Medical student preparedness to address healthcare disparities among individuals with disabilities: An analysis of the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance Survey 2020

BACKGROUND: Nearly one in four Americans live with a disability, yet healthcare systems often fail to adequately meet the needs of this population, resulting in significant health disparities. The disparities faced by people with disabilities (PWD) can be attributed to a lack of education for medical professionals at all levels. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory study investigates medical students' exposure to disability-related content and their self-perceived preparedness to care for PWD. METHODS: Using data from the 2020 Council of Academic Family Medicine's Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey, we conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing responses from 107 medical students to assess medical student exposure to PWD and perceived preparedness to provide comprehensive care among an exploratory sample. RESULTS: Exposure to components of established health disparities curricula-including didactic instruction, clinical skills training, and interactive learning experiences-was positively associated with students' self-reported confidence in providing care for PWD. However, most students within this sample report not having these experiences during medical school. CONCLUSIONS: The study preliminarily highlights the need for a standardized disability-focused curriculum in medical education. Incorporating structured didactic and experiential learning opportunities may improve medical student preparedness to care for PWD. Further research with larger, representative samples is needed to inform the development of standardized disability curricula.