Emily Xu

Minoring in German was one of the best decisions I made as an undergraduate. I always had a passion for foreign languages and I was biased towards German because my father was once a German-Chinese translator. The small class size and daily meetings of introductory German courses at UCLA allowed me to build a strong language foundation and made me comfortable with publically speaking German. Through the upper division courses, I had the opportunity to read my first German book, listen to my first German news broadcast, and watch my first German political debate, all of which I never imagined I could ever do. As an aspiring physician, my experience with the German language and culture provides me with a broader multicultural perspective and a deeper understanding of the challenges cultural differences pose to medical practice.  The language skills and cultural knowledge I’ve gained through my German minor are unique and invaluable tools for my future medical practice.