Student Access and Accommodation

The United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®), the three-step examination for medical licensure in the U.S., provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for individuals with documented disabilities.

The USMLE provides general guidelines for requesting accommodations, which includes submission of the Request for Test Accommodation Form, a personal statement, an evaluation by a qualified professional, and relevant objective records of impaired functioning. Receiving accommodations during undergraduate medical education does not guarantee that a student will receive USMLE accommodations.

In its consideration of accommodation requests, the USMLE relies heavily on records of demonstrated impaired function, making it important for School of Medicine students to seek approval for and utilize accommodations early in their medical education.

Students who wish to appeal a decision regarding appropriate accommodations should do so in writing to the Chief Inclusion Officer and or their designee, who will decide the appeal.  Appeals must be
made within 10 business days of the day the student is notified of the decision.

Chief Inclusion Officer
TCU Box 298980
The Harrison 1807
Fort Worth, Texas 76129

817-257-8228

At any step during such an appeal, the person requesting the appeal may confidentially consult with appropriate professionals/advisers within or outside the University.

Because the provision of accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the condition(s) on academic performance and access to educational activities, it is in an individual’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation.

Comprehensive documentation should include the following seven components:

• Evidence of existing impairment;
• Background information (e.g., Current and previous history, interview, review of records, etc.);
• Relevant testing;
• Specific diagnosis;
• Rule-out of alternative diagnoses or explanations;
• Rationale for accommodations request that is appropriate to postsecondary settings; and
• School plans, such as a history of accommodation from (a) previous institution(s), an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a Summary of Performance (SOP), or a Section 504 Plan, are useful but may not, in and of themselves, be sufficient documentation to establish the rationale for accommodations.

The TCU Access and Accommodations office generally requires documentation of a disability from within the last three years. For students with physical/systemic disabilities, mental health disabilities, cognitive disabilities (such as traumatic brain injury), and other disabilities that are subject to frequent change or are impacted by medication or other treatments, documentation should be current and within the past 6-12 months (determination will be made on a case-by-case basis).

Students who have never been evaluated for a disability or those in need of updated documentation must be assessed by a qualified provider/evaluator.

The name, title, and professional credentials of the provider/evaluator, including information about license or certification (e.g., a licensed psychologist), the area of specialization, employment, and the state/province in which the individual practices, should be clearly stated in the documentation.

The TCU Access and Accommodations office can assist students in finding a qualified professional for assessment. Contact studentaccommodation@tcu.edu for assistance obtaining appropriate documentation.

1. A Student seeking disability-related accommodations should contact Alana Yanagida, Access and Accommodation Specialist at Yanagida@tcu.edu or at 817-257-6567.
2. To apply for accommodations with TCU Student Access and Accommodation, students must submit an online application for accommodation.
3. Once the online application is submitted students will be prompted to submit supporting documentation on their disability type(s) from an appropriate medical provider that meets the University’s official documentation guidelines (make documentation guidelines a hyperlink).
4. All accommodation requests are reviewed by the TCU Student Access and Accommodation Documentation Review Committee (DRC). Accommodation requests cannot be reviewed until an application and documentation have been submitted.