Blind spots in medical students with color vision deficiency

Color vision restrictions for medical school admission: a discussion on regulations in ASEAN countries compared to countries across the world

“…Takyanagi demonstrated that individuals who did not pass mandatory Ishihara tests were still able to execute color-coded tasks, in a study where participants were able to connect color cords without error [ 45 ]. Screening of color vision deficiency is only practiced at one university in the United Kingdom, where it is a part of the Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland routine medical examinations, but normal color vision is not a criterion for entry [ 14 , 22 ]. Similarly, the Medical Council of India followed the recommendations by the Supreme Court to drop restrictions on applicants with color vision deficiency—at the stage of admission, completion of study, and registration as a medical practitioner—ending its decades-old practice [ 46 ].…”

“…However, clinical medicine encompasses interpretation of all factors in the diagnostic process, that need not rely solely on color discrimination. In most clinical situations, with increasing experience, various other factors including history taking and targeted physical examination are involved in reaching a diagnosis and formulating a management plan [ 14 ]. Hence, with proper training most doctors with color vision deficiency are still able to function effectively.…”

“…As a result, this group of doctors may only reactively learn from avoidable mistakes, whereas a preferable strategy in an individual who is aware of their color deficiency, is to pre-empt specific difficulties and take active steps to minimize errors. On the other hand, even those who are aware of their color deficiency may often be unaware of its extent [ 37 , 38 ]; and some may be more anxious about the risk of error or lack confidence in practice which may instead compromise patient care [ 14 , 25 ].…”