title: Reflections: Using a Second Language to Build a Practice.
abstract: The US Census Bureau reports that 20.7% of Americans speak a language other than English. This is an opportunity of otolaryngologists to build their practice on a second language. This Reflections piece reviews my personal experiences of using my language fluency in Chinese to build a practice in Philadelphia. Through translating office documents, networking with Chinese-speaking physicians, and volunteering at the free clinic in Chinatown, I was able to serve this non-English-speaking community. Although there are translator services in the hospital, there are terms that get lost in translation and cultural norms that outsiders may not understand. I encourage the otolaryngology community to celebrate its diversity and increase access to our specialty for non-English-speaking patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA amanda.cm.hu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D010036:Otolaryngology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States
keywords: business of medicine; indigent; language; non-English speaking; practice building