Interviewees: Josh Schammel, MD; Brian Inouye, MD; and Becky Stetzer, MD Interviewer: Justin Bullock, MD, MPH

Description:

In this episode, Dr. Justin Bullock talks with Dr. Josh Schammel (chief urology resident at Albany Medical Center), Dr. Brian Inouye (associate program director of urology at Albany Med), and Dr. Becky Stetzer (assistant dean of competency development, Albany Med) about navigating remediation, cognitive disability support, and institutional change in residency training.

Together, they trace Josh's experience entering urology residency off-cycle, the social and educational challenges that followed, and the turning point that came with honest conversations about expectations and support. They explore how leadership reframed remediation from punitive to restorative, how program culture embraced accommodations even without a formal diagnosis, and how outside expertise in competency development reshaped both Josh's trajectory and the program's systems.

Listeners will hear candid reflections on the fear of dismissal, the relief of being given a "do-over" year, and the powerful role of trust and transparency in rebuilding confidence. The team highlights the importance of creating a culture where struggling is not synonymous with failure, but with an opportunity for growth.

This episode accompanies the open-access article A Master Adaptive Learner Approach to Cognitive Disability Support in a U.S. Urology Residency (Stetzer et al., Teaching and Learning in Medicine). Part of the ACGME/DWDI Disability Resource Hub, supported by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Catalyst Award, it's a practical and deeply human guide for residents, faculty, and program leaders working to build equitable clinical learning environments.

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u-qRRgjrB-lOJnQytGy7C7ByxYppdfju/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104315301750264632478&rtpof=true&sd=true

Key words:

Medical education, cognitive disability, residency, accommodations, program director, GME, GME Policy, Disability, Training, PTSD.

Bios:

 

Resources: 

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

Link to Case Study: A Master Adaptive Learner Approach to Cognitive Disability Support in a U.S. Urology Residency

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10401334.2025.2502670?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed