Should my DC admit she has Aspergers when applying for medicine?

[user1464118261]

My DC has a diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome. It is not obvious she has it but she does take slightly longer to answer questions but is intelligent. She has done a lot of work experience for medicine and is predicted A*AAA in her A levels with very good GCSE. The question is should she declare her Aspergers on her application? I approached one medical school and they were very very dismissive of any support being given at interview or that it was possible to train as a doctor with Aspergers. Can MNs give me some advice? My feeling is she would make a good doctor but is not material to specilise in some thing like emergency medicine.

Occupational health stuff is disclosed after receiving an offer of a place. FTP panels aren't involved in interviews, only if things go very awry later on.
MMIs are a great interview format and I think there's no reason she wouldn't do well. Too many students go on those 'how to get into medicine' days and give canned responses so actually maybe pausing and giving a slightly unusual answer isn't a bad thing. Avoids medical schools who use panels for interview as all the best ones are MMI
I don't know if she gets particularly anxious OP? Maybe work on anxiety with her if so, so instead of a panic when under time constraint like UKCAT she can try to put into perspective a bit (easier said than done)

If you think your dd may struggle with the UKCAT then how about applying to a couple of Medical schools that use BMAT or ones that don't place a huge emphasis on the UKCAT score.

I am a doctor and I have many wonderful openly aspy colleagues! TBH I went to two medical schools (transferred due to having dd) and despite them both being Russel group they were very equal opportunities and committed to supporting students with any kind of ld. so it is more than achievable for her, especially with those grades! My advice would make to ask the schools you are applying to. If they are archaic in their responses then avoid!! However if they are positive and inclusive then go for it! Good luck! 👍

However, as I understand it, and I'm not directly involved with med school admissions, the main issue is with the fitness to practice rules, and, I suspect, particularly in terms of the ability to engage empathically with patients and work effectively with colleagues. They shouldn't dismiss someone out of hand because of having Aspergers, but will want to make their own evaluation

Yes, this would be my first concern. Reasonable adjustments have to be "reasonable" both ways - academic progression can't be undermined, nor can fitness to practice.

But universities are likely to have good systems for assessing this.

The advantage of declaring is that support and reasonable adjustment will be there from the start. No mitigation can be given without independent medical certification of a diagnosis. And, at my institution anyway, mitigation can't be sought retrospectively.

Lots to think about. It would be worth talking to student services/learning disabilities counsellors at universities your DD may want to apply to.

hi user1464118261,

Can you please tell me if DC dislcosed disability evidence to UKCAT to qualify for UKCATSEN?

I think pearson discloses the evidence to universities when they ask for the scores.

How would she deal on the job? I don’t think having slow processing skills would hold her back from being a GP or non-A&E/surgical options, but it does limit her career options. Although allowances can be made, I believe they would be very exceptional- med school admissions are incredibly competitive.

OP you will know too well that any label covers a world of variation. In principle, there is nothing to bar SEND medics of suitable ability and interest from any specialty. Most surgery is cold surgery, so slow processing is usually irrelevant. Nobody gets tested as to how good their working memory or processing speed is, it is very clear whether they can or cannot do the job well enough.

Do you disclose? I think it depends what you are looking for.
UKCATSEN needs confirmation that she gets extra time for public exams, but check with the school whether they need more than that. I the past, EP reports were needed, but of late most schools accept that if you pass the JCQ requirements, that's fine.
DSA will need a suitable EP report, which will specify her needs and challenges. No need for labels, when what she needs is targeted support, which is not an advantage any more than having spectacles is.

As for comments from pop-science fans, your DD and the many many adjudicators at each stage know whether she is suited to a life's work in medicine, not them. Karma may cause them to go under the knife of a fast rather than good surgeon.