In the world of medicine and particularly my specialty of Neonatal Intensive Care, it is unfortunately not uncommon for complex situations to reach points of difficult decision-making in the setting of overwhelming provision of information. Even for those that have had decades of education have difficulty in parsing out the meanings behind a majority of the things we say – medicine, after all, is a unique and different language, just like most things. Just as all cultures, countries and people have different vernacular, so does medicine and, to be frank, all professions and jobs. However, whether or not we take a second to step back and consciously realize that translation is important for human interaction, determines whether the passage of information, the safe-keeping of future decisions and the feelings of trust are fostered or lost.

I will never forget the moment when I was asked to attend a ‘Care Conference’ for a woman from Rwanda to discuss the future of her baby that had suffered a neurological (brain) injury at birth. Far into my life of traveling, only partially towards the earlier stages of my career and at the shear beginning of my return to education and sub-specialization, at this point in time, I had met thousands of people and a growing number of cultures, but this was the first time i had ever heard Kinyarwandan. Although the National Language of Rwanda, it was a particularly more difficult language to find an interpreter for in the MidWest (as opposed to some of the more diverse places I have previously lived, such as Houston). Yet, it reminded me of the first times I had come across so many other similar situations in the past, k’iche’, hmong, malayalam… I realized very quickly, the exposures I have had to scores of different languages throughout my life time, has taught me that even in translation, simplicity should be preserved or adjusted to the person you’re talking to. Also, a formal official interpreter converts one language to another, but not all can translate effectively.

I remember hearing the neurologist talk about damage to nerves and listened as the interpreter, I assume, translated word-for-word the discussion. The mother gave us a blank stare and the follow-up questions seemed to demonstrate a lack of understanding… I paused, and thought to myself… What if a ‘nerve’ isn’t something that has a word in all languages… Or, even if it does, what if one’s background never used the word. I was trained in New Orleans as a medical student in my early 20s over a decade ago, to be able to discuss the most complex medical conditions/diagnoses/treatments with individuals that often times had the average education of middle schoolers, due to the socioeconomic disparities and social determinants of education and health found in some unfortunately overlooked communities in the US. I consciously often check myself to realize that the words I find to be normal, easy and common, may not be for another. Even the simplest word as “nerve” might not have had a place in the experienced mind of another, just like I often times find myself lost in the jargon of those I come across in the military, or mechanics, or law.

The conference ended that day, without much movement in understanding, or possibly with a stall in natural denial of grasping the severity of the situation. I visited with her more times throughout the hospitalization and with time and taking a moment to be aware of translating meaning beyond words, she came to understand what we were saying, she came to understand more deeply what it was like on our side of the table.

I encourage all of the learners I teach to explore the world, and to leave what they know, so that they can realize how much there is out in the world to enrich their lives. You may be the smartest person in the room, but if you can’t see deeply into another soul and communicate effectively or are on the other side of the table as the one that speaks a completely foreign language, you realize, we are all at the heart of it all, all the same. Translation is more than words; it’s about reaching another human being.

Image Credit: ChatGPT