med student with moderate hearing loss?

[Timeless]

I have a premed friend applying next year and he has a moderate hearing loss but with a hearing aid has perfectly normal hearing. Will med schools look upon this as an impediment and bar him from entering? I know many med students with other mental and physical problems, but I haven't heard about this one. What do you know about this? I ask this because my friend is otherwise really an excellent candidate with a great humanistic heart.

Thanks you for your kind replies. My friend doesn't know about this site nor that I am asking this hear.

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[Megalofyia]

There are deaf doctors. I would think that theoretically med schools would not be able to discriminate against her. Especially if with a hearing aid she has normal hearing.

 

[TheRussian]

Tell him to apply to Dartmouth. They are proud of the fact that they had two completely deaf people in the same class that graduated a year or two ago.

 

[kaikai128]

I have a premed friend applying next year and he has a moderate hearing loss but with a hearing aid has perfectly normal hearing. Will med schools look upon this as an impediment and bar him from entering? I know many med students with other mental and physical problems, but I haven't heard about this one. What do you know about this? I ask this because my friend is otherwise really an excellent candidate with a great humanistic heart.

Thanks you for your kind replies. My friend doesn't know about this site nor that I am asking this hear.

I do not think that this would be a problem. If nothing else; it could possibly be an advantage in being able to write about overcoming adversity and being able to connect possibly with patients who come from other disabled backgrounds that some ppl owuldn't have a connection with.

I know of at least two physicians with hearing issues. One is hearing impaired and the other is Deaf. Tell her good luck, and if she is worried..she should get involved with the deaf community--I'm sure they would be able to introduce her to some Deaf/hearing impaired ppl who are in the medical profession.

 

[daveshnave]

Not even an issue... a friend of mine in my class is hearing impaired, and she hasn't had any major issues. That being said, your friend should expect idiots who are resistant to change. Some people are lazy and don't want to have to make accommadations, which are sometimes necessary. I don't think that being hearing impaired should discourage your friend from medicine if that's what he/she really wants... just have them know that not everyone will be excited about it. My friend is able to read lips, and can usually get by this way, although the school pays for an interpreter for her. I do know that she has gotten some resistance in applying to residencies, however, one of which was technically illegal. Other programs haven't even cared. The point again is that your friend can do this, but they must be aware that some people will feel that he/she must "prove themselves." It is unfortunate that some feel this way, but it's a reality...

 

[Furrball]

Might want to think about buying an electronic stethoscope with amplification instead of the usual analog variety. I know a peds ICU/trauma nurse here who is deaf in one ear. He uses the Littman brand electronic model.

I know a Pharm D who works in one of the hospitals here and she is legally deaf. She wears hearing aids and everyone learns to talk to her wall standing where she can see them.

 

[Nightengale]

It definitely can and has been done.

I would encourage your friend to look closely at the school. Some schools have "Techinical Standards" of certain physical requirements for applicants. At my school, a student with a hearing impairment still needs to be able to hear well enough to be make his or her own assessment of heart sounds, etc, without going through someone else. I also doubt they would provide an interpreter (not saying your friend needs this, just pointing out that some schools would and some schools wouldn't.)

I have mild cerebral palsy, and I have gone three rounds with the lack of precident of students with disabilites here, whereas other schools have educated sucessful physicans with all sorts of disabilities with much less fuss and roadblocks than I have encountered. Some people have been extremely supportive while others have been adversarial. But in the end, it can be done. Good luck to your friend.

 

[burton117]

There are completely deaf people who have become doctors, and having partial hearing loss should in no way keep your friend from getting there someday.

I would encourage him to keep on steaming ahead to become a doctor because there sure aren't enough out there with hearing losses relative to the population of deaf people in the United States.

Deaf Doctors Taking Care of Deaf Patients

 

[ms. a]

I'm just curious, how do deaf doctors do things like the cardiovascular exam? How do they listen to the abdomen to determine if there are "normal bowel sounds"?

I'm not trying to be rude or anything of the type, I'm just curious as to how it works.

 

[megsMS]

Does anyone know of any kind of stethoscope that would allow the user to not take out their hearing aids when listening to their patients? My fiance is frustrated with taking his in and out when using his stethoscope.

Any suggestions would really help.

 

[Tekena1]

Does anyone know of any kind of stethoscope that would allow the user to not take out their hearing aids when listening to their patients? My fiance is frustrated with taking his in and out when using his stethoscope.

Any suggestions would really help.

see stethoscopes at amphl.org. (Cardionics escope)

 

[burton117]

see stethoscopes at amphl.org. (Cardionics escope)

AMPHL = Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses

Pretty cool website.. thanks for posting that.. I had no idea this organization was out there..