This week is @StanfordMed’s first ever Inclusion Week. Lots of great programming, including today’s amazing talk from @PetePoullos about disability in medicine. He shared the events leading up to the day he had a bike accident and became paralyzed from the neck down.
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He shared how, on the day of the injury, on top of the devastating physical injury, he was catastrophizing (his word) about losing all his friends and family as well as the manual skills he had honed as a GI fellow.
#DocsWithDisabilities
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#DocsWithDisabilities
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He shared his journey in the early days after his injury, showing us what it was like to learn how to steer a wheelchair with his chin and work day in and day out to try to learn how to do things many of us take for granted—eating and standing.
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He then went on to teach us about ableism and gave a few specific examples:
-people telling his wife she’s an angel for being with him.
-talking to his wife rather than talking to him.
-hitting on his wife while he’s right there.
Seriously, folks? Do better than this.
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-people telling his wife she’s an angel for being with him.
-talking to his wife rather than talking to him.
-hitting on his wife while he’s right there.
Seriously, folks? Do better than this.
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Making the direct connection with #diversity, he shared that even though 1/5 people in the US have disabilities, people with disabilities are severely underrepresented in medicine.
And then reminded us that excluding disabilities when discussing diversity is also ableism.
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And then reminded us that excluding disabilities when discussing diversity is also ableism.
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There is no one face of disability—there are many different kinds of disabilities! And the invisible ones can sometimes be the hardest to manage, especially when people don’t believe you have them.
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@PetePoullos challenged us to think of disability not as a limitation, but as a benefit. Physicians with disabilities have grit and bring a unique perspective that improves patient care and benefits the organization.
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In case you (like many of us) have a preconceived notion of what a physician looks like, here are some images of real #DocsWithDisabilities!
#ThisIsWhatADoctorLooksLike
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#ThisIsWhatADoctorLooksLike
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As for @petepoullos’s story, he transferred to radiology @stanfordmed & worked with his PD to pave his path through residency. Sometimes this meant he took on tasks others didn’t want—such as holding the consult phone 😂.
Key points here were being creative and innovating.
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Key points here were being creative and innovating.
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He founded the Stanford Medicine Abilities Coalition (@StanfordMedAC) to recruit and support people with disabilities.
Wondering what you can do? Here are some tips:
-be inclusive re: disabilities
-recruit & showcase ppl with disabilities
-accommodate everyone
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Wondering what you can do? Here are some tips:
-be inclusive re: disabilities
-recruit & showcase ppl with disabilities
-accommodate everyone
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Finally, thank you, @PetePoullos, for sharing your story and helping create more inclusion at Stanford. We are with you!
For more about @StanfordMedAC, check out their site. And see what your institution is doing to support ppl with disabilities!
med.stanford.edu/smac.html
11/11
For more about @StanfordMedAC, check out their site. And see what your institution is doing to support ppl with disabilities!
med.stanford.edu/smac.html
11/11
