How My Experience in the ASL Class Affirmed My Passion in Medicine

Eleven years ago, I enrolled in my first American Sign Language (ASL) class. It was not until recently that I realized how learning about a new language and culture would have such a profound impact on developing a global mindset. One of the first homework assignments I remember was to attend a Deaf event- a social gathering where you meet and interact with members of the Deaf community. The idea of socializing and conversing with strangers who were fluent in ASL terrified me.

At the time, I had only been in the class for a few weeks and my proficiency was novice at best. How can I engage with a crowd that I could not easily identify with? I was battling this fear of associating with members who were not in my immediate social group, that is being hearing and not identifying as a Deaf individual.

However, as I entered the coffee shop I observed a broad spectrum of signing fluency and styles from students pursuing studies in ASL, like me, and members of the Deaf community for which ASL was their native language. ASL was not just a form of communication, but sooned realized this was also an integral part of their identity. In an instance, I was approached by an individual and the signing began. The gentleman was patient with my signing capabilities and had a welcoming demeanor. That particular interaction challenged the social conventions I thought to be true. How could I approach this stranger and engage in a random conversation when there is a language barrier? It was a deviant concept to me. The fear and uneasiness I was experiencing subsided as I was able to converse a little and started to form a connection with the individual.

Deaf events are an example of how we can break down the social barriers between different cultures, like the hearing and Deaf world, to foster a sense of community and cohesiveness despite some inherent differences between the two groups. Overcoming social and cultural barriers are an important aspect of medicine which can dramatically improve the quality of healthcare for disadvantaged populations. This developed into a genuine interest working with Deaf individuals in the medical field while completing an ASL interpreting program. Since then, I felt that a physician's role goes beyond serving patients and their families.

My experience with Dr. Brown, a general internist and a 23-year-old Deaf patient, Emily confirmed the importance of cultural sensitivity. As soon as Dr. Brown started to ask Emily some standard questions, the family started to speak on her behalf, expressing she had the flu, and would not give Emily a chance to respond. The patient was frustrated and in an instance the family started to argue with each other, so Dr. Brown politely asked the family if they would not mind stepping out of the exam room. From that moment, Dr. Brown introduced himself to Emily using ASL and asked her how she was feeling. At the time, nobody was aware that Dr. Brown knew ASL even it was just a few phrases. She immediately bursted into tears and was describing how she had been experiencing sleepless nights, loss of appetite, and a just a loss of interest in essentially everything- she was struggling with depression.

After Dr. Brown and Emily had a 45 minute conversation, the family came back into the exam room and with the patient’s consent, Dr. Brown began having a discussion regarding Emily’s wellbeing. Ultimately, he arranged for the entire family to go to counseling and in addition for Emily to have individual therapy sessions. Dr. Brown went beyond just assessing an ailment of the family’s initial concern, his awareness allowed him to recognize symptoms of a larger problem which were being overshadowed by Emily’s family.

Although Emily’s family had her best interest, they were overprotective, overbearing and always spoke on Emily’s behalf to the point of her own detriment- she felt as if she did not have a voice. In that moment, Dr. Brown provided Emily some of the tools to regain her voice back and by doing so, exemplified the powerful yet tender relationship between a patient and physician. It demonstrated the substantial benefits of assessing a particular individuals’ needs even when this requires an alternative course of action which may be nontraditional. This flexibility and ability to uncover the best way to engage with a patient are just some of the problem solving aspects that I love about medicine.

With the development of a globalized society, the need for promoting compassion and cultural awareness are essential for the progression of medicine. Gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, or even language preference are just some examples that can potentially impact how a patient may or may not receive preferential care. Although we can recognize that these prejudicial and discriminatory features are insidiously and deeply ingrained in society, the globalization of healthcare lends us a unique opportunity to serve disadvantaged individuals both foreign and domestic.

Realizing this affirmed my passion for medicine which ultimately lead to my desire to become a physician. Addressing prejudice and discrimination in medicine benefits us all. As a physician, I want to engage with patients and help guide them through some of life’s most challenging moments with treatment and continuous support. With a global mindset, I hope to address my patient’s needs beyond their symptoms and enable them to live healthy and fulfilling lives.