Foreign Language Requiremnt

[Doctormo24]

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I have to take 2 years of a Foreign Language. I am debating between Spanish and French. Is one considered better than the other to an adcom? Is one or the other required by Med Schools?

 

[tigress]

Spanish

 

[Syranope2]

Spanish

I think Spanish is probably more useful because a large number of people living in the US, especially people that you will be treating, speak primarily Spanish. That said, I don't think adcoms will look upon one or the other more favorably.

 

[shantster]

Spanish

I definately agree that Spanish would be better since you will encounter a lot more people in the US that speak Spanish as a first language than French. However, I don't know of any school that requires it.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Definitely. If you apply to schools in PR, they all require it. I don't know of any mainland schools that require it, but it definitely looks good.

 

[pballer66]

Yep, spanish is definetly more useful. Due to the growing Hispanic population there is a growing communication barrier in the United States. French pretty much stay in France the don't like us very much.

 

[musiclink213]

Well, if you want to go to McGill in Montreal, French might be more useful getting around the city. But Spanisb will help more in the US.

 

[Doctormo24]

Does anyone know whether UF or USF requires a specific foreign language to be taken with certain majors?

 

[myodana]

spanish is definitely more useful... i took many years of french, then studied in paris. i don't regret it at all... it's nice to surprise the parisians by conversing comfortably and relatively accent-less with them 🙂 but i do wish i spoke spanish. i'll have to learn it eventually.

 

[dr.z]

Spanish!

 

[dmk724]

Spanish is useful in most places, and extremely useful, I think, in places like Texas, California, and New York. But it's not required for most US schools, and 2 years of a language, in any case, probably won't help your chances that much, unless you can become pretty fluent or demonstrate real competence in that language.

Surprisingly, I've been told that the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania doesn't need Spanish speakers - I don't think that they even have a Spanish translator on staff in the ER. They have a lot of African immigrants in West Philadelphia, so they're always on the lookout for French translators, though.