From Modern Languages to Medicine: How Bristol helped shape my career

Katherine reflects on how studying languages at Bristol helped develop the communication, confidence and adaptability that continue to shape her work in medicine today.

Using languages in medicine

I recently graduated and am now working as a resident doctor in Cornwall.

I've been pleased to find I could use my languages along the way, often consulting and conversing in German and Italian in busy London hospitals. It's very rewarding to provide that sort of comfort for someone when they're feeling unwell, to talk in their mother tongue.

The communication skills, professionalism and confidence I developed at Bristol have been central to my journey in medicine.

Why I chose languages at Bristol

I love the complexities and nuance of language, from grammar to how it's used orally. Bristol was an attractive city, and I was especially drawn in by the German department, as German has always been my favourite. In particular, there was active research and modules that really excited me. 

I felt the course offered an excellent learning experience, with plenty of contact hours, full weeks of teaching and a curriculum tailored to my interests.

Why languages still matter in my career

I will always have a love of language and it's a huge part of my identity. I continue to enjoy reading, writing and speaking in my three languages today.  

Studying languages was an enormous privilege, to study something you really adore, and develop so many useful professional skills for later life. I think it's easy to look down on these 'soft' skills and pursue a degree with binary career outcomes, however I'd be a much poorer doctor today without the development I had in Bristol.

I've also been pleased to find opportunities to use my languages throughout my medical career, often consulting and conversing in German and Italian in busy London hospitals.

It helps build trust, provides reassurance, and allows me to offer a more personal level of care, making some of the most challenging moments a little easier for patients and their families.

From languages graduate to medical school

I graduated into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and began a job working for PADI EMEA in Bristol as a customer service consultant.

I was the primary French language customer service contact for EMEA and used language daily. I also had opportunities to work in German and Italian.  

Unfortunately, the pandemic had been hard on the tourism industry and much of my work involved difficult conversations around fees and money, and charging people who were no longer making an income from tourism. I struggled to build a corporate identity and realised that an office job was not right for me.  

I joined Bristol Royal Infirmary to learn more about medicine and strengthen my medical school application. I applied in September 2021 and started medical school at St George's, University of London in 2022.

Skills that transfer beyond the classroom

As a shy 18-year-old, studying languages helped boost my confidence enormously. It's an impressive skill to be able to use four languages and to switch between them in the same day.  

It's made me a quick-thinking, adaptable individual and improved my ability to process large amounts of information quickly and synthesise them into something more concise.

My advice to current students

Have confidence to speak in another language as much as you can, you can do it!

My year abroad taught me independence, and one of the things that shaped me most at Bristol was the camaraderie of students and teaching staff.