Week 8 – Discussion Board 1

[Art Liebl]

In at least 250 words, discuss 2 areas of medicine that you find to be particularly interesting or challenging. Which terminology do you think will specifically present a challenge for you as an interpreter when dealing with these 2 areas of medicine?

[Alejandra Gana]

one of the areas I find challenging is Anesthesiology. it can be nerve wracking when the doctor tells you something can go wrong; they have you sign a consent form that literally says if you lose your life, you knew ahead of time.

it can be challenging as an interpreter translating this to a patient.

the other area for me would be giving a patient a diagnose, particularly when its cancer related. me been someone that lost her mom to cancer knows how it is and spent months at hospitals with translators since my mom didn’t speak any Inglish. it’s hard been in that spot of having to tell someone in your own language that you have cancer and when there is not much they can do its heartbreaking.

[Dayane Malone]

Thank you for sharing!!

[Shannelys Guzman]

I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing. Yes that is going to be challenging but also a reward we get to help them get that diagnosis or health information with understanding in their language.

[Brian Pacheco]

I am so sorry for your loss, and yes i also feel it would be very scary signing consent for something you are being told ahead of time could go wrong.

[Emily Arias-Perez]

I agree

[Dayane Malone]

Two areas of medicine that I find especially interesting and also challenging are cardiology and neurology. The vocabulary can be very detailed and sometimes overwhelming for someone learning medical terminology, especially as an interpreter.
Cardiology, the study of the heart, interests me because the heart affects every other part of the body. I enjoy learning about how blood flows, how the heart pumps, and how different heart conditions can impact a person’s health. At the same time, cardiology can be challenging because there are many long and complex terms. Some words can be hard to pronounce and even harder to remember. As an interpreter, I would need to understand these terms clearly so I can explain them accurately without confusing the patient.
Neurology, which focuses on the brain, nerves, and spinal cord is also extremely fascinating to me. The brain controls everything we do so neurological conditions can be very serious and complicated. Some of the terminology in neurology can be tough, especially words like encephalopathy, neuropathy, cerebrovascular accident, or meningitis. These terms are long and full of prefixes and suffixes that can make them easy to mix up. Because neurological symptoms can affect speech, movement, and thinking, it is important for an interpreter to be precise and calm during these encounters.
Overall, both cardiology and neurology capture my interest, but they also require strong knowledge of medical terminology. As an interpreter, mastering these terms will help me communicate clearly and support both patients and healthcare providers.

[Shannelys Guzman]

YES! I totally agree Neuro and Cardio are going to be challenges because terminology

[Emily Arias-Perez]

I agree!

[Brian Pacheco]

Completely agree with Cardiology and Neurology!

[Shannelys Guzman]

I feel the end-of-life care is going to be challenging for me. You have to be very careful and caring when delivering such information, so the cultural understanding is another piece. This can be very challenging info to deliver when the language barrier is involved, and now you have to choose your words wisely with heart. I also am interested in oncology, given my last employer and the connection to the patients going through such a difficult time being there to help. I have lost family members due to age, sickness, and murder but also have lost patients when working in oncology, so I have a special empathy for someone losing a loved one. I have seen it one too many times. I have seen glorious fights against cancer, and it interests me seeing all the different treatments available, as they always change and grow for all the different cancers. I feel the oncology system is going to be the most challenging, just learning the words, the names of treatments, and details about the complex cancer diagnosis and their formation in the body. 

[Brian Pacheco]

Definitely agree with all you said….

[Brian Pacheco]

Two areas of medicine that I find to be particularly challenging would be Hospice (end of life) and definitely Cardiology and/or Neurology. Cardiology/Neurology because of its specific details and wording. I feel like the terminology is definitely more involved and complicated as well as confusing.I feel like this terminology will present as the most challenging for sure. Hospice because of the sadness. I feel it woudld be difficult for me to talk about someone dying to them during a conversation. I listen to my wife frequently say things (she is a Hospice nurse part time) about how its not supposed to only be sad, its about providing that patient and their family something special at the end of life (dying with dignity as well as comfort), but I cannot get past the sadness of it so that would pose as a challenge for me.

An area of medicine that I find interesting would definitely be Orthopedics/Sports Medicine. Being very active myself and having had all of my children play sports (some with various injuries needing surgical repair), I have almost always found that area of medicine intriguing and where I am the most comfortable.

[Emily Arias-Perez]

An area of medicine that I find to be particularly interesting is Dermatology. I enjoy learning about new skin conditions and diseases. There are so many skin conditions that are being treated and discovered every day. Some rare ones too. Due to all the new and rare condition being discovered this may be challenging for someone to remember the terminology.

An area of medicine that I find to be particularly challenging is Cardiology. The terminology is very hard to learn for interpreters as the terms are long and complicated it’ll over all take some time to learn and remember.

[Luanna Vieira Rosa]

Two areas of medicine that I find really interesting and a bit challenging are Otolaryngology and Pulmonology. Otolaryngology, or ENT, focuses on the ears, nose, and throat. I find it interesting because it deals with so many different problems, like sinus infections, hearing loss, sore throats, and balance issues. It can be tricky because there are a lot of medical terms that patients might not understand. Words like “tonsillectomy” (removing the tonsils), “adenoidectomy” (removing the adenoids), and “laryngoscopy” (looking at the voice box) are hard to explain in simple language. As an interpreter, I would need to make sure patients understand these procedures and what’s happening with their treatment.

Pulmonology is about the lungs and breathing. This is interesting to me because it deals with conditions like asthma, pneumonia, COPD, and lung cancer. It’s challenging because there are a lot of tests and technical words, like “alveoli” (the tiny air sacs in the lungs), “bronchioles” (small airways), “pleura” (the lining around the lungs), and “spirometry” (a breathing test). These words can be confusing for patients, so an interpreter has to explain them carefully.

Both areas are challenging because they involve learning a lot of body parts, conditions, and procedures. If I know the terms well, I can help patients understand what’s happening and make communication between them and doctors easier and safer.

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