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?

[Carlos Martinez]

Infection in this field of the medicine I find that its very challenging because infections just like viruses will never stop spreading in the world just like what happened when the world had to challenge the covid virus we weren’t ready to fight against this virus i really think that infections and viruses are the most difficult for a doctor when its about to explain to a patient and i really think that one of the terms in this medical area that its very difficult to understand and to explain somebody when we have a session a patient its that he or she its Antibiotic Resistance.
Oncology its one of the most difficult fields for me as an interpreter in the medicine because of the word cancer which for everyone means the END in my point of view this medicine field will be the most difficult in this career that I’m interest and the term that I feel that will be the most Challenging I think it will be Metastasis ( spreading of cancer cells from one organ or tissue to another. Cancer cells usually spread through the blood or the lymph system. If a cancer spreads, it is said to have “metastasized.

[Alexandra Cumplido]

Carlos, you bring up good points, those are challenging subjects and terminology. The more we are around it the easier it gets to be able to become comfortable with the topics and have a better understanding of it. Both worlds of infectious diseases as well as oncology are very broad and very interesting

[Saika Pierre]

Hi Carlos,

You touched on some interesting points about cancer, which can be a very daunting session, and it can be very emotional as well. Sometimes, words do not have a direct translation in our target language, but finding other tools to interpret accurately for both provider and patient is key.

[Carolina Swanstrom]

One of the areas of medicine that I find challenging is Emergency medicine, it’s a very tough under pressure and lots of emotions involve area. The emergency physicians are trained to make decisions in matter of time, to stabilize patients that are in critical conditions and are in need of quick care. There’s a couple of subspecialties that also have to work under the same description and therefore will be more terminology to work with. An accurate communication in fast-paced situations is crucial and being in a high-pressure situation trying to explain to the patient, would be very hard in my opinion.

The area that I find interesting is Cardiology, which is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the heart and circulatory system. Cardiologists often work closely with other healthcare professionals, including primary care physicians, cardiac surgeons, interventional radiologists, nurses, dietitians, and rehabilitation specialists, to provide comprehensive care to patients with heart disease. It also has an extent of terminology that has extent names and can be confusing to explain and to translate them first in my head, that’s why practicing the prefixes and suffixes is going to be vital to become better. The past lessons helped me understand the cardiovascular system a little bit more and comprehend some words since it has a wide range of concepts and terms related to the structure, function, diseases, and treatment of the heart and circulatory system.

[Alexandra Cumplido]

Carolina, I agree with you both the ER and Cardio are also very broad topics that there is so much to keep learning from. Cardiology is extremely important and there are different areas as you mentioned. I am so glad this course helped with a better understanding of the terms and how to brake them apart to be able to figure them out effectively.

[Saika Pierre]

Hi Carolina,

I agree with your sentiment about the challenging task of interpreting under high-pressure situations. I am so glad the lessons we have completed thus far have given us tools and knowledge that’ll help us carry out our duties effectively and accurately.

[Saika Pierre]

I am particularly interested in two areas of medicine: public health, epidemiology, and precision medicine, which is also related to my interest in the study of human social genomics. Public health aims to protect and enhance the health of people and their communities. Although public health is not considered a part of medicine, it is a social science, and epidemiology falls under the public health umbrella. Epidemiology, a branch of medicine, investigates how diseases spread and why some people are susceptible to them while others are not. Epidemiologists study the patterns and causes of diseases to understand how to prevent and control them.

I am interested in this field of medicine because I believe in the importance of prevention and health promotion for the whole patient and community. Addressing the root of the problem is critical, rather than just diagnosing and treating the symptoms. I am also interested in precision medicine, which involves tailoring medical treatments to each person’s characteristics, such as their genes, lifestyle, and environment. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, precision medicine considers factors that are unique to each person to help doctors make more personalized and effective treatment decisions.

In discussing epidemiology as an interpreter, I would be dealing with more data and statistics, while precision medicine would involve using medical terminology for genetics and diseases. Genetics can be challenging to interpret while maintaining accuracy because some terms do not have direct translations in the target language, and there are a lot of complexities when explaining gene expression. I would have to do research to grasp the topic to relay it to the patient effectively and accurately. It is important that I master prefixes, suffixes, and root words when interpreting anything related to diseases.

[Shivangi Patel]

Interpreters play a critical role in ensuring that communication is accurate and complete. However, misunderstandings and errors can occur when interpreters are not properly trained or lack knowledge of medical terminology.

Solution: Healthcare staff should be trained on how to communicate effectively with interpreters and should verify the accuracy of interpretations whenever possible. Additionally, healthcare organizations can establish quality control measures to monitor the performance of interpreters and ensure that they are meeting established standards.
Healthcare providers must be aware of cultural differences that may impact communication and care delivery. Interpreters can help bridge these cultural differences, but they may not be aware of all the cultural nuances that can impact care delivery.

Solution: Healthcare providers should receive training on cultural competence, which includes an understanding of cultural differences and their impact on healthcare. Additionally, healthcare organizations can provide training to interpreters on cultural competence and the cultural expectations of healthcare providers and patients.

[Estevao Rosacruz]

I was not very familiar with the medicine area besides the occasional doctor visit, but after going through this course, I was introduced to a new world of incredibly interesting subjects. The two areas that I find most fascinating are Physiology and Obstetrics. The first one because I have developed a newfound interest in how the body works and reacts to physical exercises, as well as all the benefits that come from it. I’m also intrigued by how this area constantly seeks to answer key questions, ranging from the functions of single cells to the interactions between human populations and our environment, both here on Earth, the moon, and beyond. Now, being a father of two and witnessing firsthand the development of a pregnancy and the creation of new life, Obstetrics has sparked my interest to learn about all the processes involved in this journey, from a single cell to a fully fledged human. This ties in with the challenges I think I will face with its terminologies, as it is such an intricate and specific area of medicine.

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