Weijun Rachel Wu, CMI
Cantonese/Mandarin Medical Interpreter
When I first came to United States as an international student about 15 years ago, I needed to adapt to many cultural differences. The most worrisome thing was going to see a doctor when I was sick. I had difficulty understanding what the doctor was saying, and I couldn’t explain my complaints well to my doctor, either. On top of that, I didn’t know I had a follow-up appointment, and I didn’t know to pick up my prescription. This experience stayed in my heart for years, so I understand how difficult it is for new immigrants like I once was to seek medical support due to a language barrier.
Now, I’m so pleased to serve my community with my language skills. I started my medical interpreting career in 2012, and it has been my honor to have been part of UCSF Interpreting Services since 2014. The interpreter is like a bridge connecting patient and doctor to facilitate communication, one goal being to help both sides have a better understanding of each other.
Being a medical interpreter gives me a lot of opportunities to help Cantonese and Mandarin speaking patients and their families in challenging times: delivering bad news in a family meeting or interpreting serious diagnoses to patients, for example. Meanwhile, I’ve also seen a lot of “miracles” that make me feel life is full of hope, such as seeing that a stroke patient can be independent after a year undergoing various therapies or telling a mom she delivered a healthy newborn girl.