Language and cultural barriers among postgraduate medical residents: A mixed-method study

Cultural and language barriers among medical residents not fluent in the local language where they train may partly be responsible for lower satisfaction and increased stress. The study examined the language barriers and acculturative stressors of junior residents during their postgraduate training in a reputed tertiary care academic hospital in North India.

A mixed-method approach was utilized to evaluate the perceived cultural competency barriers that the residents faced during their training. The inclusion criterion was students pursuing their MD Paediatrics program at the study centre hailing from non-Hindi-speaking states/union territories. Besides a brief structured questionnaire, in-depth interviews and focused group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted.

A total of 31 postgraduate junior residents (M=27.2 yrs, SD=2.9, Males=71%) from the department of pediatrics were recruited. The residents who had no or limited exposure to Hindi, relative to participants with some exposure to Hindi, were significantly more likely to cite language challenges (60% vs. 40%, P=0.023). Detailed interviews and FGDs revealed that the main problems faced by the students were impaired patient-clinician communication, difficulty in using culturally sensitive communication.

Residency training is a critical part of the student's professional development and can be particularly stressful for those who are not well versant with the local language and cultural practices. There is an imperative need for medical education to incorporate cultural and linguistic competency training among health professionals.