ACGME rules/regulations

[godblessedme]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone knows about the ACGME rules on speaking in foreign tongue in the hospital, especially when presenting about a patient and discussing patients. Please help in finding where the specific regulations are located in terms of website as I would like to bring this issue up formally with my program director because my program has become an alienating residency program.
Thank you

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[Blade28]

Are you considering speaking in a non-English language during rounds? Is this because the rest of your team would be speaking that language as well?

Did you take the USMLE Step 2 CS yet?

 

[Faebinder]

He probably rounds in Methodist Hospital in NY or some other NY hospital where it seems some residents/attendings do rounds in urdu/hindi/your-favorite-asian-language.

I dont think ACGME has any power over this BTW. The old powerful medical inquisition doesn't reach that far in power yet. If you are a student, your school _should_ complain but if it's a foreign school that wont happen.

 

[Blade28]

That's crazy - I've never heard of that!

 

[Annette]

Just because you are speaking in a foreign language, it still isn't good to talk about patients in the elevator, etc as you never know if there is someone outside the team who speaks that language nearby.

Conducting presentations in English is also good practice. You maybe the best physician in the world, but if your patients can't understand you, it will do them no good.

 

[gutonc]

That's crazy - I've never heard of that!

It's not at all uncommon at the myriad small, crappy community programs in NYC. In general, the PD and most of the staff (usually IM or FM if not other programs as well) are from the same, not just country but region or even city in (usually) South Asia and most or all of the residents are from the same area as well. Occasionally some other IMG or FMG not from that area will get a spot in the program (usually in the scramble) and feel horribly isolated.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

As others have noted, there is no ACGME rule about this.

Presumably a program should have been up front about this. For example, the residency programs in Puerto Rico are pretty clear that you need to speak spanish to practice there.

If they didn't disclose this as a manditory requirement in your contract, then they can't fire you for it. However, they probably don't have to force people to speak English either. You can try and ask your PD about it, but if they won't fix it I don't think there's much you can do.

 

[Castro Viejo]

It's not at all uncommon at the myriad small, crappy community programs in NYC. In general, the PD and most of the staff (usually IM or FM if not other programs as well) are from the same, not just country but region or even city in (usually) South Asia and most or all of the residents are from the same area as well. Occasionally some other IMG or FMG not from that area will get a spot in the program (usually in the scramble) and feel horribly isolated.

Wow... It's like you're all talking about the IM program at my small, crappy community hospital "in New York City."

I personally don't care if residents who speak a common language choose to converse in private in their native tongue in the workplace. I don't mind it at all. I think to try and regulate that speaks of stupid American jingoism and xenophobia.

HOWEVER to conduct rounds in that language entirely? When rounds are sometimes attended by medical students who may or may not speak that language? By residents who may have a very limited understanding of that language? And by the ancillary staff who, if we're talking New York City, are more likely going to understand Creole, Tagalog, or ONLY the local New York dialect of English, than the local IM language of Arabic/Urdu/Hindi?

It's not right. Not because it is a sign of disrespect, but because it fails to accurately convey all the information needed for high quality patient care.

So if you're on my rounds, I'll be sure not to break into my Brooklynese with the other Brooklynites on my service and try my damndest to talk in standard English for you.

 

[howelljolly]

Check with the Joint Commission, or whatever organization governs the hospital itself.

A hospital I worked at started cracking down on nurses giving report in Tagalog. But that didn't last long. I think it was a Joint Commission ruling.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

Check with the Joint Commission, or whatever organization governs the hospital itself.

A hospital I worked at started cracking down on nurses giving report in Tagalog. But that didn't last long. I think it was a Joint Commission ruling.

Valley hospital in Vegas outright banned tagalog at the nursing stations alltogether.