In the summer of 2023, I graduated from Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine with a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. In 2018 and 2019, as I was considering supplementing my patient advocacy work with a formal education in health, it was daunting to think how I would manage Crohn’s disease while studying and keeping up with the rigors of a graduate degree program.
You see, even contemplating grad school was a huge undertaking when I was accepted into Mount Sinai’s Certificate of Public Health program in 2019. As I slowly mustered up the courage to transfer into the MPH program in early 2020, I felt scared yet hopeful all at once. Myriad fears of illness yet hopes of forging a new career were all swirling in my mind.
Managing Crohn’s disease while going back to school
It wasn’t a walk in the park, but with every class I managed to get through, I built up my confidence. I enjoyed going to class, and that was the motivation I needed to get out of bed even on the days when I felt crummy.
My classroom was filled with people from all walks of life, including students who were doctors, social workers, and nurses, along with international students coming to supplement their already prolific careers. I made new friends, including a woman who sat next to me, and we later realized we both have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
All in all, interacting with other students who learned of my patient advocacy work and public health engagements also helped me feel alive again after multiple surgeries and life changing encounters with Crohn’s disease.
However, within that first year, the pandemic hit, and with it, I needed to address personal and familial health challenges, request accommodations, and even take some time away from school.
Requesting accommodations
From day one, the administration made it a point to share how to obtain accommodations. I remember sitting down with the social worker in the Disability Services department. After I submitted a couple medical letters of necessity, the social worker issued accommodations to ensure that the program could support me in my quest to receive a higher education.
It was important to go in with an open mind and be willing to have open conversations about what I needed, even if I felt a bit embarrassed to discuss needing restroom breaks. It was necessary to have conversations with my healthcare team and do some soul-searching as to what I might need and how it would help me feel more comfortable yet still be reasonable for my school to accommodate.
What types of accommodations did I request?
Because I find it hard to sit for long periods of time and need to use the bathroom and eat small snacks frequently, I requested and received the following accommodations:
- The ability to use the restroom and/or eat at any time during class. During the pandemic, this meant I could turn off the Zoom camera for 5 to 10 minutes at a time to use the bathroom, get up and stretch, or grab a snack, so as not to disrupt the class.
- Time and a half on exams in case I needed to tend to those things during exams.
- Note-taking by a qualified classmate in case I had an excused medical absence or needed to tend to my health in some way during class.
- No penalties to my grades if I had necessary medical appointments or acute onset of illness.
Of course, these accommodations are very particular to my individual ailments and needs. This is why it was so important to go into Disability Services having thought through what I might need.
It also helped to talk with Disability Services about what types of accommodations they generally give to a variety of students. That way, I was able to determine what I might need and advocate best for myself.
Taking a break
Then, in 2021, there came a time when I needed an emergency laparotomy to clear out blockages in my intestines. I remember being more than midway through the semester and needing to take a pause and head in for surgery.
As my head spun from a surprising turn of events, I remember my professors being very accommodating. They suggested that I take an “incomplete” grade, watch all the lectures the following semester, and then work to complete all the required homework assignments and take the final exam.
As difficult as this time was, I looked forward to recovering from surgery and getting back into my classwork. I spent much of my semester break and the next semester recovering and slowly completing all the requirements before signing up for new courses.
Adjusting expectations and owning my story
While it was hard for me to ask for help, it is sometimes necessary to adjust our sails to ensure that we are getting the accommodations we need to make the most of our education.
Something to keep in mind is that if we don’t ask, we may never get the help we need. So, it’s important to think through it all, talk with our doctors, and see whether those accommodations can be made through our universities.
Today, a year later, I feel proud that I was able to graduate at the top of my class with my MPH. Even though it took me nearly 4 years and I was almost 40 years old, I did it! I reinvented myself and my career and showed myself and the world around me that no amount of Crohn’s disease could stop me from achieving my dreams.
Own your Crohn’s disease, own your chronic illness, to help you fulfill your dreams and achieve all that you can in spite of health challenges.
Originally Published on Healthgrades.com, Written by Tina Aswani-Omprakash
