Despite Her Disability, She Listens to the Call of Science

In the darkroom, developing photos, she can lose track of time—some of her shots even won school competitions. But if you ask her why she didn’t pursue photography professionally, her answer may surprise you: “I had a problem with discipline.”

Yet Jitka Uhlíková is now in her sixth year of medical school at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen—so her willpower and diligence clearly can’t be lacking. Let’s start at the beginning: the smiling young woman with long, flowing hair was born with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The same hearing nerve impairment also affects her sister, who is two years older.

Fortunately, her parents identified the problem early, so Jitka has been using a hearing aid since early childhood. Combined with her skill in lip-reading, this allows her to communicate very effectively in everyday life. More challenging, however, are social situations involving many people where she tries to keep up with the conversation. “Lectures were exhausting too,” she admits. “Lip-reading for over an hour straight while also trying to take notes… And when people talk in noisy environments or wear face masks, it’s just… rough. I get lost,” says the Aries-born student, who stubbornly and persistently applied to medical school—and succeeded on her third try.

“Lectures were exhausting too,” she admits. “Lip-reading nonstop for over an hour while also trying to take notes… And when people talk in noisy environments or wear face masks, it’s just… rough. I get lost,” says the Aries-born student, who stubbornly and persistently applied to medical school—and succeeded on her third try.

Nature and the Dream of Medicine

Even in primary school, Jitka was drawn to the natural sciences, likely influenced by her parents, who are both doctors. Her father heads the Institute of Histology and Embryology at the Second Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, while her mother is a psychiatrist. Still, Jitka also enjoyed Czech language and literature. In her final year at a science-oriented high school, she applied to both the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Arts. In the end, her love for biology won out.

You might wonder when medicine finally came into play—a dream she never let go of but feared because of one subject: chemistry. It was during her time at the Faculty of Science that she realized she truly wanted to become a doctor. She tried again—and was accepted to the medical faculty in Pilsen.

When we met, she had already passed three of her five final exams and was preparing for the remaining two (by the time you read this, she’s likely passed them all—editor’s note). She was commuting to the hospital in Jindřichův Hradec for her clinical placement in the surgery department. “I admire surgeons!” she says. “They manage incredibly demanding operations that often last for hours. I recently observed a five-hour surgery led by Chief Surgeon Jan Kelbl. He was amazing. It’s a shame I wouldn’t recognize him without a mask—I’ve never actually seen him without one. He looks completely different in his ID photo,” laughs the future doctor, who hasn’t yet decided on her specialty. For a time she leaned toward ENT (ear, nose, and throat), but later psychiatry began to win her over. And maybe the widespread use of masks—making lip-reading difficult—will ultimately sway her decision: “I didn’t expect them to be literally everywhere... That’s why I’m now considering research instead of clinical work. Maybe I’ll return to my original dream—genetics—which first drew me to the Faculty of Science.”

“I admire surgeons!” she says. “They manage incredibly demanding operations that often last for hours. I recently observed a five-hour surgery led by Chief Surgeon Jan Kelbl. He was amazing. It’s a shame I wouldn’t recognize him without a mask—I’ve never actually seen him without one. He looks completely different in his ID photo,” laughs the future doctor, who hasn’t yet decided on her specialty. For a time she leaned toward ENT (ear, nose, and throat), later psychiatry began to win her over. And maybe the widespread use of masks—making lip-reading difficult—will be what sways her decision: “I didn’t expect them to be literally everywhere... That’s why I’m now considering research instead of clinical work. Maybe I’ll return to my original dream—genetics—which was what first drew me to the Faculty of Science in the first place.”

A Procrastinator Who Thrives on Pressure

And what about that “discipline issue”? “I struggle to force myself to start things. I’m a procrastinator,” Jitka clarifies. Sometimes it affects her studies, where she otherwise aims to complete her tasks on time—and as precisely as possible. “I think I need a certain level of stress. Like when studying for exams. I postpone the start so much that it’s often until the very last moment. Then I have no choice but to power through, day and night,” she explains.

The easy-going medical student admits she got through her tough program thanks to her friends: “I was lucky to have an amazing roommate at the dorm, Eliška, who became like my personal assistant. She shared her lecture notes and lab notes with me. My classmates were also incredibly helpful in explaining anything I missed. Without them, it would have been much harder.”

Things would have been nearly impossible without a specially adapted stethoscope—which includes a sound amplifier and can connect to her hearing aid—or without the support of teachers, doctors, and hospital staff. “Masks make lip-reading impossible, and that’s a huge issue—especially in the hospital. I often don’t understand what a doctor or patient is saying. I have to ask them to repeat it, and I’m so grateful for their patience,” she says.

She also expresses deep thanks to the faculty’s study department, especially Petra Buňatová: “She arranged for all examiners to wear clear face shields during final exams. This whole COVID era has been extremely difficult for people with hearing impairments,” Jitka explains.

A Photographer’s Inspiration

As the saying goes, life isn’t all about studying. In addition to photography, Jitka has recently discovered a new passion: baking. “Just a few days ago, my sourdough starter finally forgave me,” she laughs. “I could never get yeast dough to rise properly before. Now I love baking—especially anything involving yeast. If I can master rye sourdough, I’ll have reached the next level.”

If it weren’t for the pandemic, Jitka had planned a trip to Vietnam, where she and her friends intended to hike and explore the secrets of the local cuisine—another of her interests. For now, she travels through books—especially the travelogues of Ladislav Zibura, alongside which lies ´´Ze života fotografa´´ (From the Life of a Photographer, 2018), written by Petr Jan Juračka. Jitka met Juračka during a science course in South Bohemia and admires him not just as a photographer but as a person: “Petr is incredibly inspiring and easygoing. I’m fascinated by how, despite a significant visual impairment, he creates such extraordinary photos. He’s just exceptional—in everything he does and all that he accomplishes,” says the 26-year-old med student, who, despite her own health challenges, is also making her dreams come true.

Although the author and interviewee got along well and enjoyed a pleasant conversation over coffee, the similarity of their surnames is purely coincidental.

Author: Marcela Uhlíková Photo: Vladimír Šigut

Source: https://www.ukforum.cz/rubriky/studenti/7871-jitka-uhlikova-medicka-slysici-na-volani-vedy