Parlez-vous français?

I had my first official French lesson today. The months of Duolingo paid off. I can recognize more than I was expecting. But also as expected, I am hesitant to use it.

I've found myself wondering at times the value of trying to learn French while simultaneously expand my surgical knowledge. There are so many tribal languages spoken that frequently French is not adequate to communicate. The most I've had to work through has been four translators. I spoke English to a nurse, the nurse translated it to French, the next person translated the French to Anoufo, the next person translated the Anoufo to Ngangam, and then finally that fourth person translated the Ngangam to the patient's language, which to be honest I'm not even sure which that was. To make the whole exchange even more surreal my patient was a young lady who for cultural reasons didn't speak for herself and therefore an elderly lady was the sixth person involved in the exchange and answered my questions (through the chain of four translations) on behalf of the patient. So, speaking French would have cut that chain down to three from four, but still, would it be worth the extra mental exhaustion of learning another language?

Clinic is the same, French is not enough to communicate with the majority of the patients.

But then I had my first call coverage at the hospital! It was a painful reality to experience that because I don't speak French, every time I am called, I will have to go to the hospital to evaluate the situation in person. I am currently unable to trust the information and therefore triage over the phone. Self-preservation is an incredibly strong motivator.

Much Love.