A doctor’s accent

There are some courses that address this topic for foreign physicians:

Although foreign-born physicians may have excellent medical training and comprehension of English, patients and co-workers can struggle to understand their speech and are often reluctant to call attention to the problem. For example, the numbers 15 and 50 can sound similar in some accents, as can the words “breathing” and “bleeding.” This increases the potential for medical errors, Wilner says.

“People are frustrated when they get in this situation,” she says. “Others, especially elderly patients, may be intimidated and not want to ask questions.”

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