Guide for Students with Disabilities at University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Process for Requesting Accommodations on UNM HSC:
Contact the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) on Main Campus.
Kelly Cano is the HSC Accommodations Specialist with Accessibility Resource Center (ARC). You can email her at kcano26@unm.edu to document your disability and request accommodations. You are also welcome to contact ARC at arcsrvs@unm.edu. ARC will guide you along the way and should respond within 2-4 business days. If you don’t hear from them after emailing or calling, let the Office of Medical Student Affairs (OMSA) know right away so you can get in contact with someone who can help you.
Other important advice:
Contact National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to get accommodations for your Step Exams. Processing paperwork for accommodations can take up to four (4) months, so it is important to apply as early as possible. The HSC Accommodations Specialist can help you look over your application and documentation to make sure you have a complete application for accommodations on the Step Exams.
Let those you work with know you have a disability, if you’re comfortable with them, so you can start to build your supportive network
Any mistreatment you experience (whether or not due to disability) needs to be reported to the Learning Environment Office (LEO).
Contact the UNM Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Office (DEI)
Introduce yourself to them & let them know you are on campus and require assistance with things related to disabilities (such as: find/start research projects here, or perhaps additional help with your accommodations, starting a student group on campus, etc).
Get yourself educated on the current landscape for students with disabilities. Contact these groups to start making professional connections, which will result in residency spots in institutions that actively recruit applicants with disabilities. There are many more institutions/resources besides those listed here, just google and ask your new friends in medicine with disabilities for other leads!
University of Michigan School of Medicine Disability (#DocswithDisabilities podcast is a great resource)
AMA DEI group (email them and introduce yourself as a student with disabilities– they may offer you an internship off the bat)
In order for UNM to maintain accreditation, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) requires the school to support medical students with disabilities. The American with Disabilities Act also protects your rights to attain advanced education in any field. You deserve to be here, and UNM is happy to have you and support you along the way.
