From 2010 to 2017, 598 of 20,879 doctors in a UK GP skills exam declared dyslexia (Medical Education, Aug 2019). They were less likely to pass. Those who told the board only after a fail did worse still (University of Lincoln, Dec 2019).

Exams are one pressure point. Drug charts, notes and letters are others, and they come up every day. Here are four tasks where things go wrong, and what works for each one.

Where medicine pushes hardest on dyslexia

Medicine is a reading and writing job done at speed. You read charts, results and referral letters all day. You write notes, prescriptions and discharge letters, often when you're tired.

A UK study spoke to 26 GPs, GP trainees and their teachers in 2024 (BJGP Open, Jul 2026). Of those, 13 were dyslexic. They said getting support could be slow, because of low awareness and stigma.

The same study found that hospital jobs and general practice cause different problems. So the right fix depends on where you work.

Pick the task below that costs you the most time each week, and start there.

Task 1: prescribing and drug charts

A 2019 paper on prescribing with dyslexia says junior doctors write most hospital prescriptions (BMC Medical Education, Jul 2019). It also gives dyslexic doctors some plain advice. Here are three of its tips:

  • Write units in full on handwritten drug charts.
  • Check your work twice, or even three times, before you leave.
  • If in doubt, ask someone.

The authors think electronic prescribing might cut drug errors. But they flag a risk they have not tested. A screen could make a rushed doctor pick the wrong drug (BMC Medical Education, Jul 2019).

So build one fixed check for every prescription: drug, dose, unit, route and time. Say each one quietly as you check it. The same order every time means you don't lean on a tired eye.

Write your five-point check on a card behind your badge, and use it on every chart this week.

Task 2: notes, letters and the patient record

Clinic letters and discharge summaries are where spelling slips get seen. The GP reads them, and so does the patient.

Voice tools can take some of this load. In January 2026, NHS England published a list of 19 registered AI scribe suppliers (Pharmaceutical Journal, Jan 2026). It said these tools could save clinicians up to two or three minutes per consultation.

An AI scribe listens to the consultation and drafts the note. You still need to check the draft before it goes in the record. Ask your trust or practice if it uses a listed tool, and ask to join any trial.

Handover is the spoken version of the same problem. Ask for the key jobs in writing as well as out loud. A short written list is easier to check at 3am than a memory of a busy room.

For letters you write yourself, use a tool that reads your text back to you. Hearing a sentence catches the slip your eyes skip. For a letter about a hard decision, the email tone checker flags wording that may land badly.

Ask your IT lead this week which AI scribe or dictation tool you are allowed to use.

Task 3: postgraduate exams

In the UK

The Lincoln team found a split. In an earlier study, dyslexia did not cut pass rates on the written GP test (University of Lincoln, Dec 2019). That was for doctors who told the board before the test.

598

of 20,879 doctors in a UK GP skills exam declared dyslexia, 2010 to 2017 (Medical Education, Aug 2019). They were less likely to pass.

The gap was in the hands-on skills exam. Timing mattered too. Those who told the board only after a fail did worse than early tellers (University of Lincoln, Dec 2019).

In the US

For the USMLE, the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) decides who gets exam help (AMA, Aug 2025). Common asks are extra time, extra breaks and a private room.

The Docs with Disabilities group says to start a year before you plan to test (AMA, Aug 2025). You need recent paperwork from a trained expert, often less than three years old. If the NBME says no, you can ask it once per exam booking to think again.

Plan for a no. 52% of disabled students signed up for Step 1 in 2018 to 2019 were refused help (Medical Economics, Mar 2026). The figure is from a paper by the American College of Physicians.

In either country, tell the exam board and ask for help before your first try.

Task 4: asking for adjustments at work

UK: reasonable adjustments and Access to Work

In the UK, Access to Work can pay for equipment and software that help you work (GOV.UK, Nov 2026). Your employer must make reasonable adjustments, so Access to Work leaves those out.

Good asks are voice typing software, a quiet room for notes and set time for letters. Our Access to Work guide walks through how to apply, step by step.

US: asking for accommodations under the ADA

In the US, you ask your hospital or employer under the ADA. In one survey, 19,205 US trainee doctors answered questions on disability (AMA, Jun 2026). Of those, 9.5% said they had one.

Over a quarter of those who needed help at work did not ask for it (AMA, Jun 2026). Of those, 82% said fear of stigma was a reason. Our ADA accommodations guide shows how to ask in writing.

In both countries, ask for one clear change for one task. The reasonable adjustments builder turns your hardest tasks into a plan and a draft email.

Write down the one task that costs you most, and make it the first thing you ask about.

If you are the senior doctor in the room

Senior doctors carry a second job: they teach and sign off trainees. The BJGP Open study included 15 teachers of GP trainees, and 2 of them were dyslexic (BJGP Open, Jul 2026). Its main call was more dyslexia training for trainees and their teachers.

Your own habits set the tone. If you use a read-back check or an AI scribe in the open, trainees see that help is normal. That matters, because the Lincoln data show late declarers do worse.

When you write trainee reports, use the same tools you use for clinic letters. Dictate the draft, listen to it, then sign it.

If a trainee tells you they are dyslexic, ask them what helps. Then make one change that week. That might be more time for written work, or a quiet room for exam practice.

If you supervise trainees, tell them where to find support in their first week, before anyone fails an exam.

What this means for you

Start with prescribing, because a wrong unit on a chart can hurt a patient. Use the same five-point check every time. Then move notes and letters onto voice tools your employer has approved.

If you have exams ahead, declare dyslexia and ask for adjustments before your first sitting. The UK data link late declaration with worse results. The US data show many requests are refused, so start a year out.

Maybe you have never been assessed, but these tasks sound familiar. A formal assessment gives you the report that exam boards and employers ask for.

This week, make the prescribing card. This month, send one written request for an adjustment.

Not sure where to start? The dyslexia assessment cost guide covers UK and US prices in 2026. Fill in the short form on that page and we will find you a local assessor and reply within 2 working days.