Docs With Disabilities

Interviewee: Erick Hung, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Students, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education

Description: In this episode of Stories Behind the Science, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Erick Hung (UCSF) about his paper, "Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment," part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Their conversation explores how a single student story at UCSF sparked a full-scale rethinking of what it means to create an equitable learning environment. Dr. Hung walks us through the journey—from a campus task force to a conceptual framework that now guides systemic change nationwide. Together, they unpack the six domains of the learning environment, including a new and critical addition: the societal layer, which recognizes how broader cultural forces shape belonging, access, and success.

The discussion touches on mentorship, student advocacy, technical standards reform, and what it means to move beyond compliance toward culture change. Dr. Hung also reflects on humility in leadership, the importance of systems thinking, and how conceptual frameworks become living roadmaps for equity.

Listeners will come away with practical takeaways for schools and leaders—build peer networks, re-evaluate policies through an inclusion lens, and invite students into the co-creation of change.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aO6cvl-_b82AONsV7V4LmS1Y8r6sI8zVtWKzWPlHakw/edit?usp=sharing

Bios: Erick Hung, MD is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Students at UCSF School of Medicine. A UCSF graduate and psychiatrist by training, he has led major institutional efforts to foster student well-being, belonging, and disability inclusion. His scholarship and leadership focus on systems approaches to learner flourishing, inclusive learning environments, and advocacy for equitable policy reform in medical education.

Key Words: Learning environment Disability inclusion Medical students Systems thinking Societal drivers Technical standards Belonging Well-being Institutional change

Resources:

Article from Today's Talk: Theall, Alexandra C.P.; Crandall, Joanne E., MD; Gamboa, Haley N., MS, MD; Chichioco, Michael; Hughes, Sarah E.; Gruppen, Larry, PhD; Hung, Erick, MD. Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment. Academic Medicine, 100(10S): S84-S91, October 2025. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006148 Read the full article here

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast: https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewee: Erick Hung, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Students, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine

Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education

Description: In this episode of Stories Behind the Science, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Erick Hung (UCSF) about his paper, "Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment," part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Their conversation explores how a single student story at UCSF sparked a full-scale rethinking of what it means to create an equitable learning environment. Dr. Hung walks us through the journey—from a campus task force to a conceptual framework that now guides systemic change nationwide. Together, they unpack the six domains of the learning environment, including a new and critical addition: the societal layer, which recognizes how broader cultural forces shape belonging, access, and success.

The discussion touches on mentorship, student advocacy, technical standards reform, and what it means to move beyond compliance toward culture change. Dr. Hung also reflects on humility in leadership, the importance of systems thinking, and how conceptual frameworks become living roadmaps for equity.

Listeners will come away with practical takeaways for schools and leaders—build peer networks, re-evaluate policies through an inclusion lens, and invite students into the co-creation of change.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aO6cvl-_b82AONsV7V4LmS1Y8r6sI8zVtWKzWPlHakw/edit?usp=sharing

Bios: Erick Hung, MD is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Students at UCSF School of Medicine. A UCSF graduate and psychiatrist by training, he has led major institutional efforts to foster student well-being, belonging, and disability inclusion. His scholarship and leadership focus on systems approaches to learner flourishing, inclusive learning environments, and advocacy for equitable policy reform in medical education.

Key Words: Learning environment Disability inclusion Medical students Systems thinking Societal drivers Technical standards Belonging Well-being Institutional change

Resources:

Article from Today's Talk: Theall, Alexandra C.P.; Crandall, Joanne E., MD; Gamboa, Haley N., MS, MD; Chichioco, Michael; Hughes, Sarah E.; Gruppen, Larry, PhD; Hung, Erick, MD. Promoting Disability Inclusion Through an Expanded Conceptual Framework of the Learning Environment. Academic Medicine, 100(10S): S84-S91, October 2025. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006148 Read the full article here

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast: https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewee:

Bassel Shanab, BS is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine.

Interviewer:

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

This episode of Stories Behind the Science sits down with Bassel Shanab (Yale School of Medicine), co-first author of "The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students," part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. We move beyond prevalence rates to the lived realities behind them—and why hunger so often hides in plain sight in elite training environments. Bassel shares the personal experiences that shaped his questions, the multi-institutional data that sharpened the answers, and the practical moves any school can make now: screen routinely, get cost-of-living estimates right, normalize help-seeking, and invest in evidence-based campus supports. Along the way, we talk flourishing (not just "fixing"), student-led research networks, and why transparency beats stigma every time. Whether you're a dean, DRP, faculty member, or student, this conversation offers a humane roadmap from surviving to thriving. Links to the open-access article, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/184LJqvcAgHGmpHyOcaxOxRw4yetR7qrGPPin0HDX7i4/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:

Bassel Shanab, BS is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and Global Health Studies from Northwestern University, graduating with distinction. His academic interests include medical education, cardiovascular health, social determinants of health, and health policy.

Key Words:

Food insecurity

Medical students

Disability

Race and ethnicity

Underrepresented in medicine (URiM)

Low-income background

Intersectionality

Student well-being

Academic performance

Resources:

Article from Today's Talk

The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students

Nguyen, Mytien MS; Shanab, Bassel M.; Khosla, Pavan; Boatright, Dowin MD, MBA, MHS; Chaudhry, Sarwat I. MD; Brandt, Eric J. MD, MHS; Hammad, Nour M. MS; Grob, Karri L. EdD, MA; Brinker, Morgan; Cannon, Caden; Cermack, Katherine; Fathali, Maha; Kincaid, John W.R. MS, MPhil; Ma, Yuxing Emily; Ohno, Yuu MS; Pradeep, Aishwarya; Quintero, Anitza MBA; Raja, Neelufar; Rooney, Brendan L.; Stogniy, Sasha; Smith, Kiara K.; Sun, George; Sunkara, Jahnavi; Tang, Belinda; Rubick, Gabriella VanAken MD; Wang, JiCi MD; Bhagwagar, Sanaea Z.; Luzum, Nathan; Liu, Frank MS; Francis, John S. MD, PhD; Meeks, Lisa M. PhD, MA; Leung, Cindy W. PhD. The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S113-S118, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006156

https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2025/10001/the_intersection_of_disability,_race,_ethnicity,.12.aspx

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewee:

Bassel Shanab, BS is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. 

Interviewer: 

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

This episode of Stories Behind the Science sits down with Bassel Shanab (Yale School of Medicine), co-first author of "The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students," part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. We move beyond prevalence rates to the lived realities behind them—and why hunger so often hides in plain sight in elite training environments. Bassel shares the personal experiences that shaped his questions, the multi-institutional data that sharpened the answers, and the practical moves any school can make now: screen routinely, get cost-of-living estimates right, normalize help-seeking, and invest in evidence-based campus supports. Along the way, we talk flourishing (not just "fixing"), student-led research networks, and why transparency beats stigma every time. Whether you're a dean, DRP, faculty member, or student, this conversation offers a humane roadmap from surviving to thriving. Links to the open-access article, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/184LJqvcAgHGmpHyOcaxOxRw4yetR7qrGPPin0HDX7i4/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:  

Bassel Shanab, BS is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences and Global Health Studies from Northwestern University, graduating with distinction. His academic interests include medical education, cardiovascular health, social determinants of health, and health policy.

Key Words:  

Food insecurity

Medical students

Disability

Race and ethnicity

Underrepresented in medicine (URiM)

Low-income background

Intersectionality

Student well-being

Academic performance

Resources: 

Article from Today's Talk

The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students

Nguyen, Mytien MS; Shanab, Bassel M.; Khosla, Pavan; Boatright, Dowin MD, MBA, MHS; Chaudhry, Sarwat I. MD; Brandt, Eric J. MD, MHS; Hammad, Nour M. MS; Grob, Karri L. EdD, MA; Brinker, Morgan; Cannon, Caden; Cermack, Katherine; Fathali, Maha; Kincaid, John W.R. MS, MPhil; Ma, Yuxing Emily; Ohno, Yuu MS; Pradeep, Aishwarya; Quintero, Anitza MBA; Raja, Neelufar; Rooney, Brendan L.; Stogniy, Sasha; Smith, Kiara K.; Sun, George; Sunkara, Jahnavi; Tang, Belinda; Rubick, Gabriella VanAken MD; Wang, JiCi MD; Bhagwagar, Sanaea Z.; Luzum, Nathan; Liu, Frank MS; Francis, John S. MD, PhD; Meeks, Lisa M. PhD, MA; Leung, Cindy W. PhD. The Intersection of Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Financial Background on Food Insecurity Among Medical Students. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S113-S118, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006156

https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2025/10001/the_intersection_of_disability,_race,_ethnicity,.12.aspx

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewees:

Kirsten Brown, PhD Assistant Professor of Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; as a short disclaimer, Kirsten's views do not represent the official policy or position of her employer.

Dionna Bidny, MD, MMUS a first-year resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, currently completing her Transitional Year; and

Abby Konoposky, PhD Senior Director of Medical Education Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwell Health.

Interviewer:

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an intimate conversation with Dr. Kirsten Brown (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences), Dr. Dionna Bidny (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), and Dr. Abby Konopasky (Northwell Health), co-authors of Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review, part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Drawing from over 80 publications, their study traces how disability in medical education has too often been framed through deficit and legal models, while leaving intersectionality and the voices of disabled learners largely absent. Together, we explore why this framing matters, what the literature reveals about gaps and progress, and how a critical perspective can re-shape the field.

Our guests share the personal and professional motivations behind this ambitious review, the surprises and challenges they encountered, and their hopes for how this work can serve as both roadmap and catalyst. Whether you are a researcher, faculty member, disability resource professional, or student, this episode offers insights into the state of the field and inspiration for charting new directions.

Resources and links to the open-access article, Disability Resource Hub, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iUYE0Q-2TA1flXiMU6rum1S3dO-obE5DoA9J0mFmHlE/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:

Kirsten Brown, PhD

Dr. Kirsten Brown's research examines the intersection of disability, power, and social systems. Her work has appeared in the Journal of College Student Development, the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, and Journal of Higher Education. She co-authored the book Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach. Dr. Brown prepared this chapter during non-work hours as an independent scholar and this publication did not receive funding from the federal government. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

Abigail Konopasky, PhD

Abigail Konopasky holds doctorates in educational psychology from George Mason University and in linguistics from Princeton University. She is currently an Associate Professor and Director of Medical Education Research and Scholarship in the Psychiatry Department at Northwell Health. She conducts critical qualitative and mixed methods research in health professions education, with a focus on equity, Black feminism, and critical disability studies using functional linguistic and narrative methods and theories of agency. She serves on the editorial boards of Teaching and Learning in Medicine, Perspectives on Medical Education, and Advances in Health Sciences Education.

Dionna Bidny, MD, MMus

Dionna is a first year resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (currently in her Transitional Year). She has a BS in biomedical engineering and an MMus in Musicology; she incorporated her interest in accessibility in arts, sports, and healthcare spaces through research during both degrees. In medical school, she continued to study and lecture in the space of disability justice and its intersections with art, identity, and healthcare experience, all while navigating chronic illness and pursuit of her own accommodation and access needs. In residency, she aims to continue her work in accessibility within arts and sports through community engagement and engineering innovation.

Key Words:

Disability in medical education

Undergraduate medical education (UME)

Disability inclusion

Scoping review

Academic Medicine supplement

Deficit model vs. asset model

Legal framing of disability

Intersectionality in medicine

Disabled learners' voices

Critical perspectives in medical education

Equity in medical training

Accommodations in medical education

Disability justice

Ableism in medicine

Representation in health professions

Research roadmap

Diversity and inclusion in medicine

Disability studies in medical education

Inclusive curriculum

Systemic barriers in medical education

Resources:

Article from Today's Talk

Maggio, Lauren A. PhD; Brown, Kirsten R. PhD; Costello, Joseph A. MSIS; Konopasky, Aaron PhD, JD; Bidny, Dionna MD, MMus; Konopasky, Abigail PhD. Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S64-S73, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006154

https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2025/10001/disability_in_undergraduate_medical_education_in.5.aspx

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewees:

Kirsten Brown, PhD Assistant Professor of Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; as a short disclaimer, Kirsten's views do not represent the official policy or position of her employer. 

Dionna Bidny, MD, MMUS  a first-year resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, currently completing her Transitional Year; and

Abby Konoposky, PhD Senior Director of Medical Education Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwell Health.

Interviewer: 

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an intimate conversation with Dr. Kirsten Brown (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences), Dr. Dionna Bidny (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), and Dr. Abby Konopasky (Northwell Health), co-authors of Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review, part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Drawing from over 80 publications, their study traces how disability in medical education has too often been framed through deficit and legal models, while leaving intersectionality and the voices of disabled learners largely absent. Together, we explore why this framing matters, what the literature reveals about gaps and progress, and how a critical perspective can re-shape the field.

Our guests share the personal and professional motivations behind this ambitious review, the surprises and challenges they encountered, and their hopes for how this work can serve as both roadmap and catalyst. Whether you are a researcher, faculty member, disability resource professional, or student, this episode offers insights into the state of the field and inspiration for charting new directions.

Resources and links to the open-access article, Disability Resource Hub, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iUYE0Q-2TA1flXiMU6rum1S3dO-obE5DoA9J0mFmHlE/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:  

Kirsten Brown, PhD

Dr. Kirsten Brown's research examines the intersection of disability, power, and social systems. Her work has appeared in the Journal of College Student Development, the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, and Journal of Higher Education. She co-authored the book Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach. Dr. Brown prepared this chapter during non-work hours as an independent scholar and this publication did not receive funding from the federal government. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. 

Abigail Konopasky, PhD

Abigail Konopasky holds doctorates in educational psychology from George Mason University and in linguistics from Princeton University. She is currently an Associate Professor and Director of Medical Education Research and Scholarship in the Psychiatry Department at Northwell Health. She conducts critical qualitative and mixed methods research in health professions education, with a focus on equity, Black feminism, and critical disability studies using functional linguistic and narrative methods and theories of agency. She serves on the editorial boards of Teaching and Learning in Medicine, Perspectives on Medical Education, and Advances in Health Sciences Education.

Dionna Bidny, MD, MMus 

Dionna is a first year resident at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (currently  in her  Transitional Year). She has a BS in biomedical engineering and an  MMus in Musicology; she incorporated her interest in accessibility in arts, sports, and healthcare spaces through research during both degrees. In medical school, she continued to study and lecture in the space of disability  justice and its intersections with art, identity,  and healthcare experience, all  while navigating  chronic illness and pursuit of her own  accommodation and access needs. In residency, she aims to continue her work in accessibility within arts and sports through community engagement and engineering innovation.

Key Words:  

Disability in medical education

Undergraduate medical education (UME)

Disability inclusion

Scoping review

Academic Medicine supplement

Deficit model vs. asset model

Legal framing of disability

Intersectionality in medicine

Disabled learners' voices

Critical perspectives in medical education

Equity in medical training

Accommodations in medical education

Disability justice

Ableism in medicine

Representation in health professions

Research roadmap

Diversity and inclusion in medicine

Disability studies in medical education

Inclusive curriculum

Systemic barriers in medical education

Resources: 

Article from Today's Talk

Maggio, Lauren A. PhD; Brown, Kirsten R. PhD; Costello, Joseph A. MSIS; Konopasky, Aaron PhD, JD; Bidny, Dionna MD, MMus; Konopasky, Abigail PhD. Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S64-S73, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006154

https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2025/10001/disability_in_undergraduate_medical_education_in.5.aspx

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Interviewees:

Dr. Zoie Sheets, Resident Physician in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago; and

Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Residency Program Director at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Interviewer:

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition

This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an intimate conversation with Dr. Zoie Sheets (University of Chicago) and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej (Dell Medical School, UT Austin), co-authors of Preparing to Thrive, part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

We go beyond the article to uncover the motivations, lived experiences, and research that shaped their scholarship. Together, we explore four critical decision points that can shape the trajectory of disabled medical students as they move from UME to GME:

• Disclosure decisions

• Specialty selection

• Program selection

• Requesting and utilizing accommodations in residency

Zoie and Nalinda share how research, mentorship, and community informed their work, and why bridging this "black box" transition period is essential for cultivating a more inclusive profession. Whether you're a program director, DRP, advisor, or student, this episode offers insights and concrete strategies to ensure learners are not just surviving this pivotal transition—but thriving.

Resources and links to the open-access article, Disability Resource Hub, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h4bh81klK-mfP3grm5LNzmYp-czCEP_haP704aJBekk/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:

Nalinda Charnsangavej, MD is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin where she serves as the pediatric residency program director. She serves as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group as part of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the Disability Resource Hub -- the result of a collaboration between the ACGME and DWDI. As a program director, she is interested in fostering a healthy and supportive learning environment that promotes physician well-being and resilience. Her current work focuses on the transition from medical school to residency training and how to support learners with disabilities during this critical transition period. Outside of medical education, she enjoys spending time with her family, teaching her children how to cook, and attending Texas Longhorn sporting events.

Zoie C. Sheets, MD, MPH is a resident physician in internal medicine and pediatrics (Med/Peds) at the University of Chicago. She is also a leader within the Docs with Disabilities Initiative, serving as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the creation of a Disability Resource Hub — a collaboration between ACGME and DWDI. She believes deeply that increasing the number of disabled clinicians can transform medical education and practice, for providers and patients alike. Her current research focus centers on how graduate medical education can best support learners with disabilities, particularly during the challenging transition out of UME. In her free time, Zoie loves to read, re-watch too many medical dramas, and play with her two cats!

Key Words:

Disability inclusion

Medical education

Undergraduate medical education (UME)

Graduate medical education (GME)

UME–GME transition

Disabled medical students

Residency accommodations

Program director support

Disability Resource Professionals (DRPs)

Academic Medicine

Resources:

Article from Today's Talk

Sheets, Zoie C. MD, MPH; Fausone, Maureen MD, MA; Messman, Anne MD, MHPE; Ortega, Pilar MD, MGM; Ramsay, Jessica MD; Creasman, Megan MD, MA; Charnsangavej, Nalinda MD. Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S161-S165, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006136

The Disability Resource Hub from ACGME and DocsWithDisabilities

https://bit.ly/DisabilityResourceHUB_GME

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Docs With Disabilities You Tube, Disability in Graduate Medical Education Videos

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc4XEizXENYw58ptzAgfxBA4q3uLRcmx6

Docs With Disabilities Disability in Graduate Medical Education Working Group

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/digme

Interviewees:

Dr. Zoie Sheets, Resident Physician in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago; and

Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Residency Program Director at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Interviewer: 

Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME.

Description:

Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition

This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an intimate conversation with Dr. Zoie Sheets (University of Chicago) and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej (Dell Medical School, UT Austin), co-authors of Preparing to Thrive, part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.

We go beyond the article to uncover the motivations, lived experiences, and research that shaped their scholarship. Together, we explore four critical decision points that can shape the trajectory of disabled medical students as they move from UME to GME:

• Disclosure decisions

• Specialty selection

• Program selection

• Requesting and utilizing accommodations in residency

Zoie and Nalinda share how research, mentorship, and community informed their work, and why bridging this "black box" transition period is essential for cultivating a more inclusive profession. Whether you're a program director, DRP, advisor, or student, this episode offers insights and concrete strategies to ensure learners are not just surviving this pivotal transition—but thriving.

Resources and links to the open-access article, Disability Resource Hub, and related tools are in the show notes.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h4bh81klK-mfP3grm5LNzmYp-czCEP_haP704aJBekk/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:  

Nalinda Charnsangavej, MD is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin where she serves as the pediatric residency program director. She serves as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group as part of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the Disability Resource Hub -- the result of a collaboration between the ACGME and DWDI. As a program director, she is interested in fostering a healthy and supportive learning environment that promotes physician well-being and resilience. Her current work focuses on the transition from medical school to residency training and how to support learners with disabilities during this critical transition period. Outside of medical education, she enjoys spending time with her family, teaching her children how to cook, and attending Texas Longhorn sporting events.

Zoie C. Sheets, MD, MPH is a resident physician in internal medicine and pediatrics (Med/Peds) at the University of Chicago. She is also a leader within the Docs with Disabilities Initiative, serving as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the creation of a Disability Resource Hub — a collaboration between ACGME and DWDI. She believes deeply that increasing the number of disabled clinicians can transform medical education and practice, for providers and patients alike. Her current research focus centers on how graduate medical education can best support learners with disabilities, particularly during the challenging transition out of UME. In her free time, Zoie loves to read, re-watch too many medical dramas, and play with her two cats! 

Key Words:  

Disability inclusion

Medical education

Undergraduate medical education (UME)

Graduate medical education (GME)

UME–GME transition

Disabled medical students

Residency accommodations

Program director support

Disability Resource Professionals (DRPs)

Academic Medicine 

Resources: 

Article from Today's Talk

Sheets, Zoie C. MD, MPH; Fausone, Maureen MD, MA; Messman, Anne MD, MHPE; Ortega, Pilar MD, MGM; Ramsay, Jessica MD; Creasman, Megan MD, MA; Charnsangavej, Nalinda MD. Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S161-S165, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006136

The Disability Resource Hub from ACGME and DocsWithDisabilities 

https://bit.ly/DisabilityResourceHUB_GME

The Docs With Disabilities Podcast

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast

Docs With Disabilities You Tube, Disability in Graduate Medical Education Videos

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc4XEizXENYw58ptzAgfxBA4q3uLRcmx6

Docs With Disabilities Disability in Graduate Medical Education Working Group

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/digme

Interviewees: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH; Cary Payne, MD

Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA

Description:

In Episode 114, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Justin Bullock (nephrology fellow, University of Washington; living with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Cary Payne (Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship, University of Washington) about navigating fellowship with a psychiatric disability—and how trust, humility, and creative flexibility built a training experience defined by healing and growth.

Together, they retrace Justin's decision to pursue fellowship after a traumatic residency, his choice to lead with authenticity during the match, and the risks and rewards of disclosure in GME. They unpack how structured accommodations provided protection, why early defensiveness softened into trust, and the profound impact of Cary's disarming leadership approach: "It's not your job to teach us."

Listeners will hear advice for residents and fellows (consider strategic disclosure, seek accommodations as protective, build trusted provider teams) and for program directors (lead with humility, embrace uncertainty, and center accommodations in creativity rather than dogma). At its heart, the episode explores how one program became not just a safe space, but a place of healing—and why that benefits trainees, programs, and patients alike.

This episode accompanies the open-access perspective This Armor of Mine: Perspectives of a Bipolar Physician and Program Director (Bullock & Payne, Chest, 2024)

This episode is part of the ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub, supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Catalyst Award, it's a powerful reminder that access isn't accidental—it's built intentionally, one relationship at a time.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R_FlMU-qOOVKPiaBMLc0VqQ3DVX8rjhQ16ZAZZnv_TM/edit?usp=sharing

Bios:

Justin Bullock, MD, MPH

Justin Bullock is an Assistant Professor in Nephrology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Co-director of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative. Justin is passionate about creating safe environments in medicine where everyone in the hospital is able to bring their authentic selves to work in the spirit of healing. Justin is a passionate medical educator: a teacher, researcher, and lifelong learner. His primary research focus centers on how educators can foster identity safety in the learning environment, where all members of the healthcare team can be their authentic selves in the workplace. When not at work, Justin enjoys running and cooking with his partner.

Cary Payne, MD

Cary grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He studied Biology and Philosophy at Washington University in St Louis before attending medical school at the University of Chicago. He then returned to the northwest where he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in nephrology at the University of Washington, after which he remained on faculty at UW and established the UW Kidney-Liver Program, a subspecialty nephrology service dedicated to caring for patients with concomitant liver and kidney disease. In addition to his clinical work, Cary serves as the medical director for inpatient dialysis at the University of Washington and the UW Nephrology Fellowship Program Director. When not at work he enjoys reading and hiking with his wife Gretchen and his three children.

Key Words:

· Disability Inclusion

· Residency

· Fellowship

· Accommodations

· Program Directors

· Graduate Medical Education (GME)

Produced by: Lisa Meeks

Resources:

Article: Perspective of a Bipolar Physician and this program director. https://www.chestnet.org/guidelines-and-topic-collections/publications/chest-advocates/this-armor-of-mine

Disability Resource Hub: https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub

Case Studies in Disability Resource Hub: https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub#case_studies

UME to GME Toolkit:

https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub-transitions-toolkit-introduction

Policy Toolkit:

https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub-policy-toolkit

Disability in Graduate Medical Education Program:

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/digme

Interviewees: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH; Cary Payne, MD

Interviewer: Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA

Description:

In Episode 114, Dr. Lisa Meeks talks with Dr. Justin Bullock (nephrology fellow, University of Washington; living with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Cary Payne (Program Director, Nephrology Fellowship, University of Washington) about navigating fellowship with a psychiatric disability—and how trust, humility, and creative flexibility built a training experience defined by healing and growth.

Together, they retrace Justin's decision to pursue fellowship after a traumatic residency, his choice to lead with authenticity during the match, and the risks and rewards of disclosure in GME. They unpack how structured accommodations provided protection, why early defensiveness softened into trust, and the profound impact of Cary's disarming leadership approach: "It's not your job to teach us."

Listeners will hear advice for residents and fellows (consider strategic disclosure, seek accommodations as protective, build trusted provider teams) and for program directors (lead with humility, embrace uncertainty, and center accommodations in creativity rather than dogma). At its heart, the episode explores how one program became not just a safe space, but a place of healing—and why that benefits trainees, programs, and patients alike.

This episode accompanies the open-access perspective This Armor of Mine: Perspectives of a Bipolar Physician and Program Director (Bullock & Payne, Chest, 2024)

This episode is part of the ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub, supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Catalyst Award, it's a powerful reminder that access isn't accidental—it's built intentionally, one relationship at a time.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R_FlMU-qOOVKPiaBMLc0VqQ3DVX8rjhQ16ZAZZnv_TM/edit?usp=sharing

Bios: 

Justin Bullock, MD, MPH

Justin Bullock is an Assistant Professor in Nephrology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Co-director of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative. Justin is passionate about creating safe environments in medicine where everyone in the hospital is able to bring their authentic selves to work in the spirit of healing. Justin is a passionate medical educator: a teacher, researcher, and lifelong learner. His primary research focus centers on how educators can foster identity safety in the learning environment, where all members of the healthcare team can be their authentic selves in the workplace. When not at work, Justin enjoys running and cooking with his partner.

Cary Payne, MD

Cary grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He studied Biology and Philosophy at Washington University in St Louis before attending medical school at the University of Chicago. He then returned to the northwest where he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in nephrology at the University of Washington, after which he remained on faculty at UW and established the UW Kidney-Liver Program, a subspecialty nephrology service dedicated to caring for patients with concomitant liver and kidney disease. In addition to his clinical work, Cary serves as the medical director for inpatient dialysis at the University of Washington and the UW Nephrology Fellowship Program Director. When not at work he enjoys reading and hiking with his wife Gretchen and his three children.

Key Words:  

·       Disability Inclusion

·       Residency

·       Fellowship

·       Accommodations

·       Program Directors

·       Graduate Medical Education (GME)

Produced by: Lisa Meeks 

Resources: 

Article: Perspective of a Bipolar Physician and this program director. https://www.chestnet.org/guidelines-and-topic-collections/publications/chest-advocates/this-armor-of-mine

Disability Resource Hub: https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub

Case Studies in Disability Resource Hub: https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub#case_studies

UME to GME Toolkit: 

https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub-transitions-toolkit-introduction

Policy Toolkit: 

https://dl.acgme.org/pages/disability-resource-hub-policy-toolkit

Disability in Graduate Medical Education Program: 

https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/digme