Audiology is still a relatively obscure branch of medicine. Not many people are aware of its importance and significance. Those who suffer from ear diseases, infections, or have a disability are the only ones familiar with it. Unless there is a serious issue, people typically tend to ignore taking care of their ears properly, not realizing that they are just as vital to our bodies as any other organ, external or internal. Dr. Jocelyn Tubbs is an Audiologist who is on a mission to shed light on the importance of ear health and wants to make it a norm for people of color to attend hearing exams regularly.
For all her success at present, Dr. Tubbs’ journey toward her goals was undoubtedly not an easy one. Schooling was difficult for her; she preferred swimming, playing water polo, and learning the cello and piano. She never understood what made studying so hard for her. She was eventually diagnosed with Dyslexia when she was an undergraduate at college. However, that did not deter her from her goal of becoming an Audiologist. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders and was almost immediately accepted into an accelerated graduate program for Audiology. At 25, she received her Doctorate and began to work with private practices and hospitals.
Dr. Tubbs believes that people have consistently underestimated her not only because of her age and the fact that she is a woman but also because she is Black. These attributes were long associated with her even before she discovered she had Dyslexia. During her final year as a graduate student, Dr. Tubbs became aware of two concerning aspects while undergoing her residency.
The first was when she noticed that very few people of color were coming to get their hearing tested. It upset her to see that they were not being educated enough about the importance of the human audiology system. She also noticed a severe lack of knowledge of the workings of the auditory system in her patients. She found it disheartening how people with a hearing disability were treated differently than those who were sight impaired. And given the difficulties she had faced due to her own disability, she wanted to help educate people and urge them to be kind to those suffering from a disability.
With that thought in mind, she began to write a book. She wanted this book to help educate people and give them an insight into what people experiencing hearing loss go through. It took a little while for her to perfect her project, but she managed to write A Sound Adventure. It is a story of two children who are magically transported to their Dad’s ear. They see the inner ear structure that helps sound reach the brain. A simple concept, and yet once the book began to sell on Amazon, it was an instant hit.
In 2022, Dr. Tubbs was recognized by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), for her contributions to the field of Audiology. She is a passionate individual striving hard to raise awareness and the importance of diversity and inclusion in healthcare. She has worked for many years to create an inclusive environment where anyone can walk up to her, without fear of judgment, and get their hearing checked out. Her book has surely helped people understand the importance of audiology, children and adults alike. Her efforts have truly had a meaningful impact on everyone who has had the chance to read her book.
To learn more about Dr. Tubbs and her healthcare services, visit her social media account here.
