Deaf Medical Students & Healthcare Majors
Deaf students are pursuing healthcare careers at rapidly increasing rates.
Institutions must be prepared to accommodate deaf students not only in the classroom, but also in clinical settings. They can promote accessibility for deaf medical students by reviewing their healthcare programs’ technical standards to ensure deaf students are not excluded because of their hearing loss. Begin by talking to the deaf student about how they plan to navigate the highly technical content of the program.
When interpreting, speech-to-text services, or both are needed in medical training programs, identify providers with proficient knowledge of medical terminology and experience in medical training and clinical settings.
Consider the benefits of consistent providers, especially as these students move further into their studies. It is recommended that the institution identify a small pool of providers that can be used to support consistent communication access.
Deaf Medical Students
This resource summarizes common accommodations including stethoscopes, specialized interpreters and speech-to-text professionals, and medical face masks.
Internships and Fieldwork
Internships, practicums, clinicals, apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities allow students to apply academic, technical and employment skills in real-world settings.
Technical Standards in Healthcare Careers
Technical standards define a set of abilities and characteristics a person is required to possess in order to gain admission to an educational or training program.
Providing Dual Accommodations
Dual accommodations are used in many different ways, including for courses with highly technical and complex content, in testing or dissertation situations, or for campus-wide events.
Best Practices in Access: Interpreter Consistency
Interpreter consistency is a key element in ensuring effective access and effective communication for deaf people who use interpreters.
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Zach Featherstone discusses the challenges he faced while looking for an internship in the medical field.
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Additional Resources
- Equitable Access Guide: Section 7: Technical Standards
- Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses
- AMA: Journal of Ethics: Technical Standards and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Medical School Applicants and Students: Interrogating Sensory Capacity and Practice Capacity
- Understanding The Work Of Designated Healthcare Interpreters
- Technology Assures Deaf Student Learns Surgery at UC Davis School of Medicine
- How I bridge two worlds as a deaf medical student
- Dr. Michael Argenyi shares his experiences going through medical school and in various rotations
- Accommodating Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students In Operating room environments: A case study
