Difficult Communication

My first rotation had some minor problems with communication.  Many of the doctors in the internal medicine department were from India or Pakistan.  I had absolutely no problem with the people, they were friendly and open to teaching.  Occasionally, they would forget I was there and slip into Urdu.  I still actually understood a few words, like the numbers, which were similar to the numbers in Farsi.  Though, it was a little hard to understand a sentence where the only word you recognize is "five."  I would clear my throat, and they would realize I didn't understand and translate even if it was useless information, like "I had the eggs for breakfast" or "Mrs. Doe told me I was a gosh darn mother flubber when I didn't give her more percocet."  I had gotten completely used to my interns and residents a few weeks into my rotation, and the problems started when I was around them so much that I started to just barely develop an Indian accent of my own.  I wasn't trying to mock them, or even doing it consciously, but I noticed I was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllables while I was at the hospital.  I would tell my resident I was going down to the emerGENcy room to get an H&P, instead of my usual eMERgency room.  This just shows that I'm turning into Mariam circa kindergarten.  The subtle inflection left when this rotation was over, and hopefully I didn't offend anybody.  

Today, I had my first hostile patient.  I arrived at the outpatient clinic and this particular patient was too short of breath to explain their story to the medical student after she already explained it to the nurse.  She was not too short of breath to yell at me to get out of the room.  After this troublesome encounter, I overcompensated by being extra-friendly and asking permission to do anything.  Apparently, my compensation also involved developing a country accent for the small town patients at my AHEC rotation.  "What's that? Y'all try to get out on yer bicycle when ya can.  Well, that's downright healthy for yer heart, it sure will bring down yer cholesterol."  I can't help but annoy myself when I hear the country drawl coming out of my mouth.  I don't mind country accents - I just know I'm being  a total poseur and perpetuating the stereotype that country people are friendly.  One day I hope to find my own voice, my own self - just like Christina Aguilera sang in Mulan - when will my reflection show, who I am insi-aye-aye-ide.

--By Farrah, who's very happy to be back in Toledo from her AHEC, doesn't really know why she picked that picture of Dr. Nick, and realizes the video was probably overkill