We need more disabled doctors, but there& #39;s so many barriers to medical school, far more than most people realize. It& #39;s designed to keep all but the most privileged out.

A disabled student can have perfect grades and a stellar MCAT score, but still not be admitted anywhere because of research, volunteer hours, and other requirements that are prohibitively difficult to meet when you& #39;re disabled.

Disabled people who could *physically* do all the things usually have to choose between earning a living and devoting time to unpaid extracurriculars. There& #39;s just no winning.

When disabled students bring these issues up, it& #39;s assumed we& #39;re whiners trying to get a free pass out of hard work. We& #39;re seen as incompetent, less devoted to our work.

But ... we& #39;re often patients ourselves. We know the importance of good care and sound research. We know what it& #39;s like to be the confused, frustrated, anxious patient that just wants to know what& #39;s going on with their bodies. We are devoted. This is our lives.