Mission

Our mission is to incorporate our appreciation for the French language into our work as medical students and future physicians. We seek to use this skill to reach out to francophones in our community to help meet their unique health needs, and we hope to bring greater understanding and communication between the francophone community and the medical community of the Phoenix area.

According to the Government Relationships Census of 2020 and other sources, Phoenix is home to a large population of French speakers originally from West and Central Africa, Haiti, and other countries around the world. Estimates range from several thousand to nearly 17,000 people in the Phoenix area! In the medical French interest group, we learn how to use the French language of medicine. We explore the use of French medical vocabulary, learn from French speakers, and volunteer in organizations that are positioned to help individuals and families arriving from French-speaking countries. We aim to improve our proficiency in the French language and invite those with an interest in medical French to join us, regardless of previous experience with the language. A new interest group established in 2021, the medical French interest group hopes to coordinate events and opportunities that will help students gain experience and exposure helping this diverse patient population. Ultimately, we hope to establish a medical French class elective at the UACOM-P that is available to students during the PAL block.