query about mcgill university and montreal

[lovelybiscuit]

i am a medical student in scotland who can't speak french very well but I am considering doing my medical elective (a rotation and project i have to plan independently) at mcgill university

Comments

[sasori]

As a Scot in Montreal, working in the universities here, I would say you will have no issues with the staff of either McGill University or with the staff of the hospital.

I have absolutely no idea how it would be with the patients. You'd need to ask someone who actually deals with patients.

My advice would be to contact McGill direct, and talk to someone there.

Good luck, and I hope it works out, this is a great city.

[fuzzyila]

The Montreal General is the most English hospital I've ever been in, but you can't tell the French patients to go away when they turn up, so I'd say a doctor has to be fluent. I expect French doctors to speak English to me at my request, so it wouldn't be a giant leap to be expected to speak French to a French person - this being a French province and all.

Otherwise, in daily life and at school, you'll be absolutely fine, but I wouldn't expect to get a job.

[thedeli]

-this being a French province and all.

Heh. Good one. I love that line.

[wendykh]

There must be some way to work it out as I know many US citizens come there for Med School and there's no way they're all fluent or even passable in French.

[wonderwhatif]

I would say no.

I'm also Scottish, but I moved here temporarily and soon for longer :P to be with my longterm Canadian boyfriend.

I find it very, very hard to go into places where I'm not sure they'll speak English, and I live on the West Island which is considered very English. I think McGill will probably be fine as they make allowances for Anglophones, but a lot of places in the city, especially downtown don't.

I think if you are an outgoing person who can pick up basic French and muddle through then you'll fit in fine, especially if you're willing to learn. However, if like me, you are kind of shy it may not be the best choice.

[silentauror]

McGill doesn't "make allowances for Anglophones" - it's a strictly English/anglophone university, aggressively so!

OP: Yes for classes, no for dealing with patients. Good luck.

[wonderwhatif]

I didn't mean it like that XD

I just meant that I knew they had tons of English stuff going on, I just wasn't sure if it was solely anglophone so I didn't want to put it in certain terms!

[daisylo]

I go to the Montreal General Hospital where the McGill students intern at and each department has french and english doctors. I'm under the Lupus clinic and I had an intern who was Irish, she knew some words in french though but I'm not too sure if she spoke french fluently and her Irish accent was pretty strong. I remember the pulmonary department was largely francophone but they spoke English to me. Oh I don't know, hope this helps a little at least. Good luck!