Number
224
Name
Impact of a Genetics Panel on Disability Awareness for First-Year Medical Students
Date & Time
Sunday, June 15, 2025, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Location Name
Exhibition Hall C
Speakers
Katherine De Jong - Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
Presentation Topic(s)
Curriculum
Description

Purpose
Persons with disabilities frequently experience barriers in their healthcare encounters1-6. One major barrier reported among individuals with disabilities is that their providers had insufficient knowledge and misconceptions about their disability and how to care for them as patients6. Despite the high prevalence of disabilities in the U.S., there is a lack of training at American medical schools regarding disability awareness and interactions with patients who have disabilities. The goal of the current study is to describe the impact of a 2.5-hour Genetics Panel presented on disability/genetic disorder awareness during the first-year medical school curriculum.

Methods
The Genetics Panel consisted of four different families who discussed their experiences with genetic conditions and varying disabilities. By utilizing pre- and post-surveys administered before and after the panel session, the strategy is to gauge the students' exposure, knowledge, and comfort levels interacting with individuals with disabilities.

Results
In 2023, fifty-five respondents completed the preliminary pre-survey (before the panel), and 40 respondents completed the preliminary post-survey (after the panel). In the preliminary data, 85% of the students (out of a total of 55 students) reported never having any training regarding disabilities in medicine before the event. In the follow-up post-survey, 31/40 (76%) of the participants reported they were somewhat or extremely comfortable interacting with patients with disabilities after what they had learned in the genetics panel.

Conclusion
The results of the study reinforced the need for disability education in medical school curricula. To measure effectiveness, additional survey-based research will compare the self-reported pre- and post-responses to assess the first-year medical students' comfort levels and knowledge regarding individuals with disabilities. We also plan survey-based research of graduating students and residents about the long-term impact of the Genetics Panel on clinical practice.

Presentation Tag(s)
Student Presentation