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Medical Spanish

International Medicine

by Tara Peris

The field of international medicine has grown exponentially in recent years. As immigrant communities continue to flourish in the United States, doctors have started to realize that effective health care involves a lot more than basic understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Indeed, it involves an appreciation of different cultures and how their beliefs and practices shape attitudes toward modern medicine.

East Meets West

The American medical system is rooted firmly in the principles of Western medicine. As such, it follows a fairly circumscribed set of scientific practices and adopts what some consider to be a narrow approach to medical treatment. Although homeopathic medicine and other Eastern approaches are gaining gradual recognition as legitimate forms of health care, to date, progress in this arena has been slow.

Nonetheless, health care practitioners from virtually every sector are beginning to appreciate the importance of a broader, international medicine perspective. As they confront patients who do not speak English and who do not subscribe to many Western belief systems, they begin to see that effective health care will require a broader skill set. This skill set will require an understanding of how specific belief systems shape ideas about physical illness as well as the ways in which it should be treated.

Clearly, an appreciation of this perspective begins with gathering information from patients in an open, accepting manner. Given this, international medicine stresses the importance of acquiring at least basic medical proficiency in more than one language. With a growing number of Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern communities flourishing across the country, these language skills will soon be integral to basic medical practice.

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