What kind of medicine can you practice with a disability?

[952995]

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Say you have a particular disability preventing you from seeking employment, (visual, hearing, physical, etc), can you still practice medicine?

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Different specialties require different physical abilities. A disability that impedes the job is a no go, but disabilities that can be accommodated will be, and physicians with disabilities themselves may be extra empathetic to patients, or have greater insight to their experiences.

 

[abcdeltaforce]

I will be deaf here soon, will I still be able to practice?

Sent from my SM-N950U using SDN mobile

 

[LizzyM]

To be admitted to medical school, you need to meet the school's technical requirements.

Physicians who acquire a disability after licensure may have more flexibility in finding a job than someone who has the same disability before being admitted to medical school.

 

[nopenope9ee]

At the hospital where I scribe, there's a deaf internal medicine resident. He is always accompanied by a sign language interpreter. No idea if he's been deaf since before admission to medical school.

 

[getdown]

At the hospital where I scribe, there's a deaf internal medicine resident. He is always accompanied by a sign language interpreter. No idea if he's been deaf since before admission to medical school.

Dear God. I can't imagine how ****ty it might be for his interpreter. Does he stay up all night during night float with this guy? Stick around from 6 am till 6 pm or longer? Can you imagine rounding like this? Wow just wow.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

University of Rochester had a deaf student that just graduated this past year. I believe there was one of two or three interpreters there for every class. Rochester has a large deaf community so maybe that made this more feasible but deaf students/physicians are out there!

 

[libertyyne]

Deaf doctor makes patients feel heard - CNN

there are many niches in medicine that a disability would not be a deal breaker.

 

[hmockingbird]

I have a partially deaf co-resident. Our floors have flashing lights to signal codes in addition to the alarms and they have one of those stethoscopes that has a microphone built in with an app. Also during a code, if the defibrillator is hooked up you could also (and should so you know the rhythm!) watch the screen.

 

[RangerBob]

I have worked with a legally blind physician. He had a trained assistant to help with the exam (just the visual/observation parts).

I have met quite a few PM&R physicians (my specialty) with spinal cord injuries. I met a resident who was a complete tetraplegic. She trained and hired assistants to do the exam for her (I think they needed specialty certification, and were obviously always supervised/directed by her). She was obviously very determined.

If you are good enough at what you do, people will make it work. Sometimes they’re legally obligated. And when they aren’t, if you have the funds to pay for the assistance yourself, they will likely be happy to work with you.

The question is whether medicine is what you really want to do and if you’re willing to do the extra work to do it. And if you’re willing to hire the help you need.