Medical Student Wren Adams, Class of 2027 at Carle Illinois College of Medicine is reflecting on the International Day of Persons with Disability. Their reflections are shared and written in their own words below.
Wren Adams, Class of 2027
What does the International Day of Persons with Disability mean to you in the context of healthcare?
This year’s theme for IDPD is “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.” In healthcare, leaders with disabilities are still hard to find. Although over 25% of Americans are disabled, only about 3% of doctors are. This lack of representation means that the medical field is missing out on the innovations that disabled people have to offer. Living with a disability requires finding creative solutions to work around limitations, and that same creativity could be extended to helping patients find ways to manage their own disabilities. That said, surviving med school while disabled necessitates support, which is why our chapter of MSDCI – Disability and Chronic Illness at Carle Illinois – is so important. CI MED is all about innovation, so we’re working to make our school more accessible to current and future disabled students who have so many innovative ideas to offer.
What inspired you to pursue medicine?
When I became chronically ill / disabled, I was an undergrad planning to become a mechanical engineer and develop affordable assistive devices for people with disabilities. After becoming ill, I struggled just to get from one day to the next. As my health improved, I realized that I needed a career that lets me work with patients face-to-face to get through their own daily struggles. Being disabled can feel isolating and impossible at times, but I hope that my future work as a disabled physician-innovator will help to change that.