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Weerd

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:57 pm
by Ganzo
Ok, so this is the story.

My wife got bachelors in Medical Technologies and Electronic Engineering from Israel, she worked in major Hospital in Israel in the Perfusion(open heart surgery) for 2 years. Here she went to Medical School and studying to be Electrophysiologist(installing pacemakers). She is 4.0 student and is on a Dean's List. She has 9 month left to graduate. In 3 months she will begin externship in the hospital.

Two days ago Dean calls her in the office, says that whomever is in charge of their externship program is worried that because my wife has an accent, that hospitals will not accept her. So they decided that she ether needs to go see speech doctor to reduce her accent and that in 6 month if they like how her accent changed they may let her continue program, or they will not let her continue going to school and graduate.

Basically this seems odd to me, since they accepted her into the program originally, even though her accent at the time was much worse. Plus in every hospital i've ever been there seems like 50% staff speaks with an accent.

What do you guys think about this? Can they actually kick someone out of college because of an accent?

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:07 pm
by Martrae
Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

It's not up to the person in charge of externship to second-guess whether or not hospitals will 'accept' her.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:11 pm
by Phlegm
I never heard of this before. If fluency in English is require for a degree, then many graduates in America today would have to return their diplomas. I think perhaps your wife should talk to some kind of lawyer for discrimination.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:24 pm
by 10sun
Uhm, why the fuck do they even care? Its not like she'll be talking to the patients anyways.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:29 pm
by Ganzo
10sun wrote:Uhm, why the fuck do they even care? Its not like she'll be talking to the patients anyways.
She'll be talking to doctors though. They saying that if there is a emergency situation and she needs to report condition of a patient to a surgeon, he might not understand her because of her accent.

For the record her accent is very light. She called the accent reduction school and they asked her who she wanted information for. When she said herself they said that she has very small accent that it's nothing that she needs their help for.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:39 pm
by Phlegm
But many doctors these day speak English with an Hindi accent and I don't think any of them went to a speech doctor.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:47 pm
by Lyion
Ganzo wrote:
10sun wrote:Uhm, why the fuck do they even care? Its not like she'll be talking to the patients anyways.
She'll be talking to doctors though. They saying that if there is a emergency situation and she needs to report condition of a patient to a surgeon, he might not understand her because of her accent.

For the record her accent is very light. She called the accent reduction school and they asked her who she wanted information for. When she said herself they said that she has very small accent that it's nothing that she needs their help for.


I'd start talking to a good lawyer, Ganzo. That screams potential lawsuit, to me.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:50 pm
by Gypsiyee
Yeah.. it does sound pretty bogus. I've had doctors that had intensely heavy accents, and they obviously graduated - I can't fathom ever disallowing someone to finish school due to an accent being legal in the states.. I'd talk to a lawyer if they threaten her degree for sure.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:53 pm
by Phlegm
I think they are doing this because she is a Jew. One of these day Mel Gibson may need a pacemaker and ...

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:35 pm
by Ganzo
lyion wrote:
Ganzo wrote:
10sun wrote:Uhm, why the fuck do they even care? Its not like she'll be talking to the patients anyways.
She'll be talking to doctors though. They saying that if there is a emergency situation and she needs to report condition of a patient to a surgeon, he might not understand her because of her accent.

For the record her accent is very light. She called the accent reduction school and they asked her who she wanted information for. When she said herself they said that she has very small accent that it's nothing that she needs their help for.


I'd start talking to a good lawyer, Ganzo. That screams potential lawsuit, to me.
What type of lawyer deals with this shit?

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:51 pm
by Maeya
We place *tons* of foreign cardiologists. The biggest thing holding foreign doctors back is their need for a Visa waiver, but since you guys are citizens (right?), you should be golden. Sounds like a bunch of crap to me. I can't tell you how many doctors call us that have such thick accents I can barely understand them, and they were all able to get through school & beyond.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:43 pm
by Darcler
One of my old doctors I had in high school, I never understood.
One of the nurses in the hospital where I had my son, the first week I couldnt understand, then I picked up on how she talked and I was good the final 2 weeks heh

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:47 pm
by Gypsiyee
Ganzo wrote:
lyion wrote:
Ganzo wrote:
10sun wrote:Uhm, why the fuck do they even care? Its not like she'll be talking to the patients anyways.
She'll be talking to doctors though. They saying that if there is a emergency situation and she needs to report condition of a patient to a surgeon, he might not understand her because of her accent.

For the record her accent is very light. She called the accent reduction school and they asked her who she wanted information for. When she said herself they said that she has very small accent that it's nothing that she needs their help for.


I'd start talking to a good lawyer, Ganzo. That screams potential lawsuit, to me.
What type of lawyer deals with this shit?


There are those who specialize in discrimination specifically, which is what this is.. if she has a meeting with them again I'd imagine you should try to record it.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:19 am
by Jay
I could see if maybe her accent made her absolutely incoherent but otherwise it does sound like a load of BS.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:43 pm
by Gargamellow
That's discrimination. Sue.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:32 am
by Zanchief
Is Mel Gibson the dean?

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:47 am
by Evermore
Ganzo,

that is the BIGGEST load of horseshit I have ever heard. I work in a teaching hospital and let me tell you some of the Doc/residents etc we get here BARELY speak english. I had to laugh when i read this. I would see a lawyer and have them write a letter to the school defending your wife's right complete her education. what crap.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:03 pm
by Ganzo
Well we filed a complaint with US Department of Education for discrimination based on national origin, and going to see lawyer on Wednesday. I'll keep you posted.

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 8:10 pm
by The Kizzy
please do