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MSDCI was founded by Zainub Dhanani, a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine, in 2019. Inspired by Stanford's disability student group of the same name, which was created in 2018 by three students: Claire Rhee, Maite van Hentenryck, and Steven Losarelli, Zainub wanted to take the impact she saw Stanford's group having and bring that to the national level. Since then, MSDCI has grown to include dozens of chapters and hundreds of members-a testament to the growing need for community amongst individuals with disability in medicine and allies, all of whom are passionate about disability inclusion in medical education and addressing the health disparities faced by patients with disabilities.

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  • Mission

Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness unites and empowers medical students through advocacy, mentorship, education, and community building while using our collective power towards advancing the improvement of health care for the disabled community

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  • History
  • MSDCI National is founded by Zainub Dhanani at Stanford University School of Medicine in 2019.
  • MSDCI National is joined by 10+ institutional chapters over the course of two years. The inaugural “Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine” is initially postponed due to COVID, but virtually attended in June. MSDCI National is one of their sponsors.
  • MSDCI National holds a resident panel in August 2021 to provide support and information to students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses applying to residency.
  • MSDCI National elects its first leadership board: Director, Associate Director, Director of Community Development and Outreach, Director of Advocacy and Education, and Director of Communications.
  • MSDCI National members collaborate on writing AMA policy advocating for increased disability training in medical education and broader definitions of disability. That policy is adopted as amended by the medical student section in November 2021.
  • MSDCI National National sponsors the 2nd Annual Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine
  • MSDCI National sends a letter to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) advocating for disability training as a requirement for allopathic medical school accreditation. The letter receives endorsements from notable disability organizations and nearly 700 supporting signatures from medical students around the country.
  • MSDCI National meets with the National Council on Disability (NCD) and then-chairman, the late Andres Gallegos in October 2021 to discuss the letter to the LCME and continued advocacy efforts.
  • The LCME notifies MSDCI National that they will formally consider our letter at their mid-February meeting. The LCME informs MSDCI National that they will send their response to our recommendations in February 2022.
  • MSDCI National establishes a research division headed by Sonali Biswas, Director of Research. The research team initiates a project evaluating required disability curricula in medical schools.
  • Zainub Dhanani, MSDCI National Director at the time, and Sandy Carpenter, MSDCI National Associate Director at the time, give a presentation in January 2022 to the National Council on Disability (NCD) on MSDCI’s recent advocacy efforts to formally integrate disability training in the standards of accreditation for US medical schools as determined by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
  • MSDCI National publishes a “Guide to Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and/or Chronic Illness” developed by Nora Newcomb, then MSDCI National Director of Advocacy and Education, and Lily Upp, active member. The guide is widely distributed among medical schools.
  • The Chair of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education responds to MSDCI’s letter, stating that the recommended changes in our letter will be formally considered by the Subcommittee on Standards. If substantive changes are made, a public hearing will be held in late Fall 2022.
  • MSDCI National supports Stanford’s 3rd Annual Disability in Healthcare in Medicine Conference in
  • MSDCI National holds a social event with Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami to promote community building and learn about Dr. O’s experiences as disabled physician.
  • MSDCI National holds its first Fireside Chat with disability activist and author Emily Ladau.
  • MSDCI National members collaborate on writing two separate AMA policies advocating for improved reporting of disability-related mistreatment for medical students and adoption of accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment.
  • MSDCI National elects a new and expanded leadership board: Executive Director, Associate Director, Director(s) of Community Development and Outreach, Director(s) of Advocacy and Education, Director(s) of Communications, and Director(s) of Research.
  • MSDCI National sponsors the 3rd Annual Conference on Disability in Medicine
  • First edition of our MSDCI National “Pain Chronicles” series is published on our website
  • MSDCI National begins the year hosting a Fireside Chat with Dr. Justin Bullock, MD, MPH, a nephrology fellow who has undergone mental health barriers and hopes to create safe environments in medicine for sharing.
  • MSDCI National sponsors the 4th Annual Conference on Disability in Medicine
  • Catherine Stratton, then Director of Research, and Nora Newcomb, then Associate Director, host a workshop on ‘Disability Identity in Physiatry’ at the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) Annual Meeting.
  • MSDCI National holds another Fireside chat with Dr. Bluestein, hypermobility and chronic pain specialist particularly in artistic athletes.
  • MSDCI National initiates its first monthly journal club in September
    MSDCI
  • National members present multiple abstracts at the National DACMed
    Conference.
  • Zainub, then National Director, and Nora, then National Associate Director, speak at the National Council on Disability (NCD) meetings in Washington DC on addressing health disparities through disability clinical care competency training.
  • In partnership with Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program (DM3P), MSDCI National National submits a public letter to the US Census Bureau’s Docket Number USBC-2023-0009 in December. The statement protests an update to the WG-SS which would result in inaccurate estimates of disability prevalence, potentially hampering progress made on reducing disparities between disabled and non-disabled US residents.
  • MSDCI National becomes a 501(c)3 non profit organization
  • Members of MSDCI National leadership -Zainub Dhanani, Ifeoma Ikedionwu, and Nora Newcomb – are awarded the 2024 Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader award to further the mission of MSDCI
  • MSDCI National expands its leadership board to include 28 people and adds new roles: strategy and sustainability, finance, and website development
  • MSDCI sponsors the 5th Annual Disability in Healthcare and Medicine conference
  • MSDCI National launches its first mentorship program for medical students with chronic illnesses/disabilities

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