Episode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites: A National Study
Release Date: 10/22/2025
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From Evidence to Action: Incorporating Disability Inclusion in Medical Training and Practice (ICAM 2026) Session Description The ICAM Series | Recorded Live at the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) What does it take to move disability inclusion from research and policy into everyday medical training and practice? Recorded live at the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) in Ottawa, Canada, this special episode of the Docs With Disabilities Podcast brings together an extraordinary panel of physician leaders, educators, and advocates working to transform disability...
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Episode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites: A National Study
DocsWithDisabilities
Episode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites—A National Study Interviewees: Ifeoma Ikedionwu, MD — Psychiatry and Internal Medicine Dual Intern, UT Southwestern Dominique Cook — Fourth-Year Medical Student, University of South Florida 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 sits down with Dr. Ifeoma Ikedionwu and Dominique Cook, co-authors of the first national study...
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Interviewees: Matthew Sullivan, PhD, Assistant Director of Disability Resources, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Suchita “Suchi” Rastogi, PhD. MPH Candidate, University of Illinois Chicago; CEO, Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program 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 Matt Sullivan (Washington University School of Medicine) and Suchita “Suchi” Rastogi (UIC; DM3P) about...
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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...
info_outlineEpisode 123: Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites—A National Study
Interviewees:
Ifeoma Ikedionwu, MD — Psychiatry and Internal Medicine Dual Intern, UT Southwestern
Dominique Cook — Fourth-Year Medical Student, University of South Florida
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 sits down with Dr. Ifeoma Ikedionwu and Dominique Cook, co-authors of the first national study examining how medical school websites communicate disability inclusion. Their paper, Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites: A National Study, is part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education.
What do medical schools’ digital front doors say about who belongs? The conversation explores how public-facing messages shape applicants’ sense of access, belonging, and possibility—and why visibility is the first step toward equity. Ikedionwu and Cook share how their lived experiences as medical students with and without disabilities inspired a research project that merges advocacy, analysis, and systemic change.
Together, they unpack the challenges of quantifying inclusivity, the nuance of intersecting identities, and the powerful role of student-led research in shaping institutional accountability. The episode underscores how every mission statement, technical standard, and accessibility page sends a message—and how aligning those messages with institutional values can create a more inclusive path for future physicians.
Listeners will leave with actionable insights:
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Audit your institution’s website for clarity, tone, and accessibility.
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Engage learners with lived experience in reviewing public materials.
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Translate inclusion from policy into practice—and from practice into visibility.
Because as Ikedionwu reminds us, “It’s not enough to do the work—you have to share it, so others can find their way.”
Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UmiXVs8wESM28eRYAM-d13IuJTV6VzR2khagExHF12A/edit?usp=sharing
Resources:
Article from Today’s Talk:
Ikedionwu I, Cook D, Kim N, Cotts J, Case B, Meeks LM. Evaluating Disability-Inclusive Content on U.S. Medical Schools’ Websites: A National Study. Academic Medicine. 2025;100(10S):S60–S67. Read the full article here →
Related Reading:
Equal Access for Students with Disabilities: The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education (2nd Ed). Meeks LM, Jain NR, & Laird EP. Springer Publishing, 2020.
🎧 The Docs With Disabilities Podcast: https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast
Key Words: Disability inclusion · Medical education · Admissions · Accessibility · Representation