[Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors

[Hyde, David W. (ESC)]

One of the things I would stress is what to do when the doctor finds someone they can't cure. They need not only to learn about the treatment of disorders of the eye, but the human factor too. I have lost count of the people who have told me that when they went to their doctor, and were told they were going blind, losing eye sight, becoming visually impaired, getting hard of seeing, (fill in the next euphemism here) they got no further information. Now I know that there are two possibilities, that the doctor stopped talking and that the patient stopped listening. There needs to be some follow up and referrals.

There is a need for doctors to have experience in blindness, in low vision aids, in pediatric ophthalmology, dealing with children who have multiple problems etc. 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Johanna Baccan
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 7:43 PM
To: Blind Talk mailing List
Subject: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors

To All:

I was asked by Dr. Steven  Sang one of the top Retina Doctors at Columbia Presbyterian  Hospital in New York City, new York  to speak to Columbia University Medical Students.  He wants me to encourage them to become Retina
Doctors and Retina Researchers.     I am a 54 year old woman and have a
unusual form of Stargardt's Disease and have been visually impaired for 34 years.  I know that we all have mastered some if not all the Techniques of Blindness.  But my talk is going to be on what it would mean to regain my vision and what I have missed out on for 34 years.  I would like to hear from all of you to let me know what it would mean to you to have or regain your vision.  What struggles have you had.  There has been a declined in Medical Students to become Retina Doctors and Researchers in this country.
As a whole the Blind Community seems to function in a way that people don't realize how difficult it really is.  So instead of talking how I mastered the Techniques of Blindness I have to talk about the reality of vision loss.
These students are exposed to other patients with diseases that are much more visible and pronounced then our vision loss.  At times my particular eye disease has been called a Hidden handicap.  Because to look at me even though I use a cane I do not look visually impaired at all.  Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Johanna Baccan

 

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