting their colleagues with disabilities and chronic illness. Through advocacy, curriculum enhancement, clinical experiences, mentorship, and more, we aim to make medical education and healthcare an inclusive space.

SIUSOM Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses Alliance (MSDCIA) is a group of students with and without disabilities or chronic illnesses committed to

1. Fostering mutual support, inclusivity, and resource sharing for academic success among students with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
2. Advocating for enhanced accessibility for medical students’ unique needs, challenges,
   and aspirations, and equal opportunities within medical education and institutions.

The Medical Students Disability Representation and Advocacy (MSDRA) group was started in 2021. The goal of the organization is to support and advocate for medical students with disabilities and promote future medical practitioners’ education regarding the needs and interests of patients and other persons with disabilities. The group launched a program teaching medical sign language in Summer 2023. The group hosted a lecture on the Present Day Healthcare-Related Needs and Experiences of Persons with Disabilities presented by a legal expert from PHRC, which enforces laws prohibiting discrimination in PA, and an academic expert with disabilities from the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The group has representation on student curriculum committees and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Affinity Group task force.

The student support committee is a committee under the club, Disability Awareness in Medicine (DAIM). The committee aims to support students who have disabilities and/or are chronically ill. As part of DAIM, our goal is to increase awareness for both medical students and patients who have a disability to encourage equity and support for these individuals.

The Student Advocacy Network for Disability Inclusion is a student-led organization that aims to support and advocate for health sciences students with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and to promote accessibility in healthcare for both patients and providers. SANDI works to realize these goals by educational seminars and curricular changes, clinical work-shops, and providing support for students seeking accommodations. Our goal is to create a community of advocates to normalize disability, dispel stereotypes, and train future healthcare providers on how to effectively work with patients with disabilities.

Inclusive Medical Coalition goals are to advocate and discuss challenges for healthcare professionals, provide a community for those interested in disability, and/or discuss challenges faced by patients with disabilities. We welcome any WSU students whether they have a disability, are a disability ally, or want to learn more.

SDCID is an organization by and for health professional students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. We also aim to engage the broader health care community in disability advocacy using our experiences as both self-advocates and patient advocates.

MSDCI at KSOM is an organization dedicated to supporting the success of USC students with disability

and chronic illness in medical education and training. We strive to foster a welcoming and inclusive on-
campus community where students can build lifelong friendships and access disability and

accommodation resources, social and educational activities, and disability-informed career advising
services.

DAAG was created to introduce students to school and community resources that support the needs of individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. We also hope to address areas of ableism within the curriculum and culture of medicine by working with UICOM faculty, student affairs, and student health and wellness.

Disability Access and Education (DAE) is an academic interest group between medical students at MCASOM that provides an understanding of disability outside of clinical context. DAE provides education that centers those with disabilities. The goals of DAE are to:

1. Provide disability education through a sociocultural lens
2. Advocate for disability rights issues in medicine and in larger society
3. Develop empathy in medical students that will serve them in patient interactions with patients with disabilities

Duke Health Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (HSDCI) is an identity-based student group formed to create a shared space by and for students with mental and/or physical chronic illness or disability. This space provides opportunities for mentorship, advocacy, and support from peers with similar lived experience.

The definition of a “chronic illness” or “disability” is broad, and can often come with a sense of impostor syndrome. We welcome anyone who has or feels they may have a mental or physical illness or disability, regardless of diagnosis, “severity,” medication status, accommodations status, or history. We also welcome allies to partner with us on education and advocacy events.

Medical students interested in disability and chronic illness through personal experience or otherwise, working together to create community/support, educational opportunities not found in a typical classroom setting, and change through advocacy.

The student support committee is a committee under the club, Disability Awareness in Medicine (DAIM). The committee aims to support students who have disabilities and/or are chronically ill. As part of DAIM, our goal is to increase awareness for both medical students and patients who have a disability to encourage equity and support for these individuals.

This is a student-led organization that aims to bring awareness to students with disability and

chronic illness through advocacy, mentorship, education, and community building. We hope to foster a culture of empathy and inclusivity within the institution’s community and advocate for the improvement of health care for the disabled community.

To provide community, advocacy, education and accessibility for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses to ensure all students at the Medical College of Wisconsin have equitable access to medical education. To improve the accommodation process and enhance transparency, accessibility, and implementation to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI at NYITCOM-AR) strives to provide support to medical students with disabilities and chronic illnesses and our allies by building community and promoting a more accessible medical educational experience. We also aim to expand medical education at NYITCOM at Arkansas State University by organizing educational opportunities to increase understanding of the challenges and issues experienced by people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. We strive to provide community service and advocacy opportunities in support of our mission.

– To advocate for a medical field that is inclusive to care providers with disabilities and

chronic illnesses, and to empower people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to pursue

careers in the field of medicine.

– To educate future healthcare workers on the experiences of people living with disabilities

and chronic illnesses, with an aim to promote the dignity, agency and individuality of

each person’s lived experience.

– To promote the dissemination of information relative to disability issues in the field of

medical education;

– To explore and possibly resolve the unique challenges, obstacles, and responsibilities

specific to medical students and physicians with disabilities and/or chronic illness;

– To provide opportunities for disabled and chronically ill medical students to learn about

and give back to local communities through service.

We aim to support students with disabilities and chronic illness at Touro University

California to pursue careers in healthcare.

The Disability Empowerment Interest Group at UCR School of Medicine is a student-led organization committed to promoting health equity for individuals with disabilities and advocating for greater accessibility in medicine. Additionally, we aim to foster a supportive community where students can explore the experiences of medical trainees and clinicians living with disabilities and chronic illnesses, promoting diversity and inclusion in medical education.

NextGen Docs for Disability Awareness offers medical students with disabilities and chronic illness the chance to connect and build community. It welcomes students with disabilities or chronic illness, caregivers, and allies who wish to advocate for their peers, creating a supportive and educational space that fosters belonging and reduces isolation.

Disability and Chronic Illness Alliance

Our organization aims to provide students with community support, a space to exchange relevant resources, such as other support groups in the San Antonio area, clinic/specialist recommendations, academic aids, etc., promote inclusivity for all students, and raise awareness for various disabilities and chronic conditions both among our student doctor population and the San Antonio community.

The Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) Chapter at UCCOM is designed to establish an inclusive and supportive environment for medical students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Our mission is to advocate for accessibility in medical education, provide peer support, and educate the broader healthcare community on the unique experiences of disabled and chronically ill providers and patients.

Med-Able’s purpose is to provide

a space to support and advocate for those who identify as having a disability or as being

neurodivergent. Additionally, Med-Able aims to provide a space for those who wish to learn about and support those with disabilities and neurodivergence. The goal of Med-Able is to spread awareness of those with disabilities and/or neurodivergence in the medical field as well as how best to support them.

AccessMed aims to serve as a central outlet for education, service, and advocacy/support efforts for UVA students and faculty who identify as disabled or as allies to the disability community. MSDCI-AM aids in AccessMed’s mission by focusing on providing emotional support to students with disabilities and chronic illnesses as well as exploring and aiding efforts to resolve the unique challenges, obstacles, and responsibilities specific to medical students and physicians with disabilities and/or chronic illness