Students translate at local hospital

Every week several students step out of the "Princeton bubble," put on hospital-issued blouses and badges and walk several blocks down Witherspoon Street to the University Medical Center at Princeton. Though they're not there to treat patients, their contribution is essential: without them, doctors and patients could not communicate.

In four-hour shifts, the student volunteers stand beside Spanish-speaking patients, mostly immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala, and relay sentences back and forth between patient and doctor.

"While translating, I've begun to see how each case gets complicated by the patient not speaking the same language as the doctor," Claire Hoppenot '07, who began translating at the hospital last semester, said.

To join the translating program, prospective student volunteers undergo an interview process and testing to determine their Spanish fluency.

During their shifts, student translators use their Spanish-speaking skills to improve medical care for those who cannot understand English-speaking doctors.

The work also allows them to explore whether or not they wish to enter the medical field.

Co-coordinator Elizabeth Washburn '08 initially joined the program with plans to enter the medical profession. Though she is no longer pursuing a premed track, she still aids in this effort due to her strong love of the Spanish language and desire to help those with a lack of resources.

Many of the patients receive financial aid through a charity care program.

"Because of this, patients are always really grateful and say thank you when they leave," said Hoppenot, who spent last summer working at a hospital in Oaxaca, Mexico. After her experiences there, she felt that she was capable of undertaking medical translation here in Princeton.

Translating also helps volunteers gain perspective regarding the difficulties faced by many of these immigrants. "It has been a real reality check for me," said Katy Lankester '08, who is now in her third semester of translating.

"One lady came in as a sufferer of domestic violence. After receiving past emotional abuse from her partner, she came into the hospital [and asked] how she could get emotional help," she said.

In cases such as these, Hoppenot said translators strive to be as invisible as possible, to distance themselves from personal issues that impinge on the patients' privacy. Towards this end, the students are instructed to always stand beside the patient.

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Lankester took over the position of program coordinator earlier this semester. Along with co-coordinator Sonia Esparza '07, Lankester is responsible for organizing the student program and facilitating all general students volunteering in the hospital.

"Working at the hospital has been a great way to open my eyes to cultural sensitivity here in Princeton, Jersey and the United States in general," Washburn said.

Lankester also said her work at the hospital has given her a glimpse into the lives of people with different backgrounds.

"I've learned of the lifestyles of so many patients," Lankester said. "While assessing the background of one patient, I learned that, despite her college degree, she cleans houses for 15 hours a week. Many other families, when asked about their family background, have no idea regarding the state of their families because they haven't been in contact with their family in so long."

Not only do these students learn the life stories of many of their patients, they also find ways to respond compassionately to each patient's particular scenarios.

"A girl who was close to my age came in to receive her HIV testing results," Lankester said. "The doctor told me the test result, and for a split second, the patient looked at me, knowing that I knew the answer and she didn't. It's so difficult to be in a position of telling someone a result that might change her life."