Examples of accessibility-related admissions policies in English-speaking medical schools in Canada for the 2022–2023 admission cycle (13), (14), (18)– (20)
| Policy example* | Implications for accessibility |
|---|---|
| Interview accommodations: Interview accommodation requests handled by admissions office rather than an external accessibility office | Provides students with a transparent and streamlined opportunity for interview accommodations; however, some applicants may be concerned about providing this information to individuals involved even indirectly in admissions decisions who do not have specific expertise in accommodation assessment |
| Exceptional circumstances essay: Optional written statement outlining extenuating circumstances that have disadvantaged the student’s application, which may result in adjustments to overall academic evaluation | Provides opportunity for students to explain how their disability may have affected their grades, test scores and course loads, and have this disparity addressed on a case-by-case basis |
| Personal experiences section: Mandatory space in nonacademic section of application for applicants to write about challenging life experiences that have contributed to their personal growth | Allows applicants to highlight valuable personal traits and learning experiences related to their disability, which are excluded from reductive forms designed for structured extracurricular activities; placing this within the regular application requirements prevents students from having to self-identify via a special request |
| Accessibility consideration pathway: Holistic consideration for students who may have been disadvantaged by adverse circumstances, including medical barriers such as MCAT score flexibility | Considers the impact that disability and medical illness may have on applicants’ overall application, including standardized testing |
| Accessibility application stream: Designated applicant stream based on the completion of an optional questionnaire inquiring about the applicant’s personal context. May be used to determine eligibility for additional medical school positions | Designed with the purpose of increasing representation of students who have faced barriers in their education; however, this consideration is restricted to applicants from the university’s local region |
Note: MCAT = Medical College Admission Test, OMSAS = Ontario Medical School Application Service.
↵* Names of policies from specific schools have been modified to general descriptors as some policies exist under different names across multiple schools.