First, in the book, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” it is evident that there is a huge communication barrier between the American doctors and the Hmong patients. Therefore, I would recommend that should be taught as extra subjects in medical schools, where medical students are supposed to be advised to learn at least two foreign languages that may seem to be of help to them in their career. For instance, if the Hmong language was offered in the medical school that doctor Neil went to, he would not be having difficulties communicating to Lia and her parents on the medication that Lia should be given.
Second, it is evident in the book that there is a lack cross-cultural communication since doctors are from a different cultural background whereas Lia and her parents also come from a diverse cultural background. The Hmong believe that epilepsy could be related to spirits and that treatment should be administered by giving both medicine and use of traditional healing methods. However, the doctors on the other hand are rationalists and believe that Lia’s illness is a pure neurological disorder that should be treated through giving the highest standard of medical care that is possible. Nevertheless, the problem is not solved even by use of the medicine. Therefore, I would recommend that cross-cultural communication be incorporated in medical schools to make it easier for doctors to endeavor in communication across cultures.
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Third, I would recommend that work ethics be offered as a subject in medical schools since from the book, it is evident that the doctors lack integrity and moral behavior required for a doctor. For instance, chapter six demonstrates the way doctors insulted a family by addressing an Americanized teenager rather than their non-English speaking parents. Further, other doctors do not maintain the dress code required since others wore jeans under their medical coats. In addition, although Neil was supposed to prosecute the parents, he only filed a report to put Lia under a foster home.
Further, it is recommended that human-relations subject be offered in Medical schools. This subject is essential for creating healthy inter-relationships with people. In the book, “The spirit catches you and you fall down,” the doctors are unable to relate with Lia’s parents and because of that, they do not effectively show Lia’s parents how to administer the appropriate medication and they do not explain to them the importance of administering medicine despite the side effects. Thus, when Lia is at home, she is affected by epilepsies more than when she under the doctor’s care.
Finally, counseling and spiritual wellness should be incorporated in the medical schools’ curriculum. From the book, the doctors believed that medication and the medical procedures could heal Lia’s problem and to some extent, they forgot that Lia could also be suffering from spiritual wellness. It is important that doctors are spiritually developed and they can apply that in administering treatment. Spiritual development is essential since patients do not only require medical healing, but also spiritual assurance. In addition, this subject is helpful since doctors are able to recognize a patient’s spiritual and religious beliefs.
