Can an albino go to medical school?

[Gauss44]

*****This is posted with permission and is NOT about me***********

http://www.albinism.org/publications/students.html

Please recommend specific schools if you know of any that would be good for this person.

The Good: This student does the best in rooms and areas without outside windows. Schools with underground tunnels that connect buildings, high ceilings, even lighting (fewer shadows and less glare), and that don't use overhead projectors are ideal.

The Bad: This student would have the most trouble with glass buildings, no tunnels, low ceilings with bright florescent lights, etc.

Location doesn't matter. He would be grateful to have a chance at ANY medical school.

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[SN12357]

low ceilings with bright florescent lights, etc.

...so, no hospitals, then?

That joking aside the medical conditions that accompany albinism would fall under the reasonable accommodations provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school, and later hospital employers, would be required to make said accommodations.

It would be absolutely pointless to try and pick a school based on, of all things, it's architecture and lighting. This person needs to figure out if they can function in the long-term in medical environments, which are not reliably going to contain tunnels, high ceilings, and a lack of fluorescent lights. Assuming that reasonable accommodation can be made so that this person can function, the most important factor in picking a medical school is going to be cultural; whether or not the school is progressive and supportive of its students. The fact that you're asking about architecture means you're asking the wrong questions.

 

[Gauss44]

...so, no hospitals, then?

That joking aside the medical conditions that accompany albinism would fall under the reasonable accommodations provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The school, and later hospital employers, would be required to make said accommodations.

It would be absolutely pointless to try and pick a school based on, of all things, it's architecture and lighting. This person needs to figure out if they can function in the long-term in medical environments, which are not reliably going to contain tunnels, high ceilings, and a lack of fluorescent lights. Assuming that reasonable accommodation can be made so that this person can function, the most important factor in picking a medical school is going to be cultural; whether or not the school is progressive and supportive of its students. The fact that you're asking about architecture means you're asking the wrong questions.

I disagree. Some campuses are much better fit for an albino than others. That's explained in the original post.

I'm going to refrain from going off topic about non-college life, other than to say that he has interned at several hospitals that fit his needs so well that he didn't even require accommodations there. Those positions were in internal areas without windows and/or during the evening or overnight shifts.

 

[SN12357]

I disagree. Some campuses are much better fit for an albino than others. That's explained in the original post.

I'm going to refrain from going off topic about non-college life, other than to say that he has interned at several hospitals that fit his needs so well that he didn't even require accommodations there. Those positions were in internal areas without windows and/or during the evening or overnight shifts.

Well if sunlight is the biggest problem then any place with long, dark, cold winters should do the trick...if that's not enough to make the decision I doubt anyone here without specific experience with albinism is going to be able to give any better advice.

FWIW I think in 10+ interviews I haven't seen a single medical school that had windows in their lecture hall(s). Not even in Florida.

 

[okokok]

Just offhand, the hospital attached to Loyola seemed dim and labyrinthine to me. The school itself wasn't extraordinarily well-lit. Schools and hospitals with older architecture will probably have the least amount of sunshine coming in.

 

[docterjew]

*****This is posted with permission and is NOT about me***********

http://www.albinism.org/publications/students.html

Please recommend specific schools if you know of any that would be good for this person.

The Good: This student does the best in rooms and areas without outside windows. Schools with underground tunnels that connect buildings, high ceilings, even lighting (fewer shadows and less glare), and that don't use overhead projectors are ideal.

The Bad: This student would have the most trouble with glass buildings, no tunnels, low ceilings with bright florescent lights, etc.

Location doesn't matter. He would be grateful to have a chance at ANY medical school.

I've never been but I heard UPitt med school is in a pretty dark and depressing building.

 

[Goro]

Answer is yes.

*****This is posted with permission and is NOT about me***********

http://www.albinism.org/publications/students.html

Please recommend specific schools if you know of any that would be good for this person.

The Good: This student does the best in rooms and areas without outside windows. Schools with underground tunnels that connect buildings, high ceilings, even lighting (fewer shadows and less glare), and that don't use overhead projectors are ideal.

The Bad: This student would have the most trouble with glass buildings, no tunnels, low ceilings with bright florescent lights, etc.

Location doesn't matter. He would be grateful to have a chance at ANY medical school.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Sounds like a good candidate for Rads.

 

[MedPhys2MD]

Sounds like a good candidate for Rads.

Haha yup... We spend all day in the basement and have no clue what the weather is like outside - even in sunny southern california

 

[Escape_Goat]

A school in the Pacific Northwest should be good since it always rains there.

 

[gumdrops]

Sounds like a good candidate for Rads.

Or pathology.