Accept no barrier: New physician finds some see only blindness

Kristianna Matthewis, MD, persevered through medical school, internship and residency with the hope that life would get better. It didn't. But the new family physician, blind since birth, isn't giving up.

By Tanya Albert, AMNews staff. Jan. 15, 2001.

Kristianna Matthewis, MD, just wants to use her medical degree to help people. The problem is, no one will give her a shot.

Like thousands of doctors, she went to medical school because she wants to help heal people and to comfort them when they are in pain.

She made it through the infamous first year of medical school and passed all the courses that followed. She paid her dues as a resident working late-night and early-morning shifts. She got glowing recommendations from doctors who helped her prepare for a career in family practice. And, like others, she has student loans to pay off -- $150,000 worth.

But 170 resumes later, Dr. Matthewis still has not been hired by a practice or by a hospital.

She recently found a physician who is willing to let her use space in his office so she can try to build a practice. But she won't get a salary. The doctor will charge her rent based on what she earns.

Dr. Matthewis is the only one of the 14 medical residents who received certificates from her East Lansing, Mich., program last fall without a job.

The stumbling block: In addition to listing her credentials, her resume lets potential employers know that she's blind.

Response after response has been, "Sorry, the job is already filled."

But when her husband calls to ask if the job is still open, they tell him "Yes, it is."

The hospital where Dr. Matthewis did her residency and where they know her talents, Sparrow Hospital in East Lansing, has no openings.

"I have no illusions about what it means to be blind in society," said Dr. Matthewis, 45, who has been blind since birth. "I didn't go in this to win a popularity contest and I don't want any special treatment. I just want to be accepted as a regular doctor." [...]