Home > Education > Undergraduate education > Undergraduate policy > Gateways guidance > Introduction: How to use this advisory guidance

Gateways to the Professions

1. Introduction

1.2 How to use this advisory guidance

This guidance is organised to take medical schools along the disabled person's journey through medical education and training. It starts with the legal duties and responsibilities of universities, medical schools and the GMC. It then covers the steps in that journey and the actions a disabled person can expect at each stage: from their initial enquiry about studying medicine through to their progress at medical school and postgraduate training.

Throughout, there are links to other resources that provide further information and the legal background. Often situations are more complex than the illustrative examples, so decisions always need to be made on an individual basis with the full involvement of the disabled person concerned. If the situation proves particularly complex, advice can be sought from the organisations listed below.

WEB LINKS: Helpful organisations

Helpful organisations are listed on the accompanying CD and the GMC website:
www.gmc-uk.org.

Those who are looking for a clear guide designed particularly for disabled students should consult the booklet Into Medicine: Positive experiences of disabled people (2007) produced by Skill: National Bureau for Students. The Skill website has links to specific disability organisations at:
http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=81&p=161

Links to general disability organisations are at:
http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=79&p=160

Many educational organisations also offer advice for disabled students. These are listed at:
http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=82&p=162

The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) provides a useful link to the websites of member organisations at:
http://www.vodg.org.uk/?lid=3012

For Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast provides a link to useful organisations at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/disability/AdditionalResources

The British Medical Association lists support organisations at:
http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/disabilitiesdoctorssupport

The Equality Challenge Unit promotes equality and diversity in higher education and has web pages and publications supporting the needs of disabled students and staff:
http: //www.ecu.ac.uk

HOPE for Disabled Doctors, an organisation working to achieve professional equality, is at:
http://www.hope4medics.co.uk

More information for disabled students is available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission at:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com