Best Languages to Known in Psychiatry

[Chimed]

I know this is kinda of a random thread, but just thought I would throw it out there to hear what others think.

Context: I've always wanted to be fluent in a second language. I had spanish in college and actually got to a point where I was able to carry on a basic conversation with native spanish speakers. Of course, after years of not using it, I've lost most of my previous skills. I was thinking about taking some spanish courses again, but was wondering if learning another language such as French might be useful (Of course learning French could help with trips to Paris!).

My question is, other then English, what other language in the psychiatric community is most often used? As someone interested in neuroimagining, I see publications from several European countries including France, Spain, and the Netherlands. My impression is that French used to be commonly used in the scientific community, but this may have changed?

There may be no answer to this, but just thought I'd ask.

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[carlosc1dbz]

I know this is kinda of a random thread, but just thought I would throw it out there to hear what others think.

Context: I've always wanted to be fluent in a second language. I had spanish in college and actually got to a point where I was able to carry on a basic conversation with native spanish speakers. Of course, after years of not using it, I've lost most of my previous skills. I was thinking about taking some spanish courses again, but was wondering if learning another language such as French might be useful (Of course learning French could help with trips to Paris!).

My question is, other then English, what other language in the psychiatric community is most often used? As someone interested in neuroimagining, I see publications from several European countries including France, Spain, and the Netherlands. My impression is that French used to be commonly used in the scientific community, but this may have changed?

There may be no answer to this, but just thought I'd ask.

Spanish will give you access to the second largest group here in the states. Great in case you want access to that patient population in private practice. In the end it depends where you are going to be practicing, because if you never come across spanish speakers then whats the point.

 

[digitlnoize]

Klingon?

 

[notdeadyet]

Spanish will give you access to the second largest group here in the states. Great in case you want access to that patient population in private practice.

I think that a lot of these second language questions are a lot more applicable to other specialties rather than psych.

If you take two years of college-level Spanish and can immerse yourself in an environment where you're forced to speak Spanish (in a U.S. spanish-speaking community or in a native spanish-speaking country), you can probably develop conversational fluency, depending on your aptitude.

But I'd be very uncomfortable trying to practice psychiatry with conversational-level fluency. It would probably serve you fine in family practice, but I'd want to be near-native fluent to fully practice psychiatry. Otherwise, I'd really be robbing my patients as I missed out on all the nuances.

 

[markglt]

yiddish

 

[whopper]

IMHO, there really is no need to speak another language other than English unless your patient is not a native English speaker. In some of the fields of medicine, such as anatomy, having some background in another language can help. Not so much in psychiatry. Many of our terms are English based, and those that are not aren't many.

Having a second lanugage is very helpful especially in a metropolitan area and in areas with a large ethinic population that does not speak English as a native language.

This reminds me of my days in medical school in Newark where during my Ob-Gyn rotation, I'd have to see at least 5 patients a day and I'd have patients speaking Spanish, Creole, English, and Kenyan. Guess what? They wouldn't let us use a translator, and when I asked the chief resident screamed at me.

 

[Chimed]

First, it might be helpful if I could form a proper sentence in my own language -- "Best languages to known in Psychiatry." !

I suppose I was wondering if anyone had any comments on what other languages are used in the scientific and psychiatric community. For example, I believe that at one point it was not uncommon for psychiatrists and psychologists to read Freud's original work in German or to know French or Latin. I believe it's a shame that we don't emphasize learning a second language in the US.

Because I want to become fluent in a second language, I'm leaning toward working on Spanish. I know it's not necessary to learn, but I'm sure it could come in handy when I move to a larger city.

But I do think learning Kligon would be awesome in Federation disputes! LOL. I found this website if anyone is interested: http://www.kli.org/

 

[OldPsychDoc]

...But I do think learning Klingon would be awesome in Federation disputes! LOL. I found this website if anyone is interested: http://www.kli.org/

Eh, just do a serotonin scan and refer to the empathic Betazoid counselor in the office down the hall.