Color Blindness in Emergency Medicine

[RippedMD]

Hey everyone, M1 here. I know there have been posts on the pre-med forums about color blindness, but I haven't found one that addressed emergency medicine. Is it possible to be a good ER physician if I am color blind?

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[GatorCHOMPions]

I'm an EM resident and thought it was a little difficult identifying subtle cellulitis (skin infections), bilious (greenish) vomit, melena (dark rectal blood), rashes, otitis media, among other things when I first started out. As a medical student, I would ask stuff like "is this what bile looks like?". After several examples, you get the gist. Just like we get by in the "outside world" by recognizing patterns/shades without seeing what everyone else sees, you will also be able to do this in the ED. I consider it an obstacle, but not something that will totally inhibit you performing at a high level.

 

[Daiphon]

Some of the POCT (pregnancy, strep, dipsticks, hemoccult) require no problems with color vision per CLIA certification... so you may not be able to perform them.

However, that won't make or break you; just something to know.

 

[dchristismi]

I have to ask anyone I hire if they're colorblind, presumably for the same reasons, but I also presume it would be protected as any other "disability." As above, I think it has to do with certain point of care tests, but it has never really come up.

I have a lousy sense of smell. Trust me, it serves me well. I figure it's no different than if I ask the nurse "does that smell c-diffy to you?"

 

[RippedMD]

Some of the POCT (pregnancy, strep, dipsticks, hemoccult) require no problems with color vision per CLIA certification... so you may not be able to perform them.

However, that won't make or break you; just something to know.

So how would I get around this? Would I be able to get certified somehow, or would I have to avoid certain cases, or what?

 

[dchristismi]

(In the real world, my nurses do all those tests...)

 

[Daiphon]

(In the real world, my nurses do all those tests...)

in the real world, so do mine... but often not at the speed i want them done. d=)

 

[Daiphon]

So how would I get around this? Would I be able to get certified somehow, or would I have to avoid certain cases, or what?

You just wouldn't be able to perform the actual test; but obtaining the sample is not a problem. For example, hemoccult = you get the poop on your finger then the card, but someone else looks for color change. You have to document, then, that someone *else* interpreted the result, though, or your lab may lose its CLIA waivers.

-d

 

[Birdstrike]

Hey everyone, M1 here. I know there have been posts on the pre-med forums about color blindness, but I haven't found one that addressed emergency medicine. Is it possible to be a good ER physician if I am color blind?

My opinion: if you got in medical school being color blind, it won't hold you back. You might suck at rashes, that's all. Actually no... Let me let you in on a secret, they're almost all red.


You'll do fine.