English–Optional?
There is a trend in the medical field that is spreading pandemic like the flu in February: The prevalence of international students (future doctors, nurses and pharmacists). I have no problem with pharmacists coming from all over the planet and practicing in the US. In fact, we can use as many RPh’s as we can to alleviate our shortage. I’m tired of having to ask for a vacation a year in advance.
What I do have a problem with however, is those internationals who suffer a poor grasp of English. We HAVE to be able to communicate effectively with both patients and other health care professionals. Almost every day I speak with a Chuy, Pho, Tema, Arjun, Sada or Habib. I don’t care where they are from, for in my opinion, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is this: can they speak in a way that is understandable to their audience?
English is my first (and only unfortunately) language. Because I am fully fluent in English, I can make out most words in a non-english speaker’s broken attempts to tell me something. Occasionally even I am stumped. I recently spoke with a pharmacist while I was taking a Rx copy. As God is my witness, I couldn’t understand half of what she said. I asked her so many times to repeat herself, she likely thought I was deaf! How does she communicate with her patients? More importantly, how does she talk to a patient for whom English is NOT their primary language?
It would seem to me that there should be something like a English competency exam, written and spoken. Don’t we owe it to our patients and fellow health care providers to be able to speak clearly and properly? We currently have the media splashing pharmacy errors all over the internet, and in doing so, making our profession look sloppy. Its time we step back and look at all sources of potential problems. In Pharmacy Chick’s opinion, you have the right to speak whatever you want in your home, but English is the current business language spoken in the US and if you are going to practice medicine or pharmacy here, you’d better be proficient (not merely functional) in English. Its a blessing to be bi-lingual, especially when you can use that 2nd or 3rd language for a non-English speaking customer. BUT, poor English diction should not be acceptable anywhere in the field of medicine.
Firmly on my soapbox.
Tags: pharmacy life | |