practice partner
For IMGs, a Portal to
Understanding New modules focus on
DOC TALK
communication and cultural
competencies
By Stuart Foxman
Illustration: sandy nichols
I
n El Salvador, Dr. José Villeda
practised internal and emergency
medicine. There, he observes, doctors tended to be paternalistic: “You
gave instructions, the patient obeyed.” He
also recalls breaking serious news to patients, leaning in and shifting his eyebrows
to express concern. “Here, that could look
threatening,” he says.
Coming to Canada, Dr. Villeda recognized what he needed to know and prove
to fully succeed here as a physician. “The
technical component is important,” he says,
“but so is understanding the culture and
how to communicate.”
What do Canadian patients expect? How
do we understand each other? What’s the
best way to communicate verbally and with
body language? For international medical
graduates (IMGs), who didn’t grow up in
Canada or its medical system, getting that
grounding can be a challenge.
After arriving in 2009, Dr. Villeda
worked in clinical research in London,
Ontario and as a physician assistant in a
Hamilton pain clinic. He’s now completing
his residency at the University of Manitoba,
and says an instrumental part of his education was exposure to a new orientation
portal.
The Medical Council of Canada (MCC)
launched the online tool last year. It gives
physicians comprehensive and consistent
information about Canadian medical
practice, especially the communication and
cultural competencies needed for patientcentered care. “That’s as important as the
clinical skills,” says Dr. Villeda.
Issue 1, 2016 Dialogue
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