Deaf-blindness is defined as a “combined hearing and vision loss, thus limiting access to both auditory and visual information,” according to the National Center on Deaf-Blindness. But, as Adams points out, it doesn’t mean the person with the condition is totally blind or deaf.

In fact, she noted, deafness is a spectrum.

“I am profoundly deaf, meaning that, without my hearing aids, I am in total silence,” the 28-year-old explained in another TikTok with nearly 68,000 views. “But with them in, I’m able to make out the general consensus of a face-to-face conversation using a mixture of sound vibrations, vowel sounds and common sense.”

Her explainer series kicked off because people began questioning her ability to be a medical student following a 17-month hospital stay as a patient for her various health conditions that had worsened, she told Ark Media.

Along with being deaf-blind, she has also been diagnosed other conditions including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a disorder of the body’s connective tissue; Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), a condition that causes the body’s mast cells to release too much of a substance that creates allergy symptoms; Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which affects blood flow; and other respiratory conditions.

Adams received her first pair of hearing aids at just 2 years old, learning how to speak and pronounce words by feeling sound vibrations through a balloon placed next to her ears.

“This means that, yes, I do speak to my patients face-to-face without requiring an interpreter,” she said a video.

She even uses a stethoscope “like any other doctor” – but with a twist. Hers is Bluetooth, connecting wirelessly to her hearing aids, which then allows her to still listen to a patient’s lungs and heart.

“We don’t actually need all the hearing to be a good doctor,” she said in a clip. “We can work out a lot about a patient through other clues, such as body language.”

In the comments section, viewers are wowed by her commitment to medical practice and skill.

“I would love for you to be my doctor, as a disabled patient I feel like you’d get it, and not put unrealistic expectations on me!” wrote one user.

“I am a medical student and I stammer really bad,” posted another, adding that they have a “hard time communicating with patients,” and adding, “I love ur courage and u really encourage me.”

“Deaf people are actually very good listeners because they have to concentrate more on the person they’re speaking to to understand,” she said in another video, emphasizing the need for empathy for patients. “Instead, it’s the ignorance and discrimination that is a far greater form of deafness than any hearing disability.”