Living up to its name, #DocsWithDisabilities is a new podcast exploring the real-life stories and experiences of doctors with disabilities.
A creation of MDisability, a University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine program, the podcast will be hosted by Lisa M. Meeks, Ph.D., assistant professor. A deeper understanding of issues, challenges and the stories of medical professionals with disabilities will be discovered through critical conversations with the doctors, researchers, administrators, faculty and policy makers that work to ensure medicine remains an equal opportunity profession.
MDisability is a collaborative program focused on improving the inclusion of people with disabilities in healthcare research, education, practice and community engagement.
The initial podcast features an interview with Dr. Nichole Taylor, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs with the Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is living with multiple sclerosis and addresses that and the experience of interacting with her students.
“I'm very open about my disability with the students,” says Taylor in the podcast. “I think it's important that they all know that we aren't these superhuman beings, and we struggle. But I think when you can be vulnerable, and you can show that we can be human beings.”
Meeks, an expert in disabilities in medical education, has co-authored several articles and books on the subject of disability in medical education.
The #DocsWithDisabilities podcast is available to subscribe to through various platforms, including Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Soundcloud and Spotify.