Episode 119: Disability in Undergraduate Medical Education in the United States: A Scoping Review

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

 

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