Electives - Humanities in Medicine

Medical Spanish - Language & Culture

Elective Number: (Oasis E18n) 3515

Course Supervisors: Dr. Rafael Triana and Ms. Beatriz Cortabarria

Designated Signer: Dr. Marcia Childress, 5361 Barringer

Evaluation should be given to: Ms. Cortabarria

Available: Rotation 10 - Class of 2008; 11 - Class of 2009

Prerequisite: Students must have prior knowledge of Spanish from high school or college coursework or fairly extensive field service.

Time to Report: TBA

Place to Report: Center for Biomedical Ethics and Humanities office, Barringer 5

Attendance: Attendance at elective activities is mandatory.

• Anyone who is ill or has a personal or family emergency must contact Student Affairs and the Attending on Service.
• Students are allowed to take off up to 1 day per week to interview between November 1 and February 1.
  • Specific days missed must be approved by the Attending on Service.

Number of students per rotation: Minimum of 4, Maximum of 20

Course Description: The Hispanic population is the largest and fastest-growing minority population in the U.S.—35 million people according to the 2000 US Census. By 2050, fully 25% of Americans will claim Spanish as their first language. In order to practice in most areas of this country, physicians need a command of basic Spanish and an understanding of Hispanic culture. This course offers intensive intermediate-level instruction in Spanish language and culture that is oriented to the practice of medicine with Spanish-speaking patients. In four weeks, students acquire a linguistic and cultural foundation enabling them to:

1. interview and manage a patient in the clinical setting using Spanish,
2. take a history and perform a physical exam using Spanish, and
3. be familiar with health concerns of Spanish-speaking populations, especially as these are expressed in and influenced by social and cultural values and spiritual beliefs.

Students entering the course must have at least a basic working knowledge of conversational Spanish and are strongly encouraged to refresh their knowledge using audiotapes in the weeks leading up to the course. Instruction does not dwell on grammar and vocabulary fundamentals but, rather, adds medical terms, medically related phrasing and idioms, language for specific clinical situations (admissions, emergencies, etc.), and health-related cultural information to students' working knowledge of Spanish. The course also gives students opportunities to practice applying Spanish in mock medical settings. Cultural studies include readings, guest presentations, case studies, role-plays, and student-initiated activities and projects. The instructor will evaluate students' language facility and cultural awareness on the basis of class performance and participation, presentations, and, possibly, quizzes or tests.

The course meets five days a week in two-hour class sessions for a total of ten classroom hours per week, for four weeks. Class is fast-paced and, to the extent possible, conducted in Spanish. Some additional class time may be scheduled to accommodate clinic and/or community visits and cultural activities. Students should expect to invest a minimum of fifteen to twenty hours of their own time each week in language practice and review. Students purchase the assigned texts (approximate cost: $160).

This description is a general overview. The schedule and particular requirements for the course will be established by the instructor(s) at the time of the course.