Table of ContentsBackground and RationaleProceduresA. Research designB. SampleC. Measurement / InstrumentationD. Detailed study proceduresE. Internal validityF. Data Analysis The present project further expanded OSUCOM's disability studies curriculum by providing medical students the opportunity to interact with real people with disabilities (both developmental and physical) in a medical setting. To assess student learning, pre- and post-meeting surveys were conducted, and students also wrote reflections on their experience after the meeting. Although initially used for educational purposes, findings that may indicate a potential increase in student comfort and confidence when interviewing individuals with disabilities would be valuable to the scientific and educational community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Our research question, which will be addressed through pre- and post-meeting survey analyzes and qualitative analysis of reflections, is whether or not a brief clinical encounter with a person with a disability (developmental or physical) improves medical students' skills in working with people with disabilities. Background and Rationale Recent research has indicated that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience health care disparities (Havercamp & Scott, 2015; Minihan, Bradshaw, & Long, 2004). In states like Ohio, people with disabilities struggle to access and receive high-quality health care services (Prokup, Andridge, & Havercamp, 2017). Training medical students has often been cited as the solution to this problem. The Ohio State University College of Medicine (OSUCOM) has integrated a group of self-advocates and parents to educate medical students about autism spectrum disorders (Havercamp, Ratliff-Schaub, Macho, Johnson, Bush and Souders, 2016). Lectures, presentations, didactic training, and interactions with patient models have been included in other academic medical schools (Symons, McGuigan, & Akl, 2009; Woodard, Havercamp, Zwygart, & Perkins, 2012). The present research attempts to determine whether students meeting real people with disabilities (hypothetically closer to life than a lecture, presentation, didactic training, or model patient encounter) improves students' attitudes and overall comfort with the likelihood of working with people with disabilities in their future practices.ProceduresA. Research DesignData collection during the simulated dating experiment consisted of a survey of pre- and post-dating attitudes. This design is appropriate to answer our research question of whether a simulated clinical encounter impacts (and improves) medical students' self-reported comfort and confidence, among other attitudinal variables addressed in the survey.B . Sample The participant sample consists of the 118 medical students who participated in the simulated clinical experience and provided feedback via the pre- and post-meeting survey. Their responses are anonymous.C. Measurement/InstrumentationThe pre- and post-meeting survey included demographic questions, questions about the disability of the person they spoke with, and a Likert scale-type questionnaire modified from the health care provider questionnaire administered in the framework of research on health care and disability carried out by Robey,.