Ever since Hannah* was a teen, she had dreamt of a career in medicine.
Key points:
- Hannah has faced many hurdles in her quest to become a doctor
- She says her disability has been viewed as an impediment
- The AMA acknowledges change is needed
Now a GP in a rural hospital, Hannah's dream has come true — but says her journey to get there has been traumatic.
Hannah has battled several diseases for much of her life.
Although they have not stopped her from accomplishing all she has set out to achieve, she said the perceptions of others towards her and her disabilities had at times presented both unexpected and significant challenges.
Ableism at university
Coming from a single-parent family in a rural area, Hannah knew she faced bigger hurdles than many of her peers.
But she was surprised to discover one of the biggest barriers was the ableism she encountered while studying for a postgraduate degree in Australia.
Hannah said the medical school she attended attempted to make her repeat years even though she wasn't failing.
She was also made to repeat assessments.
"I had to do all of the assessments several times with several different people, including the dean of the clinical school, supervising for no reason," she said.
"Every single time I had passed, and I had already shown competency, purely because I had a disability.
"More than once it was indicated that I should just consider a career in research and not clinical."
Hannah said it certainly stood out to her that she was different from her peers, but she assumed this was because a lot of the other students had been to private schools and had families with money and connections.
"It wasn't really until I was in medicine, that it really occurred to me that it was because of my health and my physical abilities," she said.
Post-graduation hurdles
When Hannah graduated she had to fight to be granted an internship in her local hospital.
She said the regional hospital was happy to have her join their team, but she encountered bureaucratic red tape that instead placed her at a city-based hospital.
"You were guaranteed an intern job [after graduation] … but you could be put, theoretically, almost anywhere," Hannah said.
It took 12 months and a discrimination lawyer for Hannah to achieve her goal.
She has been working in rural Australia for three years, but it has not been without issues.
She said while there had been significant progression for workers needing maternity or parental leave, there was nothing for people with complex health conditions or disability.
Hannah is no stranger to undergoing major surgery, and although many of the procedures she has had would put her in good stead in the long run, she said she had no option but to take unpaid leave at a massive financial cost to her.
Discrimination not uncommon
Associate Professor Lise Mogensen from Western Sydney University's School of Medicine said Hannah's experience was not uncommon.
"Research suggests that medical students are reluctant to disclose their disability due to stigma, assumptions about lack of ability and competence and the potential negative implications for career opportunities and progression," she said.
"Students and junior doctors with disability face structural barriers to policies and procedures, accessing the physical environment, obtaining clinical accommodations, and support services."
Ms Mogensen co-authored a study surveying community attitude to doctors with disabilities.
Her research found 75 per cent of respondents wanted disabled people to be encouraged to study medicine, and 81 per cent believed including disabled people would benefit the medical profession.
"There was a strong sense that doctors with lived experience of impairment, illness and disability would make great role models for others in ways that might help to address disabling barriers in society more broadly," Ms Mogensen said.
Challenging the system from within
It's a fight the Australian Medical Association said it's prepared to take up.
The peak professional body for doctors was calling on medical schools, organisations, and employers to better support people with a disability to pursue a career in medicine.
"While work has been done in a variety of areas, there is more to do to embrace inclusivity [and] reduce discrimination," AMA president Professor Steve Robson said in a statement.
Hannah plans to continue her training with a focus on oncology and palliative care, and said her current employer and training facility were very supportive.
Despite her own experiences, Hannah encourages Australians with a disability to consider a career in medicine.
"We need more representation, but I would warn them it is not an easy road [because] discrimination is rampant — it's implicit and explicit," she said.
"[But] the only way that we challenge the system is by being in it."
*The ABC has chosen not to publish Hannah's real name at her request in order to protect her identity as she holds fears for her job security.
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