Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My journey through life and medicine with a vision impairment
Dr. Jarrell will share her experiences living, learning and working with a vision impairment. She will share the strategies and accommodations she utilized throughout her career in medicine. There will be time to discuss strategies for combating ableism and the value of people with disabilities in medicine.
Speaker Bio:
After completing her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Kalamazoo College, Dr. Erin Jarrell attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She earned her MD with a Disabilities Medicine Area of Concentration in 2005. She went on to complete residency at UPMC St. Margaret Family Medicine Residency Program in 2008. Following residency, she moved to Norton Shores, MI where she joined a large family medicine practice and worked for eight years in direct patient care. She later assumed an administrative role with Affinia Health Network in which she launched the COMPASS program to improve the health of patients with chronic disease and mental illness. Dr. Jarrell’s interest in medicine and serving people with chronic disease and disability stemmed from her lifelong legal blindness. She experienced significant decrease in her eyesight in 2018 and has recently joined DM3P to serve as a liaison for new members and speakers.
Meeting Agenda:
- Introduction (10 minutes)
- Presentation by Dr. Erin Jarrell (45-50 minutes)
- Joint Q&A session and large group discussion (25-30 minutes)
- Conclusion (5 minutes)