Awareness at the heart of Deaf Strong

SOUND OF SILENCE--Heather Huang '06 struggles to communicate her symptoms with a deaf volunteer at the Medical Center's annual Deaf Strong Hospital.

was at a complete loss." That's how Heather Huang '06, a first-year medical student from Rhode Island, described her experience at this year's Deaf Strong Hospital.

Using only gestures and simple finger signs, University medical students became "patients" for a few hours, attempting to communicate in a mock medical care situation where American Sign Language was status quo.

"I never realized the degree of noncommunication that can happen between deaf and hearing people, especially in a medical situation," Huang adds.

Making students aware of communication barriers was the goal of this annual event sponsored by the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the volunteer organization Promoting Awareness in Healthcare, Medical and Deaf (PAH, MD) that includes medical students, deaf and hard of hearing healthcare recipients, healthcare providers, medical school faculty, and advocates.

The November 15 role-playing exercise challenged students to communicate "symptoms," such as shortness of breath or fever, to "physicians"--all deaf volunteers--who determined the urgency of care needed and delivered instructions to "patients" in American Sign Language.

"This event is especially important for medical students in the Rochester community where a signficant number of its residents are deaf," says Thomas Walters '03, a fourth-year medical student and member of PAH, MD. "Not only do students gain a sensitivity to the complexity of communicating with deaf patients, but they also gain an appreciation for the wide range of communication barriers that can interfere with medical care."

Kim Washington '06, a first-year medical student from Oakland, Calif., says that the day's message resonated for her, especially as an African-American woman.

"As future doctors, we must be sensitive to the variety of life experiences patients bring with them. This event is an excellent way to remind us of that fact. The fear and frustration I felt trying to communicate as well as understand instructions makes me want to learn more about this issue so that I can be an effective caregiver to all my future patients."

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