how many schools that force students to take spanish classes?

[youngman]

I am already bilingual. I think that it is another cultural hegemony that some schools force their students to take spanish, not only that they have to get upto certain fluency.

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

anyway, back to my question, i wonder the percertage of all med. schools that students are required to take spanish classes?

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[starayamoskva]

I am already bilingual. I think that it is another cultural hegemony that some schools force their students to take spanish, not only that they have to get upto certain fluency.

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

anyway, back to my question, i wonder the percertage of all med. schools that students are required to take spanish classes?

Stop complaining, our school doesn't even offer an optional Spanish course. It really doesn't make any difference if its an official language or not, many of our patients are Spanish speaking only and it hinders the ability to give good care.
The students at our school are begging the admins for a medical Spanish class because we feel at a disadvantage.

 

[fourthyearmed]

I think it would be great to have the option of taking a spanish course during med school. I've been trying to teach myself a little but don't really have the time.

 

[DrMom]

I've never heard of one that requires a Spanish class.

 

[lowbudget]

I've never heard of one either. Too bad y'all don't have the option. I didn't speak a lick of Spanish prior to med school but took a month to learn it in Costa Rica. Woohoo!

Let me say it real simple for you: The more efficient you work, the earlier you get to go home, the more you get to sleep on call.

So if you want to stand around while the Spanish translator comes, be my guest.

It all depends on your patient population. If you see a large refugee population, you may need to know Vietnamese or Cambodian or whatever. If you refuse to learn a third language, then make sure you go to a residency program where you won't need it... simple.

 

[tarheel04]

Wake Forest offers a spanish class near the end of IV year. It is required I think.

 

[MSI-Scrub]

.

 

[MeowMix]

I am already bilingual. I think that it is another cultural hegemony that some schools force their students to take spanish, not only that they have to get upto certain fluency.

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

anyway, back to my question, i wonder the percertage of all med. schools that students are required to take spanish classes?

Troll! Troll!

 

[tarheel04]

I didn't know about that requirement...even as a Wake Forest Med Student

Yep, in Phase V i believe.

 

[felipe5]

wow, what the hell is the big deal anyway? I'm a native speaker as well, and if I "had to" take a spanish course at my school, I'd love to do so. Think about it, it'd not only be a breeze, but it'd give you a chance to actually practice your spanish and even help out your fellow classmates......even though you're already fluent, maybe you could polish up your technical spanish a little. i take it your not in med-school yet, but you'll soon appreciate learning things that you have a good background in.

 

[bkmonkey]

There is a elective for medical spanish at Temple. I'm so stoked to take this class. The demographics of this country are changing and being able to speak Spanish and other languages is key. It will make you a better doctor. That's great if you're fluent and have to take the class. It'll be an easy pass, or maybe you could TA and help other students.

 

[Fro]

I am already bilingual. I think that it is another cultural hegemony that some schools force their students to take spanish, not only that they have to get upto certain fluency.

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

anyway, back to my question, i wonder the percertage of all med. schools that students are required to take spanish classes?

I would kill for a required spanish class at my med school

 

[VienneseWaltz]

wow, what the hell is the big deal anyway? I'm a native speaker as well, and if I "had to" take a spanish course at my school, I'd love to do so. Think about it, it'd not only be a breeze, but it'd give you a chance to actually practice your spanish and even help out your fellow classmates......even though you're already fluent, maybe you could polish up your technical spanish a little. i take it your not in med-school yet, but you'll soon appreciate learning things that you have a good background in.

I think the OP speaks another language besides Spanish and doesn't want to learn a third. I am sure a student who is truly bilingual in Spanish and English would be excused from the class, unless it were to learn the medical terms in Spanish.

 

[velo]

why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

You know english isn't an "official" language either

 

[bkmonkey]

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

Umm...if you live in New Mexico, Spanish is one of the official languages...

 

[Espion]

I would kill for a required spanish class at my med school

No kidding. My school doesn't require a Spanish course (in fact they cut it out to save money ) and they send two-thirds of us to El Paso, Texas for 3rd and 4th year. And literally, LITERALLY 95% of my patients speak Spanish only. Thats all thanks to working in a county hospital right across the street from Mexico. I honestly don't mind that they don't speak English, but its depressing to not know what my patients are saying. (Even though it is amazing how fast you can pick this stuff up when you're between a rock and hard place.)

 

[youngman]

Troll! Troll!

you have confused with troll with "freedom of speech." you can keep your opinion, and i can voice my opinion.

having said that, some of the spanish-speaking people think that everyone in the country should learn how to speak spanish. that is cultural hegemony.

i know some of the california schools require spanish.

 

[MeowMix]

you have confused with troll with "freedom of speech." you can keep your opinion, and i can voice my opinion.

having said that, some of the spanish-speaking people think that everyone in the country should learn how to speak spanish. that is cultural hegemony.

i know some of the california schools require spanish.

I thought you were a troll because I couldn't believe that there is ANY med school in the US that requires Spanish, let alone that it is a major issue nationwide for med students who are already fluent in other languages.

It's not that the Spanish-speaking people are trying to impose cultural hegemony, it's that if 90% of your patients speak only Spanish and you don't, it quickly gets difficult and expensive to provide an interpreter and quality care. The same thing would be true for Mandarin, Cantonese, Hmong, Nepali, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, etc..

If I were going to work in a community with a high percentage of non-English speakers, I would do my best to learn the language, whatever it was, rather than being resentful that Those People didn't just learn to speak English.

 

[uclacrewdude]

I think the OP speaks another language besides Spanish and doesn't want to learn a third. I am sure a student who is truly bilingual in Spanish and English would be excused from the class, unless it were to learn the medical terms in Spanish.

tough ****. shoulda learned a useful language instead of french or german or something. unless you know vietnamese or mandarin AND are in an immigrant-rich part of town, the foreign language you hear most often will always be spanish.

edit:

you have confused with troll with "freedom of speech." you can keep your opinion, and i can voice my opinion.

having said that, some of the spanish-speaking people think that everyone in the country should learn how to speak spanish. that is cultural hegemony.

i know some of the california schools require spanish.

i just thought this was funny. thats like saying how unfair it is that employers require secretaries to be able to operate a telephone; you dont in an absolute sense, but youre going to be a burden without the skill, and probably passed over for the job.

 

[OrthoFixation]

some of us already know another languages. why do we have to take another one especially when it is not an offical language.

I don't believe anybody said they HAD TO take Spanish. Look at it as an OPPORTUNITY since Mexican Americans will soon be the largest minority (if not already). Spanish is the most useful second language in the US. You cannot deny that fact, so get off the high horse. Or move where you can use that existing second language!

 

[Hoo\/er]

You should not have to learn Spanish, they should learn English. Communication problem solved.

 

[Dr Turninkoff]

I'm in my final year of undergrad at UMiami and I took a medical spanish course last semester that was full of native speakers. Whether you are a heritage speaker or immigrant, you probably don't know all of the necessary medical terminology, so it's not about learning spanish. furthermore, one medical spanish course won't teach you the language, but it will give you a greater capacity to communicate with monolingual spanish patients than before you took it.

 

[Jaded Soul]

We are not required to take Spanish, but we are requred to deal with Spanish-speaking patients. Unless you have the time to wait around for an interpreter in the hospital or in clinic, you'll learn basic medical Spanish really quickly.

 

[bkmonkey]

You should not have to learn Spanish, they should learn English. Communication problem solved.

wow, maybe patients should just learn how to take care of themselves then too???

 

[youngman]

so does anyone how many med. schools in the country that require students to take spanish classes?

it is ok that patients speak spanish only. however, it seems that now those spanish speaking people think that they owe the country, so everyone else should start learning spanish. we have latin group on campus, they are constantly promoting spanish classes. they say that they will need them later on when you see patients.

i think that instead of forcing intelligent people like us to speak spanish, we should educate those patients to speak english. after all, most immigrants speak english.

 

[HeySha]

You should not have to learn Spanish, they should learn English. Communication problem solved.

Ouch! I work as an EMT and an athletic training student and over the weekend while covering a soccer tournament I came across a kid with a severe asthma attack that spoke no english, and neither did either of his parents. I can say that I am thankful that I knew enough Spanish to successfully communicate with his parents and him. I think learning Espanol in all the health professions is EXTREMELY valuable and its importance cannot be overstated.

Wouldn't want to be stuck in a situation where the only language you can communicate in is charades.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

You should not have to learn Spanish, they should learn English. Communication problem solved.

I imagine those who have a problem learning spanish to take care of spanish speakers are also those who have a problem with treating drug users and suicide victims.

 

[fuzzyerin]

i also work in a predominantly spanish speaking area (spanish harlem, to be precise) and all the spanish i've picked up has been at the hospital and i agree with previous posters that said when stuck, you do learn it.

i agree that people who speak just spanish should try to learn english. however, as a future doctor, we are some of the most intelligent people (at least, in theory) in the country. we've spent 4 years learning a new language - medicine-speak. it should stand that we would be more capable, brain power wise, to learn another language. maybe it's not that they don't want to learn, but they have a hard time with it or just can't process it mentally. i don't think it would hurt us to try to learn it. if anything, it helps.

 

[uclacrewdude]

so does anyone how many med. schools in the country that require students to take spanish classes?

it is ok that patients speak spanish only. however, it seems that now those spanish speaking people think that they owe the country, so everyone else should start learning spanish. we have latin group on campus, they are constantly promoting spanish classes. they say that they will need them later on when you see patients.

i think that instead of forcing intelligent people like us to speak spanish, we should educate those patients to speak english. after all, most immigrants speak english.

i hope youre all for expanding opportunities for immigrants too. frequently the people who are most anti-other languages are also those who are most anti-immigration in the first place (*cough* conservatives), legal or otherwise. perhaps they could learn english if you could:
1) expand naturalization so that they dont need to take the more menial jobs in society
2) expand healthcare and workers benefits for immigrants so that they dont have to work 100hrs a week just to scrape by, and their kids can go to school
3) expand bilingual schools, or bilingual programs in school, so that you can accelerate their english learning capacity
to recap, youd have to be pro-immigrant rights before you can be justified in b!tching and moaning about the extra 3hrs youre chained to your desk studying spanish. i think its pretty interesting that some peoples ideas of diversity mean more assimilation and less acceptance ...

sounds to me like youre just whining to whine. compared to all the other classes we take in medical school, i think its a welcome change. furthermore, if taking one more class is the straw that breaks your back, consider another career, b/c youre gonna have a rough time in residency.

 

[youngman]

i am not anti-immigrant. there are too many immigrants from all over the world. i think that it is totally wrong to pay speical attention, and force people to learn spanish because there are lots latin americans coming to the usa.

there are lots of asians who speak different languages, i don't see many medical schools offer classes in those languages. it is just wrong to me that everyone is cartering to spanish speaking people only while many other immigrants were ignored.

So in a way, med. schools who force students to take spanish classes are actually ignoring the needs of all other immigrants who speak other languages. and there are those spanish speaking people who try to get everyone to learn to speak spanish. but seriously, spanish is a colony language. those latin americans think that spanish is their culture, but they are wrong. they have all lost their own language, spanish is a forced language upon them by the spanish from europe.