Quote Originally Posted by niftyshaving View Post
If they want to be my personal doctor yes please. Sadly my only
language is English and I am not that good at that....

If they want to practice medicine and serve parts of the community
that do not speak English that is a different topic.

With engineers and doctors language is always
an issue. For example, I do not have a medical degree and
formal medical language is not a language I know.
When I present myself to my doctor I work hard to
communicate what I know. With engineers and doctors
the dialogue that bridges formal language to what
I say is a task I work hard at.

To point my dogs' vet does not speak dog.
A good doctor or vet can transcend language.

Most apropos the lady next door when I was growing
up had a strong command of English and command
of her doctor. She told the doctor that her gall bladder
was acting up and demanded gall bladder pills, which
she got. A year later she demanded surgery for her
gall bladder -- when they opened her up the cancer
unrelated to her gall bladder was so advanced that
they looked and then closed.....

The point is that I demand a GOOD doctor and I will
work through language issues. The best doctor I have
encountered in the last 25 years was a Chinese speaker
with an accent so thick that I needed a #2 cleaver
to cut it. However he always gave a full assessment
and full evaluation of me AND my complaint. Because
English was his second language he listened with care
and asked pointed and clarifying questions.....
Tom,

Having worked in the field of Veterinary Medicine for over 30 years, I understand the point you make. You're are correct, Vets don't speak dog, cat, cow, snake, etc. - and they diagnose their patients just fine. I, too, had a Chinese doctor years ago, and he is to this day, the finest Internal Medicine doctor I have ever seen. (I have been a Type 1 diabetic for over 50 years). - and his language skills were not that great.

* This is a great post!

Steve