TY - JOUR
T1 - Language skills of UBC medical students
T2 - Working toward cultural competency in health care
AU - Siu MASc, Tung
AU - Mann MSc, Mandeep
AU - Mangat BSc, Birinder
AU - Rawstron BSc, Brock
AU - Dharamsi PhD, Shafik
PY - 2009/5
Y1 - 2009/5
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=65949124239&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:65949124239
SN - 0007-0556
VL - 51
SP - 108
EP - 111
JO - British Columbia Medical Journal
JF - British Columbia Medical Journal
IS - 3
ER -