Deaf Doctor

camtheham

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I've been working quite hard in order to pave my way into the medical path. For future purposes, should CI be the way to go? I'm profound and bilateral.

Any opinions would be fantastic.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!
 
Generally speaking-Cochlear Implants are considered when Hearing aids are not much use-hearing wise.
Also the state of one's health /ears/cochleas etc. have a bearing on the final decision.

aside: in Sunnybrook/Toronto/Ontario since 1983 they have "reviewed" for Cochlear Implant-3000 deaf Adults of which only 1000 were accepted. Of that group I was accepted. 18 didn't benefit at all.
Source: patients meeting a couple of years ago

Much success in your future journey.
 
I know CIs are considered when HA don't necessary work. I just cannot miss out on essential details that will prevent me from succeeding.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!
 
From my understanding deaf professionals mainly work with deaf individuals. So even with only HAs you should be fine. I'm a biology major and will be going for my PhD when it's time and was told it's very important to get a note taker for school and learn all medical terms in asl.

Sent from my LGLS990 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
I know CIs are considered when HA don't necessary work. I just cannot miss out on essential details that will prevent me from succeeding.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!

Even if you get a CI, you still need to get a medical ASL interpreters and a notetaker so that you don't miss what is going on in the classrooms. So what is wrong with that if you are not going to have medical ASL interpreters? What kind of college are you planning to attend? Is the college that you want Deaf friendly? :hmm:
 
Even if you get a CI, you still need to get a medical ASL interpreters and a notetaker so that you don't miss what is going on in the classrooms. So what is wrong with that if you are not going to have medical ASL interpreters? What kind of college are you planning to attend? Is the college that you want Deaf friendly? :hmm:

From the research I have looked at from choosing the school I'm going to attend all colleges at least in the states have to accommodate the deaf and hoh as well as people with other disabilities.


Camtheham-

It's important when choosing the college is the main concentration of the school and mission. I choice Georgia State because the have a strong pre med department and honorable alumni graduating from the science school. I looked at Georgia Tech University but they don't have an as strong science school nor do they have pre med. And you don't have to do as many years when the school has a good pre med program. From what I was told it knocks off 2 years.

Sent from my SM-T520 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
HA or CI

I know CIs are considered when HA don't necessary work. I just cannot miss out on essential details that will prevent me from succeeding.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!

I think it doesn't matter whether your HA work or not. what matters if you qualify for CI or not.
Do you? then what's left is to decide whether you want to go for it or not.

I do have one question though - are you born deaf, or were you able to learn at least some speech and recognize some sounds before going profoundly deaf?
It does matter on your later CI success.

Fuzzy
 
Subject is misled. I thought this is about deaf doctor, not about hearing aids and CI. You're make me angry...
 
Not entirely misleading though he could have said something like "Deaf doctor and CI or HA?' But the topic IS about becoming a doctor who is deaf but wants to know if CI or HA would be more beneficial on his journey to BECOME a doctor.

I'd rather have a short sweet subject line than a long one with 25 words in it ;)
 
Not entirely misleading though he could have said something like "Deaf doctor and CI or HA?' But the topic IS about becoming a doctor who is deaf but wants to know if CI or HA would be more beneficial on his journey to BECOME a doctor.

I'd rather have a short sweet subject line than a long one with 25 words in it ;)

I think DR Ear would be awesome.
 
Subject is misled. I thought this is about deaf doctor, not about hearing aids and CI. You're make me angry...


Sorry, you got a lil OCD about how you want your information shown :)

The subject is whether I should get CI that would amplify a lot more hearing or keep my HA, for interest of a deaf doctor.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!
 
I don't think it matters but that is a non reversal surgery so I think at the end of the day it's your choice. But if you want to be a doctor you should worry about being fluent in asl if your not already and learning all medical terminology.

Sent from my LGLS990 using AllDeaf App mobile app
 
I think a better idea would be to attend a school that has strong dhh supports. I think NTID has a pre med program. Access to sound is only a very small part of succeeding in school. Otherwise audilogically HOH kids would have NO problems with school...Unless of course you have very low speech perception with HAs
 
Even Very few Hearing people make it to medical school out of many. I know few deaf doctor/vet in the Rochy area.

Good luck with your studies and don't let your hearing stop you, there's accomdations and I do remember a deaf doc website for deaf professionals.
 
Do you know ASL? if not, learning ASL is another great idea.


Fuzzy
 
I think a better idea would be to attend a school that has strong dhh supports. I think NTID has a pre med program. Access to sound is only a very small part of succeeding in school. Otherwise audilogically HOH kids would have NO problems with school...Unless of course you have very low speech perception with HAs

Exactly what kind of access do you mean, then?

because if you mean it in a broader sense of the word, like "both ASL or speech" then you are wrong - listening to what teacher say is the basis of success in school, you can not do it alone, or it is very very very hard.
but if you mean like "it can be either ASL or speech", then I agree.
Indeed you can study using either ASL or speech as communication 'device' - your choice, whatever works for you.

However, Cam is asking about something entirely else,
he is asking, "I have HAs, but think about CI, advice, please".



Fuzzy
 
Sorry, you got a lil OCD about how you want your information shown :)

The subject is whether I should get CI that would amplify a lot more hearing or keep my HA, for interest of a deaf doctor.


I have aids... HEARING AIDS!


The thing is, we can not answer that question for you because we don't know if this 'will amplify', because
a/ we do not know your medical history, i.e were you born deaf?
are you late deafened? thus how well do you understand speech and other sounds?
b/ does your HAs make a lot of difference in helping to hear? I mean, do they for example significantly improve ability to understand what people are saying?
do you, without them, are completely unable to converse?

Have you ever talked to oto- laryngologist about possibility of being implanted?
Like I've said, it's not true that your HAs has to stop working. you have every right to want to hear better now,
and you as profound already qualify based on your severe hearing loss.
Personally I believe it is better to be implanted while you still speak fairly fluently and recognize a vast number of sounds - because then
the transition will be more fluent.
You may choose to implant one ear only, see how you like it.
yet still you must be aware what if you don't, but you are stuck with it?
so much to think about.


It is surgery not to be taken lightly. there are certain side effects that can happen, there is no guarantee that it will work for you, and indeed it is irreversible.
On the other side, you do hear so much better, different.
If someone is happy with CI - is then very happy.
The best way to go is to start researching what's new in CI, who is best in performing surgeries in your area, set up an appointment with a specialist
and start asking question regarding your hearing loss and how CI would benefit you.

We can not encourage nor discourage you. we can only say, if you feel it will benefit you, do what you have to do.

Fuzzy
 
I have had Bilateral CI for years, no where near the clarity of Hearing aids in my experience. I was paramedic for a while with progressive hearing loss, used hearing aids till that was not good enough either. If you cannot get into the "speech banana" decibel levels with HA, then yes, a CI will more likely be able to get you in that range.
CVaudioD2.gif


However the question is clarity of sound which is more important for understanding. It's also going to take a lot more effort on your part with CI..
Check out Thinklabs.com. they have a really cool stethoscope for DHH folks. I'm hoping to go back to school and do nursing, However I will have ASL interpreter through school and clinical. I'm hoping my new N6 processors will be better than the freedoms. I getting my initial mapping at Cochlear America's in Denver in 3 weeks. So I should be getting really good maps. Just have to drive 2000 miles round trip. I used to live in Colorado so I will also be visiting friends while I'm there. Fringe benefit from being in past research studies.
I'm hoping to visit Thinklabs after I get mapping done to try out one those stethoscope.
There is this group you can check out too.
Association for Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss: AMPHL
https://amphl.org/
Once you finish schooling then you can choose a job environment that best fits your needs
 
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