spanish in sw programs?

[Nosa]

i am interested in some of the southwest programs (unm, the 2 arizona programs, etc) but my spanish skills are horrible. will this prevent me from #1 getting accepted to the program and even more importantly perhaps #2, not being able to communicate well with patients? or do they have enough interpreters that limited spanish is a non-issue? if anybody is at any of these programs with a large hispanic population and can speak to this, i'd be eager to hear your opinions. thanks!

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[southerndoc]

I wouldn't think so. Lots of places have high rates of Spanish-speaking patients. Texas, Georgia, Connecticut, Arizona, California, etc.

Not everyone can speak Spanish, and by the time programs rank you they will have forgotten if you even told them you speak Spanish.

 

[GeneralVeers]

i am interested in some of the southwest programs (unm, the 2 arizona programs, etc) but my spanish skills are horrible. will this prevent me from #1 getting accepted to the program and even more importantly perhaps #2, not being able to communicate well with patients? or do they have enough interpreters that limited spanish is a non-issue? if anybody is at any of these programs with a large hispanic population and can speak to this, i'd be eager to hear your opinions. thanks!

It shouldn't hurt your chances. Most hospitals with large Spanish-speaking populations should have translators available.

Our program sees approximately 30% Spanish only patients, and almost none of our residents are fluent in Spanish.

 

[mercedes-benzo]

At UTSW, we have spanish translators 24/7. They stay busy with all of us non-spanish speakers, but I've rarely waited more than 5 min for a translator. It's so much easier than language lines (but we have those too for all the other languages). It is helpful to speak spanish (i.e. will make you more efficient), but by no means a prerequisite.

 

[xxatti]

So much for those of us that are fluent in Spanish getting a leg up on those residency spots

 

[GeneralVeers]

At UTSW, we have spanish translators 24/7. They stay busy with all of us non-spanish speakers, but I've rarely waited more than 5 min for a translator. It's so much easier than language lines (but we have those too for all the other languages). It is helpful to speak spanish (i.e. will make you more efficient), but by no means a prerequisite.

We don't have translators, so by necessity I've had to learn basic medical Spanish just by talking to patients. Can now do an H&P for simple and common complaints. Anything unusual, and I have to beg one of the Spanish-speaking nurses to help. Interestingly, L.A. County offers free Spanish courses to all county employees and nurses......but strangely not to doctors.

 

[mlw03]

I'm in Tampa, which also has a decent Spanish-only population. Our main teaching hospital has both translators (various Spanish-speaking staff), as well as a language line. One of the attendings and I were chatting about this topic (she trained at Maricopa), and she said that while you do pick up some, she said that there they had translators available at all times throughout the day. I actually disagree with the statement that it wouldn't give a leg up - translation takes time, and you also have the problem that the translator may not know the medical term for something. I certainly think being fluent (not just hacking out a few words like I and many others can do) would definately be useful and could make an applicant more attractive.

 

[Apollyon]

I actually disagree with the statement that it wouldn't give a leg up - translation takes time, and you also have the problem that the translator may not know the medical term for something.

If your translators don't know the medical term, or can't explain it, they shouldn't be translating, and you need an improvement.

That's the ENTIRE POINT of having them.

 

[southerndoc]

If your translators don't know the medical term, or can't explain it, they shouldn't be translating, and you need an improvement.

That's the ENTIRE POINT of having them.

Right. It's also against federal regulations for someone to interview a patient in a non-English language without the use of a certified medical translator. Even if you were born in Colombia and its your native language, you cannot interview the patient in Spanish without the use of a certified translator. You must become certified.

Doesn't make sense that someone whose native language is Spanish can't speak Spanish to a patient without a translator being present, but that's the regs.

 

[Apollyon]

Right. It's also against federal regulations for someone to interview a patient in a non-English language without the use of a certified medical translator. Even if you were born in Colombia and its your native language, you cannot interview the patient in Spanish without the use of a certified translator. You must become certified.

Doesn't make sense that someone whose native language is Spanish can't speak Spanish to a patient without a translator being present, but that's the regs.

Duke has a test - if you pass it, you can translate or speak it. So, if you pass the test, you ARE the translator.

 

[CalypsoGP]

Right. It's also against federal regulations for someone to interview a patient in a non-English language without the use of a certified medical translator. Even if you were born in Colombia and its your native language, you cannot interview the patient in Spanish without the use of a certified translator. You must become certified.

Doesn't make sense that someone whose native language is Spanish can't speak Spanish to a patient without a translator being present, but that's the regs.

Whether or not it's against regulations, most medical personnel that speak Spanish (including myself) use(d) it all the time and there's never been anyone I know reprimanded for doing so. However, I wouldn't touch issues of consent or breaking bad news unless you really speak it well - those things should require a translator or someone who is truly fluent.

By the way - Nosa, I was the one who mentioned the Spanish thing to you in the ED today (it's a small world.....you'll figure out who I am). From what I saw on the trail, speaking Spanish helps, but not speaking it probably won't drop you down on the list if everything else is impressive. The PD at Maricopa told me at ACEP they have plenty of translators working in the ED that are available for your use 24/7. After working a while in an ED with a lot of Spanish speaking patients, you'll pick it up anyway if you try to learn.

 

[Apollyon]

Whether or not it's against regulations, most medical personnel that speak Spanish (including myself) use(d) it all the time and there's never been anyone I know reprimanded for doing so. However, I wouldn't touch issues of consent or breaking bad news unless you really speak it well - those things should require a translator or someone who is truly fluent.

This is good advice. I WAS busted for not using a translator, but it was rare.

I (occasionally) consented patients (but, less frequently the more I learned!), but NEVER EVER did DC instructions, for reasons you list above.

I also used Google translate to put the DC instructions in Spanish (beyond the canned stuff), along with the English (the stuff I added in).

 

[Nosa]

we talked in the ED yesterday? but i was never in the ED yesterday - i think you might have the wrong person...?

 

[Jeff698]

Doesn't make sense that someone whose native language is Spanish can't speak Spanish to a patient without a translator being present, but that's the regs.

Pardon me for being cynical, but it makes perfect sense if you think the underlying purpose of any government regulation is the propogation of more government regulations and full employment.

To whomever pointed out that LA County offers free Spanish courses for employees (General, perhaps?), I wonder if they also offer free English courses for everyone else?

Take care,
Jeff

 

[DiveMD]

¿Que?

 

[GeneralVeers]

Pardon me for being cynical, but it makes perfect sense if you think the underlying purpose of any government regulation is the propogation of more government regulations and full employment.

To whomever pointed out that LA County offers free Spanish courses for employees (General, perhaps?), I wonder if they also offer free English courses for everyone else?

Take care,
Jeff

Free English courses would be racist and discriminatory. You wouldn't expect people to move here and learn the language would you?

 

[DiveMD]

I you want to live in Italy, you have to learn Italian. Enough said.

DiveMD