Sorry, what was the middle part again ?

[A.F.F.]

Pretty difficult situation yesterday. I had to take one of the kids to the doctor because we suspected she had an angina.

She got all the tests taken and we finally met the doctor. His name was strongly associated to Middle-East area and he used Finnish-Persia dictionary.

The problem was that i had no idea what he was talking about :confused: I asked could this kid have the angina. He said he don't know what angina means. :s Then he said lot of things which I had no idea.

Now, I'm sure he is a good doctor but the language barrier was so huge that it was absolutely imbossible to understand him. Made me think what use he is to the patients. Communication is one of the key elements between doctor and patients, right ??

Can this guy really serve the public here in finland before he learns the language?

[Eki]

Communication is one of the key elements between doctor and patients, right ??

Say that to the veterinary doctors.

I guess he's never able to learn how to communicate in Finnish if he's not given a chance to practice.

[slinkster]

This must be pretty worrying for you... could you perhaps see another doctor just so you're straight as to the situation?

[Dave B]

A few years ago I had an ENT (ear nose throat) exam by a Greek doctor, who then kept me in his consulting room while he wrote up my report as he needed my help with the finer points of English grammar :s

I suspect that him, your doctor knows his job and would have acted if he thought your daughter had anything serious, but I totally understand your concerns. In your shoes I'd have no hesitation in asking for a second opinion, if nothing else to put your mind at rest.

[GridGirl]

My dad worked worked for the NHS for over 30 years up untill recently. He's not British and French is his first language but I don't think his patients had much trouble understanding him. He did start learning English from the age of 4 though, I very much doubt he would have ever concidered practising medicine in a country where he could speak the language at all though. :s

If it was me I would of asked to see someone else. Its better to be safe than sorry when someone is ill. :)

[tinchote]

Here you find lots of physicians from different parts of the World, and sometimes communication is an issue. But, if anything serious is going on, you get - besides prescriptions - calls from the laboratory and/or other appointment with a specialist. So, while it can be a little uncomfortable, it's not such a big deal.

It's also worth mentioning that oral is not the only communication involved with a physician. We struggle with Canadian doctors, because their tendency is to have quick look at you and prescribe you something. They don't pay much attention to what we say, and they certainly don't explain anything. Doctors in Argentina do explain what's going on to their patients, they don't rush, and they are not afraid to touch the patient. For us, a big difference (and probably one of the very very few things I miss from Argentina).

[schmenke]

Here you find lots of physicians from different parts of the World, and sometimes communication is an issue. But, if anything serious is going on, you get - besides prescriptions - calls from the laboratory and/or other appointment with a specialist. So, while it can be a little uncomfortable, it's not such a big deal.

It's also worth mentioning that oral is not the only communication involved with a physician. We struggle with Canadian doctors, because their tendency is to have quick look at you and prescribe you something. They don't pay much attention to what we say, and they certainly don't explain anything. Doctors in Argentina do explain what's going on to their patients, they don't rush, and they are not afraid to touch the patient. For us, a big difference (and probably one of the very very few things I miss from Argentina).

I find that most clinics around here treat patients like a production line... Get 'em in the room, perform a quick exam, write up a prescription... "Next!" :s
It's not the doctors' fault. They are, in my experience, very compenent. It's the fault of the medicare system we have in this country. Underfunding results in a lack of doctors/clinics, so they can dedicate only so much time per patient :mark:
At least I can understand my doctor though (he's from South Africa) :)

[LotusElise]

I've been treated by doctors from various countries who have all spoken good English, just with an accent. When I went through an accident-prone phase as a child I got to know the head of A&E at our local hospital, a big Nigerian man, quite well.
I would probably want a second opinion or at least someone else in the room if I really couldn't communicate with someone though.

[A.F.F.]

I suspect that him, your doctor knows his job and would have acted if he thought your daughter had anything serious, but I totally understand your concerns. In your shoes I'd have no hesitation in asking for a second opinion, if nothing else to put your mind at rest.

For the record, she was/is not my daughter but a kid from my work.

We had to take a second opinion because when the lab results came, there was something wrong with her blood. Now she is in good care in child pediatric unit of Helsinki.

I'm pretty sure the doctor I was talking about is a good doctor, in his own mother tongue when he is able to express himself right.

[Eki]

Now she is in good care in child pediatric unit of Helsinki.

So no harm done and the doctor got some good practice on the case.

[fandango]

Plenty of mistakes in the English on this thread. I suppose it's not so life threatening, though ;)

Yesterday I had a language problem with a doctor. I needed to see a urologist, but when I went, from the frowning on his face when I started talking I realised something was wrong. He was a neurologist! A case of unreceptive receptionist...

[Hazell B]

I needed to see a urologist, but .... He was a neurologist!

:laugh: One extremety to another :p :

I know what you mean about not understanding what's being said, AFF. But as Dave already said, if urgency was needed, the words would have been found I am sure. Just glad it's worked out as well as can be hoped now.

Our doctor is Indian, but has been in the same surgery here for at least twenty years. I have no idea what he's saying, but have to stress I think that's my fault as I speak to him maybe once every five years at the most. Last time was socially and he had to repeat much of the conversation twice.

I can understand thick accents like Russian without a thought, but Indian can be a stuggle for me. Even my doctor's perfect English with a mildish accent in normal conversation is too much, so if he was using words I didn't understand I'd be totally lost.

[A.F.F.]

So no harm done and the doctor got some good practice on the case.

Well, actually that's not quite accurate. We couldn't inform the parents because we didn't understand the doctor.

Like I said, he probably a good doctor so I don't see why he needed any practise of the cases. What comes to his ability to speak finnish, there might be more approriate places to practise that, than his office.