Academic Success Center

Policy and Procedures for Requesting Special Accommodations

Policy on Technical Standards for Admissions, Continuance, and Graduation (Abbreviated)

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the University of New Mexico School of Medicine will implement policy and procedures both in the spirit and the letter of the law to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Applicants for admission to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and current students must be able to complete, with or without reasonable accommodations, the entire medical curriculum to achieve the degree, Doctor of Medicine.

The determination of whether an applicant or current student meets the Technical Standards with or without a reasonable modification will be done on an individual, case by case basis utilizing the UNM School of Medicine Committee on Students with Disabilities.

Procedure for Students Requesting Accommodations in the Medical School Curriculum and/or Evaluation

The following procedure is written to be consistent with the UNM SOM Policy on Technical Standards for Admission, Continuance, and Graduation and to guide the student and the representatives of the institution through the process for requesting and evaluating students' requests for reasonable accommodations.

The student will self-disclose their disability if the student can reasonably anticipate the need to request a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of the course of study. The student will request an accommodation from the UNM School of Medicine (SOM) Manager of Academic Success Center Services, either prior to matriculation or, in the case of a disability acquired after matriculation, as soon as a disability for which a reasonable accommodation will be sought is known or evident. The manager will help guide the student in providing or acquiring the documentation needed by the Committee on Students with Disabilities in their deliberations. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain the necessary documentation as requested by the committee. This initial documentation will:

  1. Be current, within the last 3 years.
  2. Be detailed, comprehensive and include justification pertaining to the requested accommodations based upon two considerations:
    1. the specific nature of the student's functional impairment of a major life activity.
    2. the education or testing environment in which the disabled but "otherwise qualified" individual will be functioning.
  3. Contain credible supporting evidence from appropriately licensed health care professionals.
  4. Include a diagnosis by a competent professional with appropriate expertise who must provide a rationale for any recommended accommodations and must explain how those adjustments or technical aids would cancel or ease the impact of the impairment on the task for which it is sought.

The Committee on Students with Disabilities will determine if the:

  1. Student has an adequately documented medical disability that affects the students' major life activity.
  2. Requested modifications are appropriate and "reasonable."
  3. Accommodation is consistent with the Technical Standards of the institution.
  4. Accommodation requested does not compromise the integrity of the educational program.

The Committee will deliberate regarding the four issues noted above with the following determination and make one of the following three decisions:

I. The Committee will deny the request for disability determination if the disability is not adequately documented. The student may appeal the decision of the Committee to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs who will review the decision against the four criteria specified above. The Dean of the School of Medicine will consider any appeal of the Associate Dean's decision. All appeals must be made in writing within 10 days of the Committee's written decision.

II. The Committee will deny the request for accommodation if the disability is sufficiently documented but the accommodation is determined to be unreasonable in the context of the technical standards or an undue burden to the school. The committee's decision that the accommodation is not consistent with the Technical Standards may be appealed to the Education Counsel by the student or student's advocate. This determination is independent of the validity of the student's claim of a disability and can be done while maintaining the student's confidentiality. If the denial is based on the burden to implement the accommodation, it may not be possible to maintain student confidentiality. The Education Council may make the determination or may defer to a vote of the UNM School of Medicine Faculty. If the student desires to appeal the decision, the Dean of the School of Medicine will be the final point of appeal. All appeals must be made in writing within 10 days of the written decision that is the subject of the appeal.

If the accommodation is not granted, the students options include:

  1. Continue in the educational program without the requested accommodation
    OR
  2. Not matriculate
    OR
  3. Withdraw from the educational program.

III. The Committee will grant the accommodation if the disability is a) adequately documented, b) the accommodation is both consistent with the disability and reasonable, in accordance with the Technical Standards, and c) the accommodation does not cause an undue burden and it does not unacceptably compromise the integrity of the educational program.

If an accommodation is granted, the committee shall:

  1. Place the specifics of the accommodation granted in a confidential file in the SOM office of Academic Success Center.
  2. Determine whether the accommodation granted will be included in the dean's letter and, if so, how it will be worded.
  3. The student will notify the course director or clerkship director in writing when he/she wishes to implement the accommodation. The director will contact the SOM Manager of Academic Success Center regarding the specifics of the accommodation.
  4. When the Committee on Students with Disabilities grants the overall accommodation, the deadline for notifying a clerkship or course director will be specified. In general, the following guidelines will be used:
    1. 4 weeks in advance for extended time for a written examination.
    2. 8 weeks in advance for performance-based exams, which may include Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE's), formative, summative, and exit exams.
    3. 8 weeks in advance prior to the start of a clerkship or course for accommodations that impacts the daily activities within the program.
  5. If the student does not make the request for the accommodations granted by the committee within the stipulated time frame, the student will forfeit the right to have that accommodation during that particular course or clerkship.
  6. Once granted, the accommodation will be arranged, if requested by the student, for all core courses and clerkships. However, if an elective or sub-internship is unable to provide the accommodation, an alternative educational opportunity will be designated by the Committee. The Committee on Students with Disabilities will be available to assist clinical coordinators in developing appropriate mechanisms to provide the accommodations.
  7. If the student wishes to exercise his/her accommodation during a visiting elective away from UNM, the student must notify the host school during the original scheduling period to verify that the host school is willing and able to provide the accommodation approved by the Committee.

The Committee on Students with Disabilities will consist of individuals who are knowledgeable about both specific disabilities as well as the requirements of medical education and should include, but not be limited to, representation from university counsel, educational diagnostics, neuropsychology, psychiatry, neurology, general/primary care, surgery, and the Assistant Dean of Admissions. The Chair of the Committee of Students with Disabilities will be appointed by the Dean for three years. Members of the Committee will be appointed by the Chair for staggered terms of two years.