presentations in my classes. I felt sad and disappointed in myself that I had let those skills lapse. I knew a little bit of Spanish, but I could not speak much, and I wanted to overcome that shortcoming. I began taking Spanish classes online at least weekly and tried to practice every day.
Upon my return, the Louisville Free Public Library became my sanctuary. I checked out my first basic Spanish books, moving slowly through sentences that felt like puzzles. After about a year of dedicated weekly lessons, I reached a threshold that transformed my perspective entirely. I remember picking up a copy of El Alquimista by Paulo Coelho.
Reading that book in Spanish for the first time was a watershed moment. As the text shifted from abstract symbols into meaning, my world exploded. This was the moment I realized that once you unlock the door of a new language, you aren’ t just in a new room; you’ re in an entirely new palace of cultures, histories and philosophies.
This initial spark with Spanish led to a broader hunger. I began to broaden my studies to French, German and my parents’ native Gujarati. It taught me that as a psychiatrist, my primary tool is communication, and limiting myself to one language wasn’ t possible. I had a hunger to learn. The library wasn’ t just a building; it was a launching pad to other worlds.
My growth wasn’ t limited to literature. I discovered that the global perspective I was seeking in Peru was already present right here in Louisville. I began reading Kentubano, a free Spanish-language magazine serving our vibrant Cuban community. Reading about local events, stories and the specific manner of Cuban-Louisvillians through Kentubano made the language feel less like an academic subject and more like a living, breathing part of my city. It reminded me that as a physician at Norton Healthcare, I don’ t just serve a city; I serve a world that has moved here.
Perhaps the most profound benefit of learning languages has been the radical humility that comes with being a beginner again. In the exam room, I am“ Dr. Shah,” the specialist with the MD. In a German lesson, I am a student who frequently forgets the gender of nouns and stumbles over basic syntax.
This experience of being unable to communicate in Spanish is a visceral reminder of what our patients feel every day. When we explain a complex psychiatric diagnosis or a new medication regimen, our patients are effectively listening to a foreign language. They are processing high-stakes information through a fog of anxiety, much like I process a fast-paced conversation in French. By regularly placing myself in a position where I am the one struggling to be understood, I have dismantled a layer of professional ego. This humility has deepened my empathy for patients who feel overwhelmed by the medical system.
In my practice, I am far from a superb Spanish speaker; I consider myself intermediate. When native speakers talk fast, I still get lost in the cadence. Yet, I’ ve seen that you don’ t need to be an expert at languages to make an impact. Even a fractured sentence, offered with genuine intent, can bridge a gap that a formal translator sometimes cannot.
Though we always have an interpreter available, when I try to speak Spanish with my patients, the atmosphere in the room shifts. The tension drops. They see that I am willing to step out of my expert comfort zone to meet them where they are. This shift makes my thinking more nimble; I’ ve learned to listen for context, body language and emotion rather than just raw data.
The most rewarding part of this journey is the role reversal. When I hit a wall in my Spanish, my patients often give me grace. This shift in the power dynamic builds a unique therapeutic alliance. By allowing my patients to watch me struggle in their language, I am acknowledging that they have a wealth of knowledge that extends far beyond their medical history. It fosters a sense of mutual respect that is the bedrock of good medicine.
As I work on my upcoming books, A Class for Mom and Digital Literacy is a Vital Sign, I often reflect on this. Whether we are helping a senior navigate a smartphone or helping a patient navigate a mental health crisis, the core requirement is the same: the willingness to listen, to learn and to be humble.
I encourage my colleagues in the Greater Louisville Medical Society to embrace the beginner’ s mind. Pick up a language or any skill that makes you feel like a novice, but not because you have a trip planned, but because the act of learning itself will help you practice medicine better.
By stepping outside the comfort zone of our primary language, we don’ t just protect our brains; we expand our hearts. We become doctors who aren’ t just experts in medicine, but experts in the messy, beautiful and often confusing art of human communication. I am proud that I tried. My Spanish isn’ t perfect, and I may never be mistaken for a native speaker, but I am a more empathetic and patient-centered physician because of it. Sometimes, the best way to lead in medicine is to be willing to be a beginner.
Dr. Shah is a psychiatrist at Norton Healthcare in Louisville and an alumna of the University of Louisville. She currently serves as the Secretary of the UofL School of Medicine Alumni Council and is the founder of Ponder Responder, LLC. Dr. Shah is a dedicated lifelong learner and the author of the upcoming book Digital Literacy Is a Vital Sign.
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