Traveling internationally has made me more open minded and tolerant of other cultures. I recently realized how this has contributed to my role as a primary care provider. I love having patients from various ethnic backgrounds.
In my most recent assignment I had patients from India, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, Brazil, Philippines, Japan, etc.
Before I went into the room to meet the Lebanese patient, my medical assistant warned me that the patient was rather cold. I recognized a French last name so I asked her where she was from. When she said Lebanon, I let her know that my family has some Lebanese heritage as well. We bonded over our favorite Lebanese dishes and I noticed her relax and begin to open up. At the end of the visit, my medical assistant asked me what I did to get the patient to make a complete 360. I just told her I found a commonality between us.
The Hispanic patients are pretty easy because I speak Spanish so they are comfortable with someone understanding their native language. I am also from Miami so I have some form of knowledge of the majority of Latino cultures and behaviors. If I see these types of patient as a walk-in, they often request to change to me as their PCP. They told me that by me understanding their culture they feel more at ease coming to the doctor’s office.
I have traveled previously to Brazil, Greece, Italy, and Japan, so once I mentioned that to the patients from these countries, they were thrilled. We talked about their experience living there and why they chose to move to the USA. I think this brief dialogue made them feel calm and more connected.
Although I have never been to India or the Philippines, these patients have expressed being very relaxed when seeing me. They said it is because I approach them with an accepting mindset and explain things to them in a way they can understand. Whether it’s by speaking slowly or breaking down terms to a level that they can process. I think in having immigrant parents, I am aware of cultural barriers in healthcare.
I love traveling internationally, and I know it has made me a better person. It’s nice to see that it has also contributed to my skills as a primary care practitioner.
