Admissions
Applicants with Disabilities
State and federal law require that the University of Maryland School of Medicine provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. In the context of the School of Medicine's curriculum, some disabilities cannot be accommodated, while others can be accommodated.
An applicant is not disqualified from consideration due to a disability. Applicants are not required to disclose the nature of a disability to the Committee on Admissions. Applicants with questions about the School's Essential Requirements for Admission, Academic Advancement and Graduation in relation to their disability are encouraged to discuss the issue of accommodation with the Committee on Admissions prior to the interview process. Upon the request of a medical school applicant or student, academic adjustments and/or reasonable accommodations may be provided, if appropriate. For applicants, the Committee on Admissions will work with the Advancement Committee and course directors to determine whether requested accommodations are feasible and reasonable.
Some of the aptitudes, abilities and skills described in the Essential Requirements can be attained by some applicants with technological compensation or other reasonable accommodation. However, applicants using technological supports or other accommodations must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of trained intermediaries to carry out functions described in the Essential Requirements will not be permitted by the School of Medicine. Intermediaries, no matter how well trained, are applying their own powers of selection and observation, which could affect the student's judgement and performance. Therefore, the School will not permit third parties to be used to assist a student in the clinical training area in accomplishing curriculum requirements in the five skill areas identified in the Essential Requirements. Other accommodations will be given due consideration, and reasonable accommodations will be made where consistent with curriculum objectives and legal requirements applicable to the School.
Requests for Accommodation
An applicant who has not yet been offered admission to the School of Medicine may disclose a disability and request accommodation during the admission process. This is not required. However, an applicant may want to determine the school's response to a specific accommodation request early in the admissions process. An applicant who chooses voluntarily to disclose a disability should write, call or visit the associate dean for Admissions to disclose the disability and discuss accommodation requests.
After admission, students (including admittees who have not yet accepted a place in a class at the School of Medicine, admittees who have accepted a place, and matriculating students) can disclose disabilities and request accommodation by writing, calling or visiting the associate dean for Student Affairs.
The associate dean to whom a disability is disclosed will interview the applicant or student and gather all relevant information. The applicant or student will be required to submit in writing the requested accommodation and pertinent supporting information. The pertinent information will include a history of accommodations granted previously in other educational programs and references who can discuss with the associate dean the experience of the applicant or student in other educational settings.
The School may require medical or other verification of disability and proof of information presented concerning accommodation. Such proof may include demonstration of assisted physical abilities. The School may require independent medical examination or testing to verify claimed disabilities, determine the extent and effects of disabilities, and assess the utility of accommodations.
After gathering all relevant and necessary information, the associate dean for Student Affairs will present the request for accommodation to the Advancement Committee. Concurrently, the UMB Office of Student Affairs will be informed of the student's request. The dean of the School of Medicine will be made aware of both the UMB and the Advancement Committee's recommendations and will make a final decision as to the nature of the accommodation. For incoming students, the Office of Admissions will be responsible for sharing the decision with both the student and the UMB Office of Student Affairs. For matriculated students, the medical school Office of Student Affairs will handle that responsibility.
Any student who is not yet a matriculant must make request for accommodation of disability within one week after accepting admission to the medical school. Any matriculating student who becomes aware of a disability requiring accommodation, or of the need for accommodation of a previously known disability, must request the accommodation as soon as the need for accommodation has been identified. A student can expect a response from the Office of the Dean within 30 days of submitting all required documentation, as described above. The time may be extended if the School requests additional information which cannot reasonably be gathered within the period.
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