Psychiatry Patient Vocabulary

[jdwillas]

I'm an American married to a French psychiatrist, living in France. We're undertaking the massive challenge of transitioning her career to the States. For her, this entails passing a couple of difficult medical exams (particularly challenging for a non-native speaker who hasn't studied medicine in quite some years), starting from square one as a first year resident, and adjusting to a new culture/way of doing things. For me, this entails being as supportive of a husband as I can be.

One way in which I can support my wife is by helping her to develop her language skills. She's fluent in English, but will certainly be caught off guard in her first few years in the U.S. by colloquialisms and obscure words/expressions. So I was hoping this forum would find it fun to help me come up with a list of the most common non-textbook expressions/vocab you come across in dealing with your patients. Anything goes, professional or non-professional, literal or slang, etc. I'll use your input to make online flash cards that my wife, and perhaps other foreign entrants to the U.S. system, can train with.

Let me know if this is an inappropriate topic here. I'm new to the forum so bear with me. I also understand that it may be difficult to come up with examples off the top of your head.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[digitlnoize]

I'm an American married to a French psychiatrist, living in France. We're undertaking the massive challenge of transitioning her career to the States. For her, this entails passing a couple of difficult medical exams (particularly challenging for a non-native speaker who hasn't studied medicine in quite some years), starting from square one as a first year resident, and adjusting to a new culture/way of doing things. For me, this entails being as supportive of a husband as I can be.

One way in which I can support my wife is by helping her to develop her language skills. She's fluent in English, but will certainly be caught off guard in her first few years in the U.S. by colloquialisms and obscure words/expressions. So I was hoping this forum would find it fun to help me come up with a list of the most common non-textbook expressions/vocab you come across in dealing with your patients. Anything goes, professional or non-professional, literal or slang, etc. I'll use your input to make online flash cards that my wife, and perhaps other foreign entrants to the U.S. system, can train with.

Let me know if this is an inappropriate topic here. I'm new to the forum so bear with me. I also understand that it may be difficult to come up with examples off the top of your head.

I've been trying to learn Italian, and have taken to reading the tech news feeds I usually read in Italian too. So far, it's gone reasonably well. Have her spend time here, for example. Read Kevin MD (one of the more popular medical blogs), psych blogs, etc. The Last Psychiatrist might be good.

Watch movies in English. Everything. Even better if you're super familiar with their French counterparts.

Rosetta Stone is incredible.

The biggest problem with what you've asked for is that colloquial expressions vary from region to region. So what I tell you for the southeast may not apply to the Midwest.

Good luck!

 

[notdeadyet]

If you're serious about this, you'd be way better off Googling this and going to many ESL sites already devoted to this rather than a few dozen points done by members of this forum.

 

[jdwillas]

Great advice, thank you. Working on a relevant movie list now and checking out some of the things you've mentioned.

 

[jdwillas]

If you're serious about this, you'd be way better off Googling this and going to many ESL sites already devoted to this rather than a few dozen points done by members of this forum.

Notdeadyet, we're doing everything to developer her language skills..in addition to posting to this forum.

 

[countryboy75]

Depends on which region of the country you are in. South vs midwest vs eastern etc.

Some of the phrases I have seen confuse non native speakers are:

I fell out- meaning I fainted or passed out
caught a case- been arrested and charged with a crime
sugar- diabetes
touched in the head or just "touched"- intellectually disabled/ MRDD
bawling- crying
one can short of a six pack- dumb/stupid

what a teddy bear is
what a piggy bank is (according to a colleague piggy banks are only found in the US?)

I will put more on here if I can think of any

in the mean time, have her watch the garbage on MTV or the daytime trash talk shows, you can find a lot of colloquialisms there. There is a good documentary out there called "the wild and wonderful whites of west virginia" it on amazon prime and netflix. Lots of profanity but it is almost like following some of the worst antisocial and chem dep patients around with a video camera.

The other thing I would recommend is for her to openly admit to a native english speaking co-resident at the begining of residency that she may need some help. It won't hurt anything. I explained many colloquialisms for others and it's kind of fun.

 

[jdwillas]

Thanks countryboy, those are good ones. Right now, she's on season 8 of Grey's Anatomy. Not sure how much she's picked up from casual watching. I'll check out the the wild and wonderful whites, sounds like fun.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Thanks countryboy, those are good ones. Right now, she's on season 8 of Grey's Anatomy. Not sure how much she's picked up from casual watching. I'll check out the the wild and wonderful whites, sounds like fun.

G-d--I hope she doesn't think she's learning about US medicine or residencies from that show!!!

 

[jdwillas]

G-d--I hope she doesn't think she's learning about US medicine or residencies from that show!!!

Ha, don't think so. Just familiarizing herself more with the American cadence/accent. And trying to relax after a long day of work, thesis research, and taking care of 8 month old ; )

 

[Igor4sugry]

I'm an American married to a French psychiatrist, living in France. We're undertaking the massive challenge of transitioning her career to the States. For her, this entails passing a couple of difficult medical exams (particularly challenging for a non-native speaker who hasn't studied medicine in quite some years), starting from square one as a first year resident, and adjusting to a new culture/way of doing things.

Just curious, why does she want to leave a very nice European country such as France being an established physician there and move to United States?

She has a very long and expensive road ahead of her to even get to the interview stage. Also, about 50% of IMGs (international medical grads) do not match. So I would focus on just getting to the interview stage and she will pick up language skills in first six months of internship.

 

[deleted307836]

Depends on which region of the country you are in. South vs midwest vs eastern etc.

Some of the phrases I have seen confuse non native speakers are:

I fell out- meaning I fainted or passed out
caught a case- been arrested and charged with a crime
sugar- diabetes
touched in the head or just "touched"- intellectually disabled/ MRDD
bawling- crying
one can short of a six pack- dumb/stupid

I'm a native American and native English speaker. I haven't heard of any of those except for bawling and sugar referenced in the context of diabetes. Maybe it's a regional thing...

Edit - emphasis on the lower case n in native...

 

[jdwillas]

Just curious, why does she want to leave a very nice European country such as France being an established physician there and move to United States?

She has a very long and expensive road ahead of her to even get to the interview stage. Also, about 50% of IMGs (international medical grads) do not match. So I would focus on just getting to the interview stage and she will pick up language skills in first six months of internship.

France is an economically stifled country currently suffering a major brain drain. My wife could earn the same working as a part-time psychiatrist in the U.S. as she could working full-time in France. In her first few years of practice in France, she would make about 3,500 € ($4500)/month. This will increase to a whopping 5,000 € ($6500)/month once she gains some experience. After 10 years of studying, these figures are more than a little depressing. I also stand to earn much more in the U.S. in my own career. And I know what you're thinking, "but the cost of living is so much lower in Europe!" In fact, due to high taxes on everything, the cost of living is on average 22% higher. http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp

I know it sounds superficial, but we are family-oriented and don't wish to be slaves to our careers. If we can manage working part-time and still raise our children comfortably, and have more time to spend with them, this would be ideal.

Feel free to burst my bubble if you know something I don't. Also, I know this will be a long road for us, but why expensive? Do you mean the cost of the exams?

 

[jdwillas]

Also, not sure if it would be any better in the U.S., but my wife has been quite disappointed by the standards of the French residency system (and by the entire psychiatric realm, for that matter). In her 6 rotations so far, she's encountered two respectable doctors, both of whom spend much of their time fighting the overly bureaucratic and traditionally stifled administrative powers. She says that in most units the doctors were apathetic and clueless about how to treat their patients. Their service to the public is basically no more than sedating the mentally ill.

Right now she's in a unit where all she does is a sit in a room by herself and study. No patients and the doctor for the most part ignores her. She's basically teaching herself how to be a psychiatrist (during this rotation at least). Not sure if she would encounter the same problems in the U.S..

 

[splik]

Not sure if she would encounter the same problems in the U.S..

oh US psychiatry is MUCH worse than European psychiatry. but the training is certainly more structured in the US and at the good programs there is more of an emphasis on education. however it sounds like you are looking to locate somewhere that probably wont be the case.

 

[rhiannon777]

Feel free to burst my bubble if you know something I don't. Also, I know this will be a long road for us, but why expensive? Do you mean the cost of the exams?

We have a fair number of foreign grads in our program, and I've talked to a few of them about the high cost to get here. There is the cost of the exams, certainly, but also the cost to -get- to the exam (plane fare, hotel room, etc.). Interview season can also end up being very expensive. Most foreign graduates interview at many places to get the best chance of acceptance. Many of the programs will pay for the hotel room for a night for your interview and feed you while you are interviewing, but you are responsible for your other travel expenses (again, airfare, hotel rooms if you are staying in the U.S. between interviews, restaurant meals, etc.). If you are already working, you are losing your income for that time. If you forego/quit your job for this process, you may be left without a job if you are not accepted into residency the first time around. Then it is a four-year residency and your income is for the most part $40-50,000 per year during that time (you can supplement with moonlighting, depending on the rules at your program, but that is obviously additional time away from family).

I don't want to discourage you too much, but I hope this helps you look at the economics of this decision. I also wonder if looking into psychiatry at other places in the EU might be worthwhile...