“Lucy”
A college graduate who is applying to medical school wants to use her accommodations on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Situation:
Lucy was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Combined Presentation, after she was tested at 10-years-old while in fifth grade. A formal accommodation plan was soon developed for Lucy, which helped to improve her grades. Lucy’s parents made sure to have her participate in a reevaluation when needed so she could continue receiving her classroom and testing accommodations in high school and college. After completing her undergraduate degree in biology, Lucy worked as a lab assistant for a year. Then she decided to apply to medical school because she was interested in becoming a cardiologist. However, she discovered that she would need an updated evaluation to determine her eligibility for accommodations for the MCAT.
So what’s the problem?
Can Lucy have accommodations for the MCAT? Although she had accommodations throughout her schooling, her last evaluation is too old to be used to determine accommodations eligibility for the MCAT. Additionally, will an updated evaluation also allow Lucy to continue receiving testing accommodations in medical school? Is there anything else that could be interfering with Lucy’s success?
Resolution:
KSA performed an updated reevaluation for Lucy. While her ADHD diagnosis was retained, she was also found to meet diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. The comprehensive, detailed, and personalized report allowed Lucy to continue receiving accommodations during high-stakes testing (e.g., the MCAT exam), as well as in medical school. KSA also helped to develop a plan to address Lucy’s anxiety, including resources and referrals for therapeutic support, and identified the need for executive functioning coaching to address ongoing struggles with organization and time management. The process gave Lucy the confidence to move forward with medical school knowing she would be supported at school and otherwise.
