Pilar: CEO & Physician Leading with Spanish

Meet Pilar—Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Clinician Multilingualism and President of the National Association of Medical Spanish (NAMS).

For patients whose preferred language is not English, having a doctor who speaks with them directly in their language makes all the difference.

Languages: Spanish, English

Grew Up in: Miami, Florida

Degrees Held: BA in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University; MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine; Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago; Master's in Graphic Medicine from la Universidad Internacional de Andalucía

How have your language and cultural skills supported and/or enhanced your professional opportunities?

I built my entire career as a doctor around language! Although many people don’t realize it, a huge percentage of a doctor’s job is effective communication, and that involves language. So, while we tend to encourage kids who stand out in science to pursue a career in medicine, how often do we tell someone: “Wow, you are such a good communicator, I would want you to be my doctor”?

For patients whose preferred language is not English, having a doctor who speaks with them directly in their language makes all the difference. There is no question that to achieve better health outcomes in our population, we need to do more to support doctors’ communication skills with patients across languages. That’s why I have dedicated my career to teaching and researching medical Spanish—developing resources like books, articles, videos, and conferences for doctors to learn, practice, and evaluate their language skills.

Through the Center for Clinician Multilingualism, I now offer certification exams for doctors who want to use a language to directly communicate with their patients. It’s my absolute passion.

What advice would you share with current language learners or those considering studying a language?

Learning languages can enhance a career in any field you plan to pursue! And for learners interested in healthcare, multilingualism is a tremendous asset with direct repercussions for patient care.

I always encourage learners to include their languages on their curriculum vitae, referencing a formal proficiency assessment, certification, or relevant educational/job experiences whenever possible. Of course, as with anything you include on your application, be ready to demonstrate and answer questions about your skills and how you would apply them to the job or school you are seeking to join.

Multilingualism is part of your professional skill set and can help you stand out as an applicant.

It’s often said that English is the language of global business, and because of that, language skills aren’t necessary to succeed. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

I disagree.

At the National Association of Medical Spanish, a non-profit organization that I lead, we like to say that being multilingual is a superpower! There are several reasons for this. First, we strive to succeed and thrive as individuals and communities, not merely to get by. In certain settings or for certain jobs, English might be enough to get by, but we aspire to reach more people and to understand different perspectives. Multilingualism is critical to that broader mission.

Second, as a doctor and an educator, I believe in a person-centered approach to care. Taking into account patients’ needs and preferences, including the languages they speak, so they can achieve their best health is the very definition of person-centered care. Hundreds of languages are spoken in the United States and thousands around the world. All patients of all languages, not just English speakers, deserve person-centered care.

Do you have an interesting, moving, or humorous anecdote featuring your language or cultural skills to share?

My family speaks Spanish at home, and my kids were very small when I started my first non-profit organization. At that time, my organizational title was “Chair.” After I introduced myself during a presentation at one of our first events, my kids asked me, “Mami, ¿por qué dijiste que eres una silla?” After that, we changed the organizational title to President!

Explore testimonials by multilingual professionals across sectors, and tell us how you put your language skills to work @LangConnectsFdn on social media.

You can also explore websites for the Center for Clinician Multilingualism and the National Association of Medical Spanish.

Know someone who's using language skills in their work or career? Refer them to us for consideration in an upcoming feature!