SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Medical Chinese: A Student-Driven Initiative for Language Skills Development in Medical Education

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The Medical Chinese RSO at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine was founded in September 2022 to support students in practicing Mandarin and Cantonese, learning medical vocabulary, exploring Chinese culture, and engaging in outreach with Chinese-speaking communities. Its activities include scheduled teaching sessions on medical terminology and phrases, discussion panels on culturally competent care for immigrant populations, monthly “lunch table” language practice, and social events such as Chinese-language movie viewings and outings to Lunar New Year celebrations.<br /><br />The group was created in response to a clear need: language proficiency among healthcare professionals can reduce miscommunication, improve patient safety, and strengthen patient care. This is especially relevant in Washington, where many households speak a language other than English and a significant portion speak an Asian or Pacific Island language. Despite this need, relatively few U.S. physicians speak Chinese.<br /><br />Student reflections suggest the RSO has been meaningful both educationally and personally. Participants appreciated the chance to practice Chinese in a supportive setting, even when they struggled, and reported increased appreciation for multilingual communication and medical terminology. Some students also expressed career goals tied to serving Chinese-speaking patient populations, including hopes to match into residency programs with more Chinese-speaking patients and eventually return to Seattle to work in a community with strong language needs.<br /><br />Overall, the Medical Chinese RSO combines language learning, cultural understanding, and community engagement to prepare future physicians to better serve Chinese-speaking patients.

Asset Subtitle

Jessica Liu

Meta Tag

Author List Amy Wang, Jessica Liu, Michelle Yan, Tao Wang

Category Innovations

Concept Chinese

Concept Cantonese

Concept Medical Vocabulary

Concept Patient Communication

Concept Cultural Competence

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine

Presenting Author Jessica Liu

Track Education

Keywords

Medical Chinese RSO

Mandarin

Cantonese

medical vocabulary

culturally competent care

Chinese-speaking communities

language practice

patient safety

healthcare communication

medical students

Chinese

Cantonese

Medical Vocabulary

Patient Communication

Cultural Competence