Features of the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) disability-based consideration request system and associated concerns (14)
| Feature | Concerns |
|---|---|
| Available only for students who were unaccommodated during their undergraduate degree | Incorrectly insinuates that university accommodations uniformly eliminate the disadvantages associated with disability |
| Applies only to the initial assessment of the OMSAS application | If the policy permits a student to bypass a GPA requirement before the interview but then their full application is compared without additional consideration after the interview, they are unlikely to be ranked favourably |
| Requires applicants to compose a personal statement describing their “plan to ensure success in the study and practice of medicine” | Puts the onus on the student to determine their accommodation plan without knowledge or resources regarding the structure of medical school and possible accommodations |
| Requires provision of direct proof of accommodations and medical documentation to the admission office | Elicits confidentiality concerns and risk of discrimination with disclosure |
Note: GPA = grade point average.