Hey all,
I’m currently a sophomore a top target school whose interested in IB/PE. Unfortunately I have a lot of retinal degeneration and I have a moderate chance of losing a lot/all of my vision. I really don’t know if I should change my career to law or something else or just stick with this.
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law is literally only reading
Tell that to daredevil
I have a progressive hearing loss and will have to wear hearing aids fairly soon (pretty much deaf without the aids as soon as I hit 40+). Just pursue whatever it is that you have set your mind to and take your chances. Best of luck!
Translation:
*I don't have it nearly as bad as you, good luck!*
Find what you're passionate about. There is enough adaptive technology these days to help those with low vision (i.e. 20/100) succeed in IB. I don't know anyone who's completely blind in IB, but have worked with bankers who are "legally blind" and they are smart and do a good job when they utilize the technology available. Getting into IB provides great training and provides a good framework to understanding companies, but if you do lose your vision completely you have to think about what kind of jobs you can do given existing technology and without too much outside help. Law is definitely one of those things. You also have to consider how fast/certain your vision loss will become in the short term to be prepared to live both a productive and fulfilling life. The good news for you is that there is no better time in the history of the world than now to be low vision or blind than right now in America given the technology that exists, and the legal framework and your educational background will also help future employers see your potential. Best of luck and keep positive, you only get one life - use it well and enjoy it.
Definitely not law. Instead of IB/PE, have you considered looking at something like Product Management or Marketing? I wouldn't think not being able to see would translate well to the grunt work for IB/PE/HF/Consulting/Law. PM or marketing would allow you to work in collaborative environments that are more strategy-focused? I don't work in those fields so I'm not sure, but it does sound like it could work for you?
go be a musician bro
Something to keep in mind is that law firms (and big tech too) are probably way more progressive re: disability accommodations than banks are. Maybe worth looking into people with vision-related issues in various industries.
As a personal anecdote, the BB I used to work at wouldn’t even provide relatively minor accommodations to a friend that was color blind. Not anywhere near the same situation and this was almost 10 years ago now but worth keeping in mind.
Amazingly ridiculous...yet totally on brand for banking.
Meanwhile two of the MDs I work with are color blind.
If you are referring to glaucoma, I'm pretty certain there are drops you can take that will help slow down the degeneration that should be able to last you long enough, or even better yet it could pause the degeneration. If this is not glaucoma and some other disease, I'm not sure but I would try to see a specialist that might be able to help. Best of luck
Can confirm that it's worth going to a top-tier doctor in a major city to get a specialist. Don't underestimate modern medicine and you should explore all options.
Sorry to hear, and really best of luck. There is a blind man who started at JPM and currently works at BBH. Hope this helps
http://voicesofny.org/2016/04/how-a-korean-immigrant-made-his-way-in-fi…
Im really sorry to hear that. We often take small things in life for granted. I know this isn't answering your question, but arent there now procedures where you can get an eye transplant. I dont know the cost or the efficacy of this. I am just shooting in the dark here and pardon me for any ignorance of the subject.
Do you have IRD? I know Spark Tx has their gene therapy product called luxturna which can help with that but I'm sure your doctors are on top of treatment options haha
My view is that your vision can only get worse starting ib, especially if you have pre existing problems. Mine has started to decline and I have since updated my prescription.
I’m sure you’ve seen it, but there is an architect who is blind and 60 minutes did a piece on him. It’s really inspiring. I will edit this post with the link
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/architect-chris-downey-goes-blind-says-hes-actually-gotten-better-at-his-job-60-minutes-2019-08-11/
I have a friend, also from a top target school, who is legally blind & is a Product Manager at FAANG. His firm makes a few accommodations for him, but he got really good with a braille keyboard & has some fancy screen reading software stuff specifically for visually impaired tech people. I don't think that the IB/PE parts that are computer-based are impossible with sight impairment, but it could possibly be a negative for the soft side of IB/PE & networking, working with clients, etc.
My father has retinitis pigmentosa (a similar genetic eye disease) and worked as an accountant in a hospital. He stared at a screen for 8+ during normal times and 15+ hrs during tax season and ended up working for 15 years. Make sure that when you start you opt in for the best (most expensive) long term disability insurance plan. Normally they'll pay 80% of your pay until retirement age (67) compared to the normal plan which only give 25%. Hope this helps - You can definitely continue to follow your dreams and create a healthy lifestyle with your condition!
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