Presence Beyond Language: A Medical Student’s First Day in Clinic

Although discussions about language services like interpreters or translators, patient–provider concordance, and linguistic equity merit much greater consideration, I can offer one reflection: the human connection we all share is more important than the languages we do not.

Akila V. Muthukumar reflects on building a connection with patients when using phone interpreter services to communicate.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.