Interview
"I Like Figuring Out What's Wrong..."
Dr. Tom McDavitt takes care of dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, and other
small
animals. McDavitt, 29, is a veterinarian in Springfield, Illinois.
McDavitt
graduated from Kansas State University Veterinary School. For every
student accepted, there are 10 applicants. Deaf since he was five years
old,
McDavitt has worked as a vet for three years.
WAY: What do you like best about being a vet? McDavitt: I like figuring
out what's wrong--I like making the diagnosis. And I like trying to make
animals better.
WAY: What are the most sad cases you've seen? McDavitt: The saddest
cases are animals that have been hit by cars... and animals that we can't
do
anything for and have to put to sleep.
WAY: When did you decide to become a vet? McDavitt: When I was
seven years old.
WAY: How do you communicate with the pet owners? McDavitt: Some of
them are deaf so I just sign to them. I lipread my hearing clients and if
they understand me, we just talk normally. If we have difficulties, I make
sure that we have notepads in every room.
WAY: Do you have many deaf clients? McDavitt: I have about 10 right
now.
WAY: Does the staff where you work know sign language? McDavitt: No.
Some of them know some fingerspelling. I get 80% at best by lipreading,
and average is about 60-70% with people I know. It's a lot more difficult
when I have no idea what the topic is.
WAY: Tell us about your schooling. McDavitt: I went to a public
elementary school in Wichita, Kansas, where I lived. We had a teacher for
hearing kids and teacher and teacher's aid for the deaf kids--and both
were
fluent in SEE signs. My family--especially my mom and sister--became
fluent, too. In college and vet school, I had sign interpreters.
WAY: Did you feel lonely in public school?
McDavitt: Not really. Some of deaf friends
transferred to the state school
after elementary school. But some of my best friends were hearing, so it
didn't affect me much.
WAY: Really? No experience with teasing? McDavitt: I went through a lot
of teasing! Not from friends though. Junior high school was a kind of hell
for me.
WAY: Were you in fights? McDavitt:
Yeah, I was in fights. More than a
few.
WAY: You grew up in Wichita? McDavitt:
Yes, I was born and raised
there. I went to Kansas State University for college and vet school. After
I
graduated, I worked for a year at the zoo in Wichita, then I went to Rock
Island, Illinois for 10 months. Finally I moved here to Springfield.
WAY: How do you feel about deaf culture?
McDavitt: I don't believe that deaf people
should remain isolated from the
hearing world, and I don't believe that we, deaf people, should only use
American Sign Language and ignore English. I would like to see higher
academic standards in schools for the deaf.
WAY: Do you have any pets of your own?
McDavitt: I have two dogs--Max and Tasha--and
one cat, Chanur.
WAY: Do you play sports when you are not working?
McDavitt: I swim, play racketball, and I've
been lifting weights--also
learning karate.
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