Welcomed and valued: Supporting disabled learners in medical education and training

About this guidance

The guidance is advisory, to help organisations consider how best to support medical students and doctors in training. It does not lay down new requirements, quality assurance standards or policies from the GMC or any of the other organisations involved. The guidance refers to statutory requirements for medical schools and organisations involved in postgraduate training, and provides practical suggestions for organisations to consider.

This guidance is also underpinned in our standards for doctors, medical students, and medical education and training. This means that patient safety is the first priority. Patient safety is inseparable from a good learning environment and culture that values and supports learners and educators.

This document replaces Gateways to the professions. It reaffirms the principles from Gateways to the professions and aims to give more practical advice for the day-to-day aspects of medical education and training.

This guidance is split into the following six sections:

• Welcomed and valued: Health and disability in medicine
  Welcomes disabled people in medicine and explains legal definitions of disability and reasonable adjustments.
• Welcomed and valued: Our involvement as a professional regulator
  Discusses our involvement as a professional regulator for each stage of medical education.
• Welcomed and valued: What is expected of medical education organisations and employers?
  This section is for anyone who works in an organisation providing medical education and training. It explains the requirements from the law and our standards. Medical students can also read this section to learn more about the support available to them.
• Welcomed and valued: How can medical schools apply their duties?
  How medical schools might meet their duties. Medical students can also read this section to learn more about the support available to them.
• Welcomed and valued: Transition from medical school to Foundation training
  Discusses preparation from the medical school, working with foundation schools and existing processes to help the transition (Transfer of Information, Special Circumstances).
• Welcomed and valued: How can postgraduate educators apply their duties?
  How postgraduate education organisations might meet their duties. Doctors in training can also read this section to learn more about the support available to them.