Medical Spanish

I took Spanish in high school, the last time I regularly used my language skills. But since coming to Santa Rosa, I have found myself using Spanish regularly to communicate with patients. There is a significant Hispanic population that speaks little or no English. At first, I would pull in an MA (medical assistant) or use the translator phones to help, but over time, I have gotten more comfortable with my own language skills. Having an MA is the best option; I really dislike the translator phones set on speakerphone because I think it detracts from the patient-doctor relationship. It's always a little scary to communicate about something important and serious in a language I'm not completely confident in, but practice is also key to developing the skills. Now I feel good doing most of an interview for a straightforward chief complaint in Spanish. We have good patient handouts in Spanish for most common diseases; I often glance over that and refresh my memory on how to ask about certain symptoms. I always ask patients if they prefer a translator but I find that most don't want one and really appreciate my attempt at Spanish. I can always pull in an MA afterwards to discuss anything I don't think I can do.