Support Doctors with Learning Disorders

Medical students and physicians with both previously undiagnosed and well-documented learning and attention disorders are becoming a topic of interest for medical professionals and state medical societies. Many individuals with these disorders are extremely intelligent, are being accepted to prominent medical schools, and are passing national board examinations. However, challenges may arise when these physicians try to integrate into the culture of medical practice.

Younger physicians with learning problems typically display above-average (even gifted) intellectual functions, excellent verbal skills, and a high capacity for acquiring factual information. Along with that, however, often come slower reading, inconsistent spelling, and poor handwriting. These individuals also tend to have weak time-management abilities and often experience a loss of control if their customary compensatory strategies fail to work.

According to Dr. Loring Brinckerhoff, a learning specialist at Harvard Medical School, those challenges are compounded by the tendency for learning-disabled individuals to feel anxious about disclosure and hesitant to ask for help to avoid appearing “stupid.” While such individuals may struggle with organizing patient material and writing in charts, they are hardworking and put in very long hours to circumvent their learning problems.

Physicians with learning disabilities often find it hard to balance traditional compensatory strategies, such as working longer hours, with normal life demands. Consequently, family problems may emerge, and the physician might not make time for exercise or sufficient sleep, leading to a vicious cycle of decreased executive function.

In addition, physicians more than 40 years of age who have in the past successfully compensated for learning problems may face new challenges in the current fast-paced medical environment. Such individuals may have chosen specialties that highlighted their cognitive strengths. For example, an individual with slowed reading would excel in radiology, where visual-spatial talents are emphasized. But practicing medicine today also requires strong executive functions (rapid information processing, effective time management, and prioritizing skills), and the team-based approach to medical care requires excellent social skills.

One response to professionals with learning disorders might be to create medical practices compatible with alternative learning and communication styles. In addition, state physician health organizations are beginning to develop programs to help physicians circumvent neurodevelopmental and acquired cognitive difficulties. Technology such as handheld computers and voice-activated dictation systems are helpful compensatory tools, and, in many cases, coaching can be essential.

The most important issue, however, is the need for lifelong strategies and ongoing structure and support, because learning disorders are chronic, and therefore do not remit.

For more information on this topic, including strategies to address attention and memory deficits, call the Mass. Medical Society’s Physician Health Services at (781) 434-7404, or go to www.physicianhealth.org.

Cheryl Weinstein, Ph.D. is assistant professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School.