The Foreign Physician or Nurseand the Medical Librarian

For several decades, the migration of physicians and nurses to the United States has provided a major source of medical personnel. The problems this group encounters in the United States include language deficiencies, cultural misunderstandings, and lowered expectations of their role in medicine. Because these foreign nationals regularly use medical libraries, librarians in the United States have a responsibility to learn about the unique problems facing these patrons. Awareness of these difficulties can help to lessen the frustrations that occur when two different cultures meet.