We need more disabled doctors, but there's so many barriers to medical school, far more than most people realize. It'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'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's just no winning.

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

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