Student's responsibility

Each medical student is responsible for their own success and for availing themselves of all supports available. Any medical student with disability has a right to reasonable accommodation and should consider requesting all available support.

Students, who self-identify or who have been identified as potentially requiring an accommodation, are advised to meet with the accommodation counselor at the Student Affairs Office (SAO) to explore their needs and the accommodation process. All discussions are confidential. 

It is the medical student's responsibility to initiate the process of requesting an accommodation by contacting the Academic Accommodations Service (located at the uOttawa main campus).

Step 1 - Students

A formal request for accommodation must be made to  Academic Accommodations Service (located at the uOttawa main campus), as soon as the need arises, keeping in mind that the process could take several weeks.

• Registering for accommodation

An appointment should be made at least 6 weeks prior to the first event that requires accommodation. An accommodation file is opened and the student is assigned a random SAC number, to maintain anonymity during the Student Accommodations Committee discussions.

All students with a mental, physical or learning condition must meet with a learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service on main campus and provide the supporting documents.

The type of supporting documentation depends on the reason for accommodation.

Student must complete and provide the necessary supporting documents to the learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service:

• For a request for academic accommodation relating to a learning disability, a psycho- educational assessment must be provided, stating the functional limitations, goal of the accommodation and recommendation on methods for accommodation.

• For a request for academic accommodation relating to other physical or mental disability, the Academic Accommodations Service medical form completed by a physician with appropriate expertise must be provided, stating the nature of the disability (physical, mental), functional limitations, goal of accommodation and recommendation on methods for accommodation.

As for any consultation with Academic Accommodations Service or SAO services, the student's private information and all documentation are considered completely confidential. Please refer to Academic Regulation I-16 - Academic Accommodations (see below).

Required documentation can be found on the Academic Accommodations Service website:

This documentation will remain confidential.

After consultation with the learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service, the student is responsible to provide the  confirmation of adaptive measures letter via email to: [email protected]

Step 2 – Student Affairs Office

SAO works in close collaboration with the team at Academic Accommodations Service to ensure students’ needs are met within the context of a professional school such as the Faculty of Medicine.

In the case of a new accommodation, the student can also meet with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, often at the same time as the counsellor, so that both members of the SAO team can advocate on behalf of the student at the Student Accommodations Committee meeting with sufficient first-hand knowledge of the issues faced by the student.

Please note that a medical school accommodation cannot be granted at University of Ottawa Academic Accommodations Service without approval at the SAC (Student Accommodation Committee) of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa.

Step 3 - Student Accommodation Committee (SAC)

Academic Accommodations Service will consult with the Student Affairs Accommodation Committee (SAC) in regards to the appropriate physical and clinical accommodations for students. (Please refer to Terms of Reference for SAC).

The SAC may request further information or further assessments in order to best meet the accommodation needs and educational objectives unique to the MD Program.

It is expected that a student requiring accommodations will start the process of requesting such accommodation at the Student Affairs Office as soon as the need arises, to ensure that it can be granted by PEC in time for the event for which the student wishes to be accommodated.

This accommodation process requires a minimum of 6 weeks before the anticipated accommodations are needed. Accommodations can only be guaranteed if this timeframe is met. However, we will do our best to accommodate students whose condition is diagnosed within the 6-week period.

Step 4 – Student Promotions Executive Committee (SPEC)

After approval at SAC, the Supervisor of Academic Services in Pre-Clerkship or Clerkship in collaboration with the SAO counsellor will inform members of the Student Promotion Executive Committee (SPEC) of the accommodation plan as well as pre-clerkship director, clerkship director and clinical coordinators if applicable.

This step will permit the implementation of the accommodation.

If a student does not wish to be accommodated for a particular exam, or does not intend to use part of the accommodation granted, it is their responsibility to contact the Supervisor of Academic Services in Pre-Clerkship or Clerkship by email ([email protected]) to inform them that they do not want to be accommodated for a particular examination. This will ensure that the exam is available for the student at the correct location, particularly when the accommodation includes writing the examinations at Academic Accommodations Service at main campus of the University of Ottawa.

Please note that no accommodation will be granted retroactively; It must be valid and active at the time of the event (exam). In a situation where the student declined the accommodation and is not successful, the lack of accommodation measure used for the event cannot be used as the reason to appeal the failure.

At the Faculty of Medicine, we work in collaboration with  Academic Accommodations Service of the University of Ottawa main campus. They offer assessments by learning specialists and can provide students with supporting documentation to request an accommodation as a medical student with the Faculty of Medicine. Their services are part of the University of Ottawa main campus services to all students; they are easily accessible by shuttle and are free.

All students requiring accommodation for pre-clerkship and clerkship will be asked to register at Academic Accommodations Service and meet with one of the learning specialists, depending of the type of disability.

The Student Affairs accommodations counsellor can guide the student as to appropriate services or consultations at Academic Accommodations Service. Please keep in mind that the first few weeks of a semester (particularly the Fall semester) are extremely busy at Academic Accommodations Service, as they provide services to all University of Ottawa students.

Academic Accommodations Service also have information on financial aid for students with disability, such as the Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Grant for Students with Permanent Disability.

Medical students granted an accommodation for written examination write their exams at Academic Accommodations Service, in the Desmarais building room 3172, on main campus of the University of Ottawa.

In order to do this, the student must:

1. be registered at Academic Accommodations Service;

2. have met with a learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service;

3. have been granted an accommodation from the Student Accommodation Committee (SAC):

4. have registered the written examination by the posted deadline at Academic Accommodations Service:

   • For mid-term evaluations: at least 7 days before the exam date

   • For final exams: November 15 (fall semester) and March 15 (winter semester).

The information and link for registration at Academic Accommodations Service and for registration of examinations can be found on the Academic Accommodations Service website. All registration can be done online, once the student has met with the Academic Accommodations Service Learning Specialist.

Registering as a student with Academic Accommodations Service

Medical student can register with the Academic Accommodations Service.

The section “Registering with Academic Accommodations Service” offers the possibility to print a PDF format and bring it to Academic Accommodations Service at the time of the appointment or register.

Registering each written examination with Academic Accommodations Service

Once granted an accommodation for written examinations from the Faculty of Medicine, medical students must register each written examination within the posted deadlines. This can be done online, on the Academic Accommodations Service website , in the section “Exam Accommodation Request”.

An accommodation is usually granted for the full academic year, unless a provisional approval was given pending further documentation.

The accommodation process is renewed every year. Supporting documents may be requested at a yearly basis depending on the type disability. Student may also be required to provide an updated supporting documentation to their learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service.

Each year of training brings new and different challenges, related either to the milieu, the evaluation methods, or both. It is the student’s responsibility to be proactive and to make an appointment to meet with the accommodation counsellor to decide collaboratively whether any modification or additional accommodations should be sought.

Pre-clerkship

All accommodations are reviewed for every student for every year of training. Students must contact the Academic Accommodations Service to initiate the process of renewing their previous accommodation. Some situations are permanent and there tends to be little change between the 2 years of pre-clerkship.

Clerkship

However, students entering clerkship sometimes need different types of accommodation, based on the tasks associated with the clinical setting. In the course of the medical studies, particularly for clerkship, the goal of the accommodation may change. The student is responsible for initiating the process for review of accommodations and possible amendments to the accommodations well in advance of the beginning of clerkship.

Initiate the process

• Initiate de process for a first accommodation request in the MD Program of the University of Ottawa as soon as the need arises, preferably within the recommended timeline of 6 weeks;

Meet with a counsellor

• Meet with the accommodation counsellor at the Student Affairs Office;

Meet with a learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service

• Meet with the learning specialist at Academic Accommodations Service;

Documentation

• Provide documentation from appropriate expert opinion, in support of the accommodation requested;

• Understand the process of requesting an accommodation and give appropriate written consent;

Register at Academic Accommodations Service

• Register once at Academic Accommodations Service University of Ottawa;

• For written examinations, register each exam online with Academic Accommodations Service, respecting the posted deadlines;

Declining an accommodation

• If you wish to decline some or all accommodation measures for one exam, you must confirm in writing by e-mailing the contact the Supervisor of Academic Services in Pre-Clerkship or Clerkship by email ([email protected]) well ahead of the event (exam).

As for any consultation with SAO services, Academic Accommodations Service, the student's private information and all documentation are considered completely confidential.  The name of the accommodated student will be known to the SAO accommodation team, the Supervisor of Academic Services in Pre-Clerkship, the Supervisor of Academic Services in Clerkship, the representative from Academic Accommodations Service, the implementation team at the Faculty of Medicine (for ex. for practical exam, OSCE exam), and the Student Promotion Executive Committee (SPEC).

A student must give written consent that they have read and been explained the process of accommodation in detail before a request for accommodation can be put forward and discussed at Academic Accommodations Service and the Student Accommodation Committee (SAC).

Following approval from the SAC, only the student’s name, the year of study and the approved accommodations will be sent to the SPEC.

Consent form to the disclosure of accommodation requirements to the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine

It is estimated that the process for a new accommodation for evaluation (exams) can take as long as 6 weeks, particularly for academic accommodations which impact on the medical school curriculum delivery and/or evaluation; no accommodation will be granted retroactively..

Students are encouraged to contact the Student Affairs Officeto discuss the process and to contact Academic Accommodations Service to initiate the process as soon as the need arises, to ensure that their application can be reviewed in time for the event (exam) that they wish to be accommodated for. The first mid-term exam in first year medical school is generally at the end of October.  It is suggested to contact Student Affairs Office as soon as the student receives their acceptance offer from the University of Ottawa’s MD Program and has received their admission package. Initial contact can be made over the phone with the Student Affairs accommodation counsellor.

Forms

• Consent to the disclosure of accommodation requirements

• Request for accommodation: medical certificate

Other resources

• SFUO (Student Federation at the University of Ottawa): Centre for Students with Disabilities

• CFMS – Medical Students with Disabilities

• Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario

• Medical Council of Canada: Special Needs

Students requiring accommodations for examinations at the Medical Council of Canada can find all relevant information in the section entitled “Special Needs” of their website. Please be aware that the request for accommodation and all supporting documentation must be received at the MCC no later than 3 months prior to the examination in question. Students are responsible for their application; it is not automatic and is not done by the medical school.