Event Description

Zoey Martin-Lockhart shared preliminary results from her epidemiology thesis survey research, which quantitatively explored disabled medical students’ and doctors’ sense of belonging in medicine. Her presentation covered environmental, policy, psychosocial, and individual factors that her analyses showed are significantly associated with belonging in medicine among doctors and medical students with disabilities.

Her slide presentation was interspersed with breaks for questions, reflection, and group conversation. Options were provided for attendees to share their thoughts, questions, and reflections anonymously.

This work was novel, as minimal work at the time of this presentation explored belongingness among disabled medical students and doctors despite substantial literature showing that wellbeing, psychosocial and environmental factors, burnout, and retention are associated with belonging across education, medical, and work settings. Thus, Zoey’s findings pointed toward actionable policy and cultural changes that may improve recruitment, retention, and the physical and mental health of disabled medical students and doctors.

Speakers

Zoey Martin-Lockhart is a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research explores work by disabled medical students and doctors to increase disability inclusivity in medicine with a focus on community formation, advocacy, and mentorship. She has been involved in various disability-in-medicine groups and is a member of DM3P’s executive leadership. She first came to DM3P early in her dissertation work, where she was encouraged and mentored by the core leadership team to whom she is forever thankful.

Meeting Agenda

10 min —Welcome, community agreements/accessibility norms, brief presenter intro, and a one-slide roadmap of where the hour is going.

60 min — Presentation interspersed with reflection and discussion

20 min — Q&A and synthesis