AKangaroo Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi, everyone! This is my first post. I've found so much great information from this forum ever since I was in high school and now I need some direct help... I am in my 3rd year now, majoring in psychology and life science at UofT. My GPA is around 3.9 and I have little bits of volunteering activities (hospital, charity organization). I don't have any particular leadership role. But, I certainly have hobbies that I enjoy and am proud of. I also worked at a psychology lab last year. I might be able to get an NSERC next summer, but I am not so sure about it yet. So... this is my situation... I am an East-Asian girl. It's been a little more than 6 years since I came to Canada and now I have the citizenship. But, somehow my English speaking skill hasn't improve so much and is not perfect. I have an accent and often have a hard time expressing myself completely. (I haven't written the MCAT yet, but hopefully I will get 10 on each section...) My problem is conversation... Since it is only less than a year away from applying to medical schools, it is a great concern of mine that I might get rejected from all schools due to my poor interview performance. I really need some advice as to what I should do about this. Should I give up on medical school hopes? I know that most medical schools (except for UofT, to some extent) put a really heavy emphasis on good inteview score... For medical students out there... Could you please tell me if there are any students in your classes whose English conversation skill is not so good? Thank you very much for reading... Best regards, akangaroo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 The best way to improve your English is to socialize with people who don't speak your native language. If they are native speakers of English, it's even better, because then you won't accidentally pick up the mistakes that non-native speakers make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avenir001 Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 yes, don't worry..you is will be fine...when i was learning english in grade 8, it really helped that i didn't know anyone from my country at school and that i didn't have any crazy russians or iraqi's, etc around to pick up crazy accents from ...alsooo, don't be shy about making mistakes when u talk...u HAVE to talk to become fluent..otherwise, u may be good at written engl, but u won't feel comfortable with verbal engl...another good way is contributing to our crazy WED thread...in fact, this is prolly the best way cuz all our englishes are perfect there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlatan Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 If you are serious about becoming a doctor, do not give up your hopes for med because of a language barrier that can be overcome with time and practice. Why not try to improve your speaking skills by volunteering as a presenter of a health-related workshop? I know you are a 3rd year, but if you start doing that now, by the time you get to the interview stage (which is 1+ year away), you would be fine. Also realize that english proficiency is only one of the many qualities of an excellent physician, although you are quite right that not being completely understood by your interviewers could adversely affect your interview score, just try your best to improve it. I know many medical students who do not speak english as their native language; in fact, I think it is an advantage to be bilingual. Good luck to you and don't give up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hey, That's a great question and I think the advice to keep talking with native speakers is a great suggestion. I am not sure how strong your accent is. Perhaps you perceive it stronger than it really is or maybe it really is the way you perceive it...hard to tell on a message board! I think having a really strong accent is difficult. I have a friend from China with the strongest accent I have ever heard. When I first started getting to know him I could hardly understand a thing. I actually thought his English had been improving, but it turns out I was just getting used to his accent Anyway, he interviewed at some schools many times and had a hard time with it. He didn`t get in and it isn`t because he wouldn`t have been a great MD. But I do think his strong accent played a part. So, that wasn`t meant to discourage you, but to acknowledge that you have a valid concern IF your accent is truly as strong as you think. Having an accent isn`t really a bad thing unless others don`t understand you. I do not know what your financial situation is. But here is another story. I know another person (also from China!) who signed up for an accent reduction program. Now she had the 2nd strongest accent I have ever heard in my life! The accent reduction program actually worked! They had offered it during her MBA at Ivey (UWO) since there are alot of foreign students in the program. I don`t know how much it was. And also, if you are going to go that route I would research it first because I think there are reputable programs and not so reputable ones. But anyway, it did really work for her! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest begaster Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Read a lot and converse a lot. That's all there really is to it. An accent isn't a big deal. Not being able to speak to others is. Reading will help you strengthen your ability to express ideas in English, and talking will help you cement it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKangaroo Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi again, Thank you so much for all your responses! My concerns are not completely gone but your advices will help me a great deal along the way. As for my accent, I am certain that it is not so bad. People have no trouble at all understanding what I say. The big problem I have is that it seems like I lost the ability to put the words together and express myself. One might say that it is quite understandable since it is not my first language... But, the tendency to freeze in front of people or speak English in such a "broken" way might really hurt me. This is the real reason that I am so concerned about my speaking skills. This tendency to freeze led me to be inconfident about myself in front of people - i.e. English speaking people... For instance, even these words I type here, I won't fully communicate if it were done in one-to-one conversation... What should I do? It is funny that I have to ask you guys this question.. but, it is too big a concern for me that I am losing my focus in everything I do. I am worried that I might not get into any medical school in Canada. I also thought about applying to medical schools in the U.S. but I assume that matters don't differ so much in the States - if I am correct, medical schools in the States will be more sensitive to my language abilities. Should I go back to my home country and just give up on all those great Canadian medical schools? What is the matter with me anyways...? Is my brain not suited for speaking English?... I am sorry that I have to bother you with all these personal matters. But I would take any advice... Thank you in advance! Best regards, akangaroo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi there, Well, these are just my 2 cents... First, I think you are beeing quite hard on yourself. English is very different from your first language, so it's normal to speak with an accent and to have a hard time expressing yourself. I think medical schools are quite open and, like others said, unless they really can't understand you, I'm pretty sure they'll be very understanding. Communication & self confidence are important, but you still have time to practice that before your interview Second, I think you have to keep in mind that practice makes perfect. Something that worked really well for me was having english friends with whom I spoke everyday... If that's not your main crowd right now and you don't know where to start, joining clubs or such things might help. It also helped me to work with the public in english (ie part-time waitressing jobs, etc.). It takes a while, but if you're "living" in english, and you practice affirming yourself with anglophones you trust, I think you'll gradually find it easier to find the right words to speak your mind. Of course, practice makes perfect, but you don't have to be perfect either! Freezing up a few times during the interview doesn't mean you won't get an acceptance letter (& maybe you can find a way to hide it, as in "hum, that's a very good question...." then look contemplative... ) You may also want to try prep interviews, if your school offers them (which I imagine they must, since it's such a big school). If you can get more than one, that's even better! You can also practice with friends... the key is to get used to the type of answers you'll be giving... My school didn't offer prep interviews, but when I called a few med students from OttawaU (they give you a list of contacts with your invite), they offered to give me some, so I got a chance to do prep interviews right there in the med school a few days before the real one! I guess what I'm trying to say is no, you shouldn't give up! You can work on this, but you may get in even if you don't! I'm in a french class at OttawaU, and many (at least 20%?) of my classmates' first language isn't french. You can tell, & I'm sure they feel as I do when I speak english (wondering what the right word is, feeling like they have to twist their tong all the time...), but they're part of the group none the less and apparently it didn't affect their interviews Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
007 Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 You can also always say in your interview if you think you're struggling with your English something like "I'm sorry, I've been in Canada a long time now but English isn't my first language and sometimes when I'm nervous I find it harder to find the right words". I think be honest like that and letting them know that you're aware of it would only benefit you in an interview situation. Most interviewers are quite understanding and while they need to know that patients and coworkers will be able to understand you, they also recognize that people are nervous. Perhaps though, they wouldn't realize it would manifest in such a way so alerting them would be helpful. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayervillager Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Hey there, One of my classmates has a very strong accent, to the point that when he answered a question on the first day of class, I only understood maybe 50% of what he said! Also keep in mind that I came from roughly the same region of the world that this particular classmate did... So there are definitely people in medical school with strong accents. That's because even though his accent might be difficult for the uninitiated to listen to, what the admission committee saw and what everybody on a day-to-day basis can clearly see is that he is a really intelligent, very thoughtful and caring guy who has these incredibly insightful ideas. So don't worry too much about the accent - just be prepared to let your good qualities shine through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Hey, Welcome to the board! No doubt your English is better than any attempt I might make at your first language. Having an accent isn't a big deal. I've worked with lots of residents and staff who have strong accents. However, communicating *well* +/- an accent is a big deal for a med applicant, med student and physician. I have a number of classmates whose first language is not English and who have accents. But all of them are quite articulate. As others have said, all you really need is practice. Lots of practice in different situations. Try putting yourself in circumstances where you have to communicate with a wide cross-section of the public. (Maybe double-up on this with something that will also help your meds application?) It might be stressful and discouraging for you, but better to go through that now and get a better flow to your language than to be stuck looking for the right word while you're sitting in a meds interview. Having said that, I should also tell you to relax. It's easy to over-think all of the parts of medical school application, so don't let this become too big in your mind. It might take some work -- not particularly strenuous work, just time consuming -- but you can get through it. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medhopeful Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 Hey, I think I know what you are talking about. It's not the accent, but the vocabulary. I've meet many people with lots of different accents. I've found that there are people with accents whom I can understand perfectly well because they have and use a large vocabulary so that they are able to expres themselves very well. Myself, even though I was born in Canada, I've always felt that I have trouble verbalizing what I want to say. I stumble over words and get so many "mind farts" when I blank on the word I'm looking for. Having said that, here are some tips that may help: 1) Read lots, but make sure to choose some really good literature. For example, if you go for books, go with writers who are recongized for really good writing (i.e. Carol Shields). And when you get to words you don't know or are unfamiliar with, say them outloud and look up the meaning. 2) Join a Toastmasters at the school or in the community. The practice of speaking more often will help you find your words better and maybe even smooth out the accent a little bit more. Plus, this will also give you some leadership experience. 3) This may not be as applicable to you, but if it does, helps so much. Simply, just speak slower. My experience, and since I'm also one, most Asians tend to talk really fast, just because that's inherent in our culture. But with english, it doesn't work quite as well. I find that when I talk slower, I am able to find the words more easily, and plus, when I pause trying to search out the right word, it doesn't seem as long and I don't look as foolish 4) Last, get into mini-debates with your friends over anything and everything. Make sure it keeps friendly, but I think that this is one of the most effective ways. Get a couple of people together over food or coffee and just speak your mind. This not only helps you figure out more about who you are, but also helps make you learn how to effectively voice your opinon. I hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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