[Nfb-or] blind doctor

[Renee Squier]

Rock on Chrys.
You go girl!

Renee

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chrys Buckley" <lotusmoonflowering at hotmail.com>
To: <nfb-or at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 06, 2010 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-or] blind doctor


>
>
> Thank you so much for posting that!
>
> This is a lot more recent than other articles I have read about Tim 
> Cordes, so it was really informative. I really, really hope to get a 
> chance to meet him.
>
> There are a few other blind doctors out there - Mark Stracka or Stracks (I 
> always forget), who spoke at an NFB convention a few years ago, and Jeff 
> (don't know his last name). There is also a blind naturopathic physician 
> living here in Portland who is a good friend of mine. She used some 
> different techniques than Cordes to get through her training, but some of 
> the same ones as well.
>
> I am really interested in this topic because I am very seriously thinking 
> about going into medicine. I just returned to school this year, for 
> biology (with a writing minor as creative writing is my other love) and I 
> went into this year really unsure about this possible direction, but 
> during this year I discovered how much I really love the biology classes 
> and it made me feel more inclined towards medicine, especially these last 
> few months because it was during this time that my class focused on the 
> biology of the human body and how it works. I feel like next year will be 
> the real test, because I'll be taking a heavy science load (Anatomy & 
> Physiology, Chemistry and Neuroscience) and it should give me a good idea 
> if this really is my true direction. So I'm still not absolutely sure, but 
> feel more and more inclined in that direction.
>
> And I want to say, I had been thinking about this for a long time but had 
> not really voiced it to anyone b/c I was so uncertain myself and didn't 
> know how people would react, and it was two things that made me want to 
> start owning up to this interest and pursue, and those two things were a 
> three-month trip I took to India last spring, and going to my first NFB 
> convention last summer. At the convention, I was so inspired by all the 
> possibilities of what blind people are doing. After coming home from that, 
> I said to myself, okay I want to at least try this path out, and I may 
> discover as I get more into it that it's not for me. Or I may discover 
> that I love it. But either way I am not letting my blindness make the 
> decision for me - that isn't a good enough reason to not do it.
>
> And then I started reading stories of people like Tim Cordes and seeing 
> that it has been done. I loved reading the details of the article, like 
> about him delivering babies and so on! It's very encouraging!
>
> Chrys
>
>
>
>> From: squierr at comcast.net
>> To: nfb-or at nfbnet.org
>> Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2010 11:32:40 -0700
>> Subject: [Nfb-or] blind doctor
>>
>> >       Tim Cordes: one of the few sightless doctors in the country
>>
>> >       Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:49 AM PDT
>>
>> >       It's not uncommon for co-workers to stumble upon Tim Cordes
>> > (pictured) sitting in the dark.
>>
>> >       Cordes is blind.
>>
>> >       As an infant, he was diagnosed with Leber's disease, a rare
>> > degenerative condition of the retina that gradually steals one's sight.
>> > Cordes still remembers one of the first times he heard someone trying
>> > to explain how his impending blindness would affect his life. "Your son
>> > can be president of the United States, but he's never going to fly a
>> > plane or drive a car," an ophthalmologist explained to his parents when
>> > Cordes was about 7.
>>
>> >       He never did fly a plane or drive a car. In fact, when most of
>> > his friends in Cedar Falls, Iowa, were learning to drive, a 16-year-old
>> > Cordes got his first guide dog, a German shepherd named Electra.
>>
>> >       But Cordes didn't shrink from life. He's now a 34-year-old
>> > trailblazing physician who is wrapping up the third year of a four-year
>> > residency program with UW-Madison's department of psychiatry.
>>
>> >       Cordes has been reticent to share his story, not wanting to
>> > become a poster boy for overcoming visual disabilities. But he's slowly
>> > becoming more at ease telling his inspirational tale. Earlier this
>> > spring, the husband and father of two young boys wowed 450 members of
>> > the Madison Civics Club with a speech at Monona Terrace titled, "How I
>> > See Possibilities." In July, he'll give a similar talk in Dallas at the
>> > National Federation of the Blind's annual convention. And he
>> > contributed a chapter for a book to be published later this summer by
>> > the Association of American Medical Colleges that is designed to guide
>> > medical schools in accommodating students with disabilities. Cordes'
>> > chapter deals with the use of service animals.
>>
>> >       Cordes was valedictorian of his class at the University of Notre
>> > Dame in 1998, posting a 3.99 GPA while earning an undergraduate degree
>> > in biochemistry and conducting research on antibiotics. He then was
>> > accepted into the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's medical
>> > scientist training program, completing the notoriously challenging
>> > sequence that requires a student to finish both medical school and a
>> > Ph.D.-level research program.
>>
>> >       Over the years, Cordes also earned black belts in jujitsu and tae
>> > kwon do, carried the Olympic torch during its cross-country journey to
>> > the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, and developed computer software that
>> > uses a number of musical instruments, varying tones and left-right
>> > speakers to allow those with vision problems to conceptualize and study
>> > protein structures.
>>
>> >       Dr. Brad Schwartz still remembers the paperwork Cordes forwarded
>> > to the UW Medical School when applying to the medical scientist
>> > training program.
>>
>> >       While most attempting to head down this path are high achievers,
>> > Schwartz says Cordes stood out from the pack due to his Medical College
>> > Admission Test scores, 3.99 GPA in a demanding major and his
>> > interesting research on antibiotics. It was a reference letter from a
>> > Notre Dame researcher, however, that floored Schwartz, who was director
>> > of the program in the spring of 1998.
>>
>> >       Schwartz says his admissions review committee agreed Cordes was a
>> > "one-in-a-million" candidate and assumed "every program in the country
>> > would be fighting to get him because he was so remarkable."
>>
>> >       But that wasn't the case. In fact, Cordes applied to eight
>> > schools, but no one else showed interest. During one med school exit
>> > interview, doctors and researchers at a rival Big Ten Conference
>> > institution made it clear to Cordes, who has only a limited amount of
>> > light perception, that there was no way a blind student could complete
>> > the school's required coursework and rotations to earn a medical 
>> > degree.
>>
>> >       Cordes doesn't appear bitter about these rejections, but his
>> > mother, Therese Cordes, acknowledges it was a difficult time for her
>> > son. "To have someone tell Tim he's not good enough, despite all he
>> > accomplished, was very, very tough on him," she says.
>>
>> >       Even at UW-Madison, those close to the situation say some top
>> > medical school administrators were adamantly opposed to admitting
>> > Cordes. Concerns centered on two factors: the cost to make all the
>> > necessary accommodations for a blind student; and the fear that the
>> > Association of American Medical Colleges might frown on a school
>> > admitting a student who couldn't see.
>>
>> >       In the end, Schwartz stood his ground against the naysayers and
>> > Cordes was ultimately one of 143 students earning a slot in med school
>> > out of 2,300 who applied. Although no official records are kept and
>> > there are various scales to measure the extent of vision loss,
>> > published reports in 1998 indicated Cordes was only the second blind
>> > person ever admitted to a U.S. medical school. The first was David
>> > Hartman, a 1976 Temple grad and psychiatrist in Virginia whom Cordes
>> > considers a role model.
>>
>> >       Some members of the Medical School were guarded about Cordes'
>> > chances of success at first, says Schwartz. "But I can tell you, each
>> > year that he went along he won over more and more people," he says. In
>> > the years to come, Cordes would learn the lessons and complete the
>> > tasks asked of every other doctor-in-training.
>>
>> >       In the classroom, he used books on tape and in Braille to learn
>> > the fundamentals. He also relied heavily on a computer that could read
>> > downloaded texts and e-mails at a blistering 500 words per minute,
>> > something Cordes can easily understand but would sound like gibberish
>> > to someone accustomed to normal-paced speech. The university also
>> > provided him with a machine "It looks a little like an Easy-Bake oven,"
>> > says Cordes that makes raised-line drawings so he could interpret
>> > images using his sense of touch.
>>
>> >       In the lab, he helped dissect a human cadaver and used his
>> > fingers to identify the various nerves, muscles and organs. "I was the
>> > guy who reached into the chest and pulled out the lungs," says Cordes.
>> > When it came to hospital rotations, he helped deliver babies (earning
>> > Student of the Year honors in the obstetrics and gynecology rotation),
>> > observed surgery - "I felt blood flowing through an aorta" - and
>> > intubated patients during an anesthesiology rotation.
>>
>> >       The school also hired "visual describers" to tag along with
>> > Cordes and his seeing-eye dog to help Cordes read paper charts or act
>> > as his eyes during a physical exam. In 2004, he earned the title of
>> > medical doctor.
>>
>> >       His Ph.D. work centered on biomolecular chemistry and the makeup
>> > of proteins, a field that relies heavily on colorful,
>> > computer-generated models of complex molecular structures. Out of
>> > necessity, Cordes wrote a computer program that replicates the 3-D
>> > images using a range of audio tones and surround-sound speakers,
>> > allowing him to "visualize" the proteins in his head. In 2007 he earned
>> > his Ph.D.
>>
>> >       Although Cordes isn't one to puff out his chest and say "I told
>> > you so," he is proud of the fact he never allowed others to squash his
>> > dreams. "Choosing to ignore what other people say, when they say it
>> > can't be done, is a powerful tool," says Cordes.
>>
>> >       When Cordes started his medical school journey more than a decade
>> > ago, he had no desire to work directly with patients. Research was his
>> > passion, and the medical scientist training program is designed to
>> > develop people who can bridge the gap between basic research and 
>> > clinical work.
>>
>> >       But while working his way through the various rotations during
>> > his third year of medical school, Cordes started to zero in on a
>> > specialty and re-think his career options. He knew he couldn't be a
>> > radiologist but thought any other area was up for grabs. A four-week
>> > psychiatry rotation at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans
>> > Hospital stood out.
>>
>> >       While he enjoyed interacting with the patients, Cordes also saw
>> > the potential to conduct groundbreaking research in the study and
>> > treatment of mental disorders.
>>
>> >       So after earning his M.D. and Ph.D., Cordes in 2007 entered a
>> > four-year, psychiatry research track residency program, which allows
>> > him to spend time working with patients and conducting research.
>> > Although he notes there has been no single "ah-ha" moment, Cordes says
>> > it's becoming clear his desire to work as a clinician and teacher of
>> > future doctors is stronger than his drive to focus solely on research.
>>
>> >       Cordes' typical week currently consists of two-and-a-half days at
>> > the Veterans Hospital, where he helps supervise the medical interns in
>> > an inpatient psychiatry unit, and one full day of outpatient care at a
>> > UW Health clinic in University Research Park, where he oversees more
>> > than 100 patients. He also spends a half-day attending lectures and
>> > gets one full day for research. His research mainly consists of mining
>> > data and searching for interesting patterns using the Midlife
>> > Development in the United States survey, which examines the lives of
>> > people ages 30 to 70 in such areas as physical health, psychological
>> > well-being and factors that might lead to mental illness.
>>
>> >       At the Veterans Hospital, he also worked on a clinical trial
>> > systematically rating symptoms in patients with post-traumatic stress 
>> > disorder.
>>
>> >       While he has a proven track record as a researcher, Cordes is
>> > also earning kudos as a clinician.
>>
>> >       Body language and expressions often convey information to
>> > therapists, but Cordes is able to pick up on these cues despite his
>> > sight limitations. He says he's "gotten good at listening to people,
>> > not just what they're saying but hearing how their body moves or what
>> > direction they're talking in."
>>
>> >       Colleagues say they can't recall an instance in which a patient
>> > did not want to be seen by Cordes because he is blind. In fact, says
>> > Braus, Cordes' disability seemingly allows him to more easily connect
>> > with patients.
>>
>> >       It's not easy keeping pace with Cordes, even if you can see.
>>
>> >       With sprinkles just starting to fall one dreary spring morning,
>> > Cordes and Vance, his loyal guide dog for the past nine years, walk
>> > briskly from the bus stop to his office.
>>
>> >       The ride from near his home on Madison's East Side to UW Health's
>> > Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, which is across town in University
>> > Research Park, takes about 40 minutes - not bad considering Cordes has
>> > to transfer buses on the UW-Madison campus. The jaunt from the final
>> > stop to the clinic takes about five minutes at a quick pace. Somehow,
>> > Cordes narrowly misses several potholes on the driveway leading to his
>> > office. Those who have watched Cordes for years insist he has some sort
>> > of internal radar.
>>
>> >       Before long, Cordes is heading up a set of stairs leading to a
>> > back entrance of the clinic. He scans his security badge to gain entry
>> > to the facility; it's just past 7 a.m.
>>
>> >       Using his sharp memory and displaying complete trust in Vance,
>> > Cordes quickly moves down a hall to his office, drops off his jacket
>> > and backpack, and heads back down a hallway to separate locked rooms
>> > that house medical records and the mail. He intuitively slides his hand
>> > over the keypad security system, and quickly taps out the code. Inside,
>> > Braille labels allow him to promptly grab the correct patient records 
>> > and mail.
>>
>> >       Back in his office, he sets the papers neatly on his desk before
>> > flipping open his laptop and scanning through e-mails using
>> > screen-reading software that ticks off the messages in quick order.
>> > Like clockwork, Jeanne Harris, one of Cordes' visual describers,
>> > arrives in the office at 7:10 a.m. to read over any faxed-in requests
>> > for prescription refills or hand-written notes, charts or surveys
>> > Cordes can't read himself. (For many printed materials, he can take a
>> > picture of a document with his smart phone, and a program will read it 
>> > to him.)
>>
>> >       Ten minutes later, the paperwork is cleared, Vance is resting on
>> > the floor in the office, and Cordes is preparing for a day of
>> > numbers-crunching research on his computer.
>>
>> >       It's easy to be impressed by how efficiently Cordes operates, but
>> > he wishes others would view it as ordinary. "Just like you, I have a
>> > job to do and I figured out how to do it," he explains. "To me, it's
>> > gratifying how profoundly routine this all seems at times."
>>
>> >       Even those closest to Cordes - the ones who have never doubted
>> > his potential - confess it's difficult to view this all as merely 
>> > routine.
>>
>> >       Therese Cordes still has vivid memories from three decades ago
>> > when she put a 2-year-old Tim in the car and drove him to meet with the
>> > University of Iowa's highly regarded pediatric ophthalmologists. The
>> > experts there gave her little hope, rattling off a list of things her
>> > only son would never be able to do.
>>
>> >       Tim Cordes credits his mother for being a rock of emotional
>> > support over the years, while his father, an engineer, was
>> > pragmatically supportive, the problem-solver and the one who helped Tim
>> > get up to speed with many of the technological gizmos he relies on.
>>
>> >       It also didn't hurt that Cordes was being pushed by two older,
>> > successful sisters, both of whom were valedictorians of their high
>> > school class (Tim finished as runner-up during his senior year) before
>> > also moving on to Notre Dame.
>>
>> >       What, exactly, the future holds for Cordes isn't clear. After he
>> > completes the four-year residency program, he's considering additional
>> > training so he can help people with drug addiction problems. Another
>> > option is to land a position working with military veterans suffering
>> > from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe brain injuries, work
>> > Cordes enjoys and finds rewarding.
>>
>> >       No matter what direction Cordes ultimately decides to push his
>> > career, he has no intention of becoming part of what he calls "today's
>> > risk-averse society."
>>
>> >       Cordes adds proudly: "I learned to swing on monkey bars, which I
>> > could not see well, over asphalt. I learned that if you fall it hurts,
>> > so you try not to fall. But it's still worth swinging."
>>
>> >       Article Source:
>> >       The Capital Times
>>
>> > It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our
>> > daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is
>> > to desist from harming them.
>> > Dalai Lama
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