I was born with congenital abnormalities of my hands and more significantly my legs. This resulted in bilateral below knee amputations at around one year old – since then I never looked back. Through my childhood I always said I would never study medicine ‘too many hours’; however I maintained but would do something medically related. In the end none of the allied professions grabbed me like medicine did. I never thought my exposure to doctors in my childhood influenced my decision but in hindsight it must have. After all you like what you know. I was actually reassured but the fact that family, friends and doctors that I consulted, were more concerned about the academic challenge facing me, rather than issues related to my disability. The brains I knew I could do, or at least work at, the disability issue would be more out of my hands.

 

My progression through the application process was straight forward although I had formal interviews by universities that state that they routinely interview (eg Edinburgh). I got the feeling that they just wanted to eyeball me. My only real struggle was getting those horrendous grades!

 

The pre-clinical years were no problem at all. My mobility is such that I am fully independent over reasonable distances. The only essential change that I made was moving my limb fitting to my university town early on. With my frequent breakages it was essential that they were nearby, it was also useful establishing a good relationship with them earlier rather than later.

 

 

I was approached by the disabilities officer prior to even arriving in Edinburgh. I politely declined there assistance in my first year. However I got back in touch during my second when I realised that I was eligible for support for the DSA. Following an assessment I was able to obtain a computer which meant that I would not have to make two trips into the campus should I need to study in the evening. This was particularly essential when I got blisters from my prosthesis and I had to limit my walking to necessities only. The only other disability related funding that I obtained was my higher level DLA which was redirected to Motability to pay for my car. Most medical students have a car by clinical years as we have 4-6 week placements at hospitals all over the region, for me a car was particularly important.

 

I have had quite contrasting experiences insofar as discussing my disability with colleagues and patients. Doctors are naturally curious and at times forget that I am a colleague and not an interesting patient. For example I have met hand surgeons who have started examining my hands while I was standing by the nurses’ station. However thankful this is the minority and most colleagues are fantastic and treat my disability as they would treat someone who had been born abroad or was a bungee jumper.

 

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Patients are more blatant but in a way I have found these encounters simpler and often entertaining. When one patient asked me, “So are you a bit of a cripple, doc?” I replied, “Yes, I’ve always had bad legs,” then proceeded with the encounter where the patient treated me with appropriate respect. As I was taking a history, another patient said, “’Do you mind me asking? Are you an amputee?” I confirmed that I was, and the patient continued, “Ah, so that is why you sway?sorry, what was it you were asking again?”. I have found it is elderly patients who use the more outdated terms such as ‘cripple’. It is my opinion that the are not being malicious, they are just from an age when such a word was in common use and free of the more recent connotations.

 

Having worked as a doctor for 2 years now I am learning that my disability actually has some advantages. Patients and staff remember me and also patients see me as ‘one of them’ as it is obvious I have been a patient myself in the past.

 

With respect to advising future disabled students applying for medicine I think that it is not the time at medical school that is the issue, the real hard works starts when you graduate. If you are worried about coping with the course you really need to realistically consider how it is likely to get worse. Twelve hour shifts and weeks of nights are the reality of a junior doctor’s life. Of course, it is not impossible and I am speaking only of my experience with full time study/working when alternatives are possible (albeit rare). Medicine is a demanding course and career for anyone, those with disabilities just need to work that little bit harder at it. I must say it is work the effort.

 

[Updated 24th April 2006]