Prolific writer, physician and narrative medicine pioneer Danielle Ofri writes about the assumptions we make and the significance of a shared common language in “Found in translation?,” an excerpt from her book Medicine in Translation.

Using interpreters for a medical interview is a skill learned in medical school and honed in residency. Medical providers are advised not to use family members as interpreters, as this could cause the patient to censor themselves or omit important details.   Sometimes though, given my monolinguilism, there isn’t much of a choice. I’ve needed many interpreters over the years, both on the phone and in person. There have been times, even with trained interpreters, that I’ve had the sinking suspicion that something significant was lost in translation. It may be because I ask a question, the patient and translator chat back and forth for a few minutes and in the end the interpreter relays a one sentence reply. Or simply because I realize, as Ofri points out in this piece, that the nuances and casual aspect of communication is lost when a third person enters the equation. Ofri notes her conversation with the patient through an interpreter was “polite and business-like. I asked the questions, he supplied the answers.”

Ofri makes certain assumptions about what language skills her Congolese patient might have or lack. The patient, in turn, also is surprised to learn that Ofri, a white American, speaks a language other than English. She notes how the dynamic of the visit changes after they discover they both speak Spanish. Suddenly, without an interpreter between them, they’re able to communicate on a more casual level. They each learn specific details about each other’s personal history; they “chatted happily.” 

Writing Prompt: Think of a time you’ve had to interact, either in medicine or travel, with another person who didn’t speak the same language. Did you feel like you were really communicating, getting to know the other person? What were your assumptions? If you’ve worked with a medical interpreter before, either in person or through the phone, how did this affect the interaction with the patient or physician? Were you worried something important was lost in translation? Write for 10 minutes.