Language Issue

[Integra96]

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Hi all, first post here.

So here's the deal: on my AMCAS, I put Spanish for my other language. I'm not fluent in Spanish, but I'm OK at it and I've done some translation in the hospital, etc. I just selected it one day while working on the app., never came back to it, and then I just went "oops" when I submitted it on there. It's really worrying me that in my other interviews coming up (hopefully) that someone will bring it up and/or speak en espanol. How should I approach this in an interview if brought up? My 2 interviewers so far haven't said anything. If I get an acceptance, is this something that later on could make a school un-accept (rescend?) me if the issue wasn't brought up in a secondary or interview, but later on they found out I wasn't fluent?

I feel fairly stupid for this and am just wondering what you all think. Otherwise, I think my application and stats are pretty good and totally honest!

🙂

 

[pika7]

I guess there's not much you can do about it now. I don't see how a school would find out that you're not fluent in Spanish other than through an interview.

I don't want to scare you, but at my Tufts interview they addressed this situation. At the morning orientation, they simply said that they had one interviewer (out of what seemed to be ten just that day!) who conducted interviews entirely in Spanish if the student designated it as a language on their AMCAS. I think it might have been a scare tactic, but it doesn't hurt to warn people.

Despite the possibility of this happening, my advice would be to relax. There is already enough stress surrounding med school interviews that you don't want to add any more.

 

[smc927]

If you don't want to bring it up to them now just be prepared to honestly and clearly explain the situation if it comes up. If you know enough that you have translated in the past then you were not lying - you just are not perfectly fluent.

 

[Integra96]

Thanks for the replies. Good thing I'm not interviewing at Tufts. 😀

Hopefully the remainder of my schools - most of which are in the northeast/midwest won't really raise the issue.

 

[kwanny]

if you're good enough to do translations at hospitals, i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Gleevec]

I didnt even put Spanish down as a language I spoke, though I did go to Barcelona.

Two of my interviewers (at two schools) busted out in Spanish.

So its pretty much luck, and if you get a doc who is fluent in Spanish, s/he will probably test you.

 

[genome25]

i think that if i were you, i would just keep practicing spanish (until you get fluent??). it will be good to learn a little more than you already do anyway and it'll be better than stressing and worrying about the possiblility of being tested in an interview! so just brush up on your espanol and good luck! i wrote that i am fluent in an asian language but i wasn't tested. but then again its more rare than spanish!

 

[Integra96]

It's sort of funny that on the AMCAS itself, it says exactly, "Other Language(s)". It mentions nothing of fluency or level of competency. I guess one could argue that intermediate knowledge of a language (like I have in Spanish) counts as "another language". Oh well, I guess I'll see what happens. Thanks again, everyone.