Language skills of UBC medical students: Working toward cultural competency in health care

As Canada becomes increasingly diverse, the medical community is recognizing the unique challenges of providing health care for patients with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. A singlepage survey was administered to assess the language skills of first-and second-year medical students at the University of British Columbia. More than a quarter of the respondents are fluent in a language other than English as their first language. More than half of the respondents speak one or more languages other than English at a moderate to advanced level. Despite demonstrated ability and interest, a majority of medical students who are fluent in another language do not consider themselves proficient enough to communicate about medical issues with a patient in that language. Bridging this discrepancy will ensure that the health care needs of our multicultural population are better met.