The medical education of a student with a severe hearing impairment / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

  Because changes in the Medical Practitioners’ Act in 2001 allowed persons with impaired hearing to obtain a physician’s license, medical education for hearing–impaired students has become necessary.<br>  The Shiga University of Medical Science provided learning support for a student with severely impaired hearing who entered our university in 2001.<br>  For class sessions, consideration was given to seating location, devices for taking notes, and distributed educational materials. However, difficulties often occurred in small–group sessions. Clinical training was made possible by taking measures in advance to compensate for the hearing impairment. Classmates viewed positively their learning with a severely hearing–impaired student.<br>  We believe that a good understanding of hearing impairment by teachers and classmates and the selection of communication tools compensating for the impairment are essential for the medical education of hearing–impaired students.