premed with tinnitus?

[dsoz]

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Does having tinnitus preclude one from becoming a doctor? I have a slight ringing in the ears and a little hearing loss from a construction project that I did a few years ago. Will this affect my desire to be a doctor? I have not been formally tested as to the extent of the hearing loss, so I don't have an exact amount. When is it "too much?"

dsoz

 

[swamprat]

Does having tinnitus preclude one from becoming a doctor? I have a slight ringing in the ears and a little hearing loss from a construction project that I did a few years ago. Will this affect my desire to be a doctor? I have not been formally tested as to the extent of the hearing loss, so I don't have an exact amount. When is it "too much?"

dsoz

No where on the application does it ask if you have tinnitus and they won't ask you that at interviews.. theres something you do have to agree to involving disabilities and being able to do certain things but I doubt having a minor ringing in your ear will affect you. Your desire..well thats your call.

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

I couldn't imagine it preventing you from being a good doctor. So know I don't think so.

 

[mmmcdowe]

It may drive you nuts.

 

[dsoz]

No where on the application does it ask if you have tinnitus and they won't ask you that at interviews.. theres something you do have to agree to involving disabilities and being able to do certain things but I doubt having a minor ringing in your ear will affect you. Your desire..well thats your call.

Whoops. That was a slip. The question should have been ABILITY to be a doctor.

Last time I was shadowing, the MD had me listen to heart/lung/intestinal sounds through his stethoscope. I could hear most of the "normal" sounds, but IIRC there are some sounds that are diagnostic in nature that are more difficult to hear. I was wondering if not being able to hear them would be a liability in the field of medicine.

The "not having a disability that would prevent me from performing my duties" is what I am most worried about.

It may drive you nuts.

too late for that. Already there. I am giving up a stable job at $60k a year to become a med-student. LOL

 

[HH Holmes]

Whoops. That was a slip. The question should have been ABILITY to be a doctor.

Last time I was shadowing, the MD had me listen to heart/lung/intestinal sounds through his stethoscope. I could hear most of the "normal" sounds, but IIRC there are some sounds that are diagnostic in nature that are more difficult to hear. I was wondering if not being able to hear them would be a liability in the field of medicine.

The "not having a disability that would prevent me from performing my duties" is what I am most worried about.

You can always purchase the Littmann 3000 or 4100 series electronic stethoscopes. They amplify the noises of a normal stethoscope, and you can record them too. Only downside is the price. They average for the 3000 is about 400 bucks, while the normal stethoscopes (Master Cardiology or Classic II Special Edition) average around 50-90 dollars.

 

[werd]

what?

just kidding 😉. i don't think it will stop you or significantly hurt your ability to practice, thought it might get annoying if you go into cards or pulm or something like that. i'd also recommend having your hearing loss tested/quantified rather than subjectively not being able to hear well.

 

[Tatastrophy]

I know a doc (and I am sure he isn't the only one) with tinnitus, get this, he is an otologist. (ENT who specifically focuses on hearing/balance type shizz)

shouldn't affect your ability to be a doc. from the advice i heard about minimizing the "everpresentness" of the ringing...you should have music/white noise going on at all times to "distract" your brain from the internally generated signal that produces tinnitus. GL

 

[Potatoman1800]

Wear earplugs at concerts from now on. You may look like a dork (if you get the big yellow ones), but it's one of the few conditions that you can easily prevent from getting worse.

 

[dsoz]

Thanks all for the reassurance. I didn't think it would matter, but just wanted to know some opinions of "experts." Onward and upward to completing my application.

dsoz

 

[Hoya2009]

Um, if you weren't trained to hear those sounds, then you probably would have missed them anyway.
I have excellent hearing (but crap eyes), and I did a lot of head nodding like I knew what was going on to the "so now you hear this sound, right?" kinds of questions, lol.

Those sounds are hard to hear, period, not just because you have some ringing in your ears.