Be sure this is really what you want to do.
Volunteer or find jobs at clinics, hospitals, anywhere you can get valuable hands-on experience. This will help you decide what you want to do and will show the admissions committees that you have tested the waters and are still committed.
Check into technical standards.
Medical professional schools have technical standards which students must meet. These usually involve five areas: observation, communication, motor/movement, intellectual/conceptual, and behavioral/social abilities.
Admissions committees use technical standards to judge applicants with legal disabilities. Some schools enforce very restrictive technical standards.. Other programs are more willing to consider how a given individual can compensate for a disability. Check into the technical standards of some of the schools you are considering. Be prepared to explain to the admissions committee how you plan to compensate for your disability. The most common concerns that admissions committees have are:
-How you are going to hear heart, lung, and bowel sounds
-How you are going to communicate with others in surgery when everyone has a surgical mask on
-How you are going to communicate with patients in person and over the phone
-How you are going to obtain the information that is presented in the classroom, in labs, and in clinical rounds
Maximize verbal test scores
GREs, MCATs, and VCATs, are a part of the application process, and they include a test of verbal reasoning skills. This presents a problem for some Deaf/HOH individuals, they may need more time to process the verbal reasoning questions. One solution is taking the graduate entry examination, in part or in whole, without time limits. The drawback to this is that it will be disclosed to the admissions committee, who may look unfavorably upon it. Another option is to explain to the admissions committee that the verbal reasoning section does not accurately reflect your language skills. A letter could be written by your audiologist or counselor on your behalf.
Consider pros/cons on disclosing hearing loss during application process
Pros:
-If the admissions committee finds out from someone else that you have a hearing loss that you did not disclose to them nor discuss, it could be a negative reflection on you that you were not direct with them and were unwilling to address the issue.
-The admissions committee may not recognize that you have to work harder than many of your hearing peers and thus fail to give you credit for your work ethic and discipline.
Cons:
-The admissions committee may wonder if you will succeed in a demanding academic environment.
-The admissions committee may feel threatened by the effort and expense of the accomodations that you may require.
-There is no legal requirement to disclose at the interview stage.If one discloses, the focus of the interview may tend to focus on the hearing loss rather than the person’s capabilities and credentials and once the hearing loss is disclosed, questions can be freely asked about it by the interviewer at that point.
-Discrimination does happen and it can be hard to prove. The committee may simply rank you lower on the list and rank other candidates as being more attractive.
Preparing for the Admissions Interview
Many interviewers have little or no experience working with individuals who have a legal disability. They may not feel comfortable while interviewing you and may fail to address their reservations with you. By law, a potential employer cannot discriminate against applicants based on disability, so interviewers are discouraged from raising the issue during an interview. But if their concerns are not addressed, their initial bias may lead them away from offering you a position. If you have an obvious hearing loss or one that requires significant accommodations, you might want to set the tone and ask if anyone has any questions related to your hearing. Put them at ease. Describe your hearing in a positive context. Explain how you compensate and how you plan to meet the technical requirements of the program. Keep in mind that your hearing colleagues, during their medical school interviews, usually do not know how to listen to heart sounds or properly interview a patient. You may discuss your options for work in medical school, perhaps using an amplified stethoscope or a visual-display stethoscope. Such discussion would reflect your research into options and thus your motivation. You want to come across as being a determined and confident person who would make an excellent addition to their program.
Dealing with Suspected Discrimination
Ask your interviewer or admissions committee why you were not selected and what you can do to improve your candidacy for other interviews. You may or may not receive useful information, but at least you have a starting point. Ask your dean or advisor to look into the matter. Go to the Disabilities Office on your campus. Contact professionals in your field of interest who have a hearing loss.
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