Color Blindness?

[Dramkinola]

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Hey... I was wondering if anyone here would know the answer to my question...
My cousin is an IMG, wanting to come here to the states for Residency... the problem is, he can't differentiate between dark greens and dark reds...
Now I told him that I thought Path, Surg, and Radiology were probably not options for him... but someone else said that they test for that and do not accept a person with this problem into any specialty... Is this true?
Any help would be appreciated...
Thanks in advance...

 

[Megalofyia]

It can't be true because I know foreign graduates who are color blind and specialists now.

One is a critical care physician the other is a neurologist.

 

[xanthines]

I don't know about here in the U.S., but I know for a fact that you can be a successful surgeon and also be red-green colorblind. He is now the asst/vice/whatever chairman of surgery at a European hospital.

-X

 

[Dramkinola]

Thanx for the replies... but does anyone know if there are ANY restrictions for the color blind? I heard it's impossible to get insured for a surgeon if he's colorblind...
Any breakdows of specialties would be greatly appreciated...

 

[DR]

They do test for it, but it won't be something that would disqualify you; you would just have to have certain tests read by others. For example, I know someone who was somewhat colorblind and he has to show his stool guaiacs to another resident before he can record is positive or negative.

 

[seattledoc]

Yes, I believe the limitations in most fields are minimal. In a primary care office, you wouldn't be allowed to do urine dips, stool guaiacs, and possibly rapid streps, urine HCG's. But who cares? The nurse usually does those anyway.

 

[DrQuinn]

I have an attending who is color blind, the only difficulty he says he has is in reading stool guaiacs... he usually just asks the nurse to read it for him. APparently he isnt' allowed to do the stool guaiacs (part of his contract with the hospital) because of his color blindness. Not sure if there is anything else he's not allowed to do. Oh, he's an EM attending.

Q, DO

 

[pinbor1]

I think that it may exclude the person from opthamology. There are a number of vision requirements that they need to pass. perhaps an optho res could tell you more.

 

[rjp202]

i've met at least one ophtho resident who was red-green colorblind, so it doesn't appear to be an absolute limitation. don't know if this was program specific, however.