Studying a language in residency?

[Yadster101]

I am currently very interested in studying foreign language and it would take me approximately 10 hrs/wk for 1.5 year to get a basic understanding of the language. If I were to do FM how hard would it be for me to make time for learning a language during the second or third year of residency? Obviously I'd have obligations like working, eating, sleeping, exercising, and spending some time with family. I'd probably use flashcards so I could even study at working during lunch or downtime. Would 10hrs/wk be doable?

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[smq123]

I am currently very interested in studying foreign language and it would take me approximately 10 hrs/wk for 1.5 year to get a basic understanding of the language. If I were to do FM how hard would it be for me to make time for learning a language during the second or third year of residency? Obviously I'd have obligations like working, eating, sleeping, exercising, and spending some time with family. I'd probably use flashcards so I could even study at working during lunch or downtime. Would 10hrs/wk be doable?

You'll need to spend those 10 hours per week studying to augment your clinical knowledge and help you take better care of patients. Plus, you take boards at the end of your third year, so you'll have to study for that.

Further, it's hard to study a language in a vacuum; you'll have to spend some time actually practicing it. Which language do you want to learn and how do you plan on finding people to practice it with?

 

[Yadster101]

You'll need to spend those 10 hours per week studying to augment your clinical knowledge and help you take better care of patients. Plus, you take boards at the end of your third year, so you'll have to study for that.

Further, it's hard to study a language in a vacuum; you'll have to spend some time actually practicing it. Which language do you want to learn and how do you plan on finding people to practice it with?

Most likely Arabic. I would learn it via online lectures and then possibly practice online as well. I agree that learning in a vacuum isn't ideal but from my previous experience learning a foreign language I feel I could still get to the level of proficiency I want to at 10hrs/wk for 1.5 years.

So you're saying that it wouldn't really be doable?

 

[Natividad Resident]

Not realistic unless you're nutso obsessed with Arabic at the expense of exercise & family. The second it feels like something you don't absolutely have to do, it'll be off the table. You can dedicate 10 hrs/wk to something like this during med school but I don't see where it fits in residency. And that's with the existing work hour limits - which won't be around much longer.

 

[smq123]

Most likely Arabic. I would learn it via online lectures and then possibly practice online as well. I agree that learning in a vacuum isn't ideal but from my previous experience learning a foreign language I feel I could still get to the level of proficiency I want to at 10hrs/wk for 1.5 years.

So you're saying that it wouldn't really be doable?

It would be really hard, and not worth the effort. There will be weeks, maybe months, where you won't be able to study it at all - by the time you pick it up again, you'll have forgotten what you had previously studied. Two steps forward, one step back.

It would be one thing if you were doing residency in a heavily Arabic area, where you might actually use it on a daily basis. That's probably very unlikely, though.

What other languages have you studied in this way? Just curious.

 

[Yadster101]

It would be really hard, and not worth the effort. There will be weeks, maybe months, where you won't be able to study it at all - by the time you pick it up again, you'll have forgotten what you had previously studied. Two steps forward, one step back.

It would be one thing if you were doing residency in a heavily Arabic area, where you might actually use it on a daily basis. That's probably very unlikely, though.

What other languages have you studied in this way? Just curious.

I've never actually studied in this exact way but I did study Spanish for ~6 years so I know what it's like to learn a language.

i thought FM residency got easier after first year? I know there are still difficult rotations but I thought most of 2nd and 3rd year were at around 60hrs wk?

 

[smq123]

I've never actually studied in this exact way but I did study Spanish for ~6 years so I know what it's like to learn a language.

i thought FM residency got easier after first year? I know there are still difficult rotations but I thought most of 2nd and 3rd year were at around 60hrs wk?

1) It depends on the residency. My residency was extremely top-heavy, with more and more responsibility the more senior you got. In fact, even if you were on an "easy" outpatient rotation, you were still expected to keep up with your tasks from the outpatient continuity clinic.

2) The more senior you get, the more you need to study. So even if it's 60 hours a week of "work," you still need to study when you get home.

Spanish is far easier to learn than Arabic. It uses the same alphabet, at least. And many people actually speak it, making it easier to practice.

 

[TableMD]

Not possible...focus on being a good doctor, there is so much to learn, one patient at a time

 

[avatarftw]

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[simpler2]

Its totally doable from a time perspective. I'm not sure that any of us will be able to give insight on what you are able to do however as you know how motivated/interested you are in the learning the language. The time commitment you gave would probably eat up any free/downtime that you have most of the time as a resident.

I was able to become conversant in Spanish during medical school. Studying something else was a nice diversion much of the time. I spent far less time formally studying in residency but much of the time was more physically exhausted than in medical school. I was also extremely motivated to learn the language, was mostly in Spanish/English clinical training settings, and knew that Spanish would be applicable to my daily medical practice.

 

[nraesmith]

I am a current FP resident. Granted I am in what is considered a more demanding than average program, but I have been trying to learn French for 5 years and... it ain't happening. And I thought during med school it was hard... silly me