Learning Spanish while in med school?

[theworst22]

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Just wondering if anyone has any advice about learning spanish while in medical school. The further I get in my education the more I realize I want to practice in an urban area and the German I learned in high school and college doesn't help so much with spanish-only speaking patients. Let me know what you think.

 

[OwnageMobile]

Just wondering if anyone has any advice about learning spanish while in medical school. The further I get in my education the more I realize I want to practice in an urban area and the German I learned in high school and college doesn't help so much with spanish-only speaking patients. Let me know what you think.

Are you in school at the moment? I have found that a good way to learn the language is to get a CD teaching set for that language-- I like Pimsleur's products. You can find a 30 lesson set( 1 of 3 ) on e-bay for ~150$. Then go to a spanish speaking country and simply try to immerse yourself in the language. For instance, a medical trip to Central America, seems to me a lot of med schools offer this kind of thing. The longer the better, but a few weeks can be awesome experience in speaking a language if you work at speaking it while you are there.

 

[BaylorGuy]

I know that there are some med schools that have medical spanish as an elective you can take...i'm not sure how well they work, but i'm pretty sure they would at least give you a foundation to work from.

 

[myodana]

if you can get away for the summer, go to spain or south america and do an intensive immersion program - you'll get a good solid foundation and you'll always be able to go back and pick it up. then come home and take medical spanish at school if you guys have it. (i feel the same way about my french - i love it, but it doesn't help too much in most urban areas!)

 

[sanford_w/o_son]

i've heard good things about the Rosetta Stone computer program. it's really expensive, and i've heard for spanish there is one substantial minus: they exclude a tense from their teaching (preterite or imperfect, i think). but it's supposed to be very good for learning vocabulary.

i've been getting some reading knowledge of spanish in the past year, and so i'm just going to go with the much cheaper Instant Immersion computer program--because it's a hardcore immersion method, i've heard many say that it's not recommended for those with no prior spanish.

man, i feel for you on the german front. worst linguistic mistake of my life. have you ever met a native german-speaker who isn't also pretty darn fluent in english? welcome to a much easier (for english-speakers) and more useful language!

 

[odrade1]

I found that using workbooks a few hours each week, plus listening to tapes/CDs in the car have really helped my language proficiency.
THe trick is that you need to play a tape every day you drive (or if you don't drive: while you are cooking/cleaning, etc.), and you have to SPEAK along with the tapes, even if you feel silly while doing it.

I listened to my tapes (without speaking along) for a month or so, with no benefit. After I started speaking along & trying to actually formulate the sentences, I started really learning the language.

Ditto on the pimselur CDs/tapes reccomendation. I have two sets: one for german (to keep my proficiency) and one for spanish (to relearn what I used to know from high school.)

It's good to see that others are taking seriously the need to learn other languages (particularly those of our majority minority patients).

 

[coastal]

when I was travelling in central america a few years ago, the gf and I did a month of spanish lessons in Guatemala. The cost was something like $120 US for 4 hours of one on one lessons, 5d/w, and room and board with a local family. Maybe it was slightly more, I can't remember exactly. Either way, it was ridiculously cheap. I had taken a year of university spanish before, and by the end of the month I was pretty fluent. We were in Antigua, which is the most common place to go, but there are lots of other places around the country where you can take cheap classes. Having a working understading of the grammar going in is a huge bonus, as is taking a textbook with you. I've heard Ecuador also has really cheap spanish classes. The one on one aspect is huge, because it lets you go at your own pace.

 

[MeowMix]

if you're really serious about being able to work with pts in Spanish, you need way more than language tapes - you need to practice with native speakers. I second the recommendation about nailing some basic grammar and then going to Mexico etc. for at least a month, live with a family, take lessons each day. I wish I had done this years ago; my Spanish improved immensely when I finally went for 4 weeks.

This is where I went to school, and it's excellent:
http://baden-powell.com
Costs are very reasonable, teachers are great, Morelia is safe, interesting, and you might be able to set up some hospital visits, since there are several hospitals in the city (plus a medical school); they also have close ties with an orphanage.

For the time and money you invest, you will learn 10x more Spanish doing this than anything in the US. You'll also learn a lot about the cultural background of your pts here in the US, which can be very helpful.

The Instant Immersion recordings are cheap - and not very good. OK for review if you already have a background. Heavy on vocab, much of which is not very useful.

 

[jojo14]

Just wondering if anyone has any advice about learning spanish while in medical school. The further I get in my education the more I realize I want to practice in an urban area and the German I learned in high school and college doesn't help so much with spanish-only speaking patients. Let me know what you think.

I took a medical spanish class that was 4 days a week for 5 weeks during the summer term of my MS1 year, then spent 3 weeks immediately after on a medical mission trip to Costa Rica. It was awesome. Going somewhere really helps cement it in your head. I think it is important to take a language class nearly every day as well, if you take a class only once a week you kind of forget what you did the week before. My med school paid for the class too, so that might be something you want to look into.

 

[odrade1]

I took a medical spanish class that was 4 days a week for 5 weeks during the summer term of my MS1 year, then spent 3 weeks immediately after on a medical mission trip to Costa Rica. It was awesome. Going somewhere really helps cement it in your head. I think it is important to take a language class nearly every day as well, if you take a class only once a week you kind of forget what you did the week before. My med school paid for the class too, so that might be something you want to look into.

Was the class through your university or did you have to travel to take the class? I have to make do with self study; not everyone has the time, money, or family situation that allows travel in the way so many seem to be speaking of.

 

[deuist]

Working at a hospital in Miami has really helped my Spanish. I can say, "No hablo español" perfectly.

 

[jojo14]

Was the class through your university or did you have to travel to take the class? I have to make do with self study; not everyone has the time, money, or family situation that allows travel in the way so many seem to be speaking of.

Class was through the university. Our school's policy is that they will pay for one other class of your chosing if you want to take it. I think they offer it because not a lot of people do it.

I know, time is a commodity. I took it during our summer term, which was considerably lighter than the rest of the year. I was lucky and had time. I'm sure self study will be fine if you do it continuously- you know, a little every day. Good luck.

 

[Ramon y Cajal]

For those that want to improve their Spanish you should try Puerto Rico. There are 3 LCME accredited medical schools here (University of Puerto Rico, Universidad Central del Caribe, and Ponce School of Medicine) where you could do a 4th year elective. Many Puerto Ricans speak excellent English, but will definitely work with you on your Spanish. You can get the Spanish immersion without having to deal with passports, visas, etc.

 

[Blade28]

I'm starting to learn Spanish (on my own, with CDs and books). I'll try going hardcore after the ABSITE this coming-up Saturday, as I'm realizing more and more of my patients speak Spanish only. 🙁

 

[deuist]

For those that want to improve their Spanish you should try Puerto Rico. There are 3 LCME accredited medical schools here (University of Puerto Rico, Universidad Central del Caribe, and Ponce School of Medicine) where you could do a 4th year elective. Many Puerto Ricans speak excellent English, but will definitely work with you on your Spanish. You can get the Spanish immersion without having to deal with passports, visas, etc.

I thought that you had to already had to speak Spanish to attend the University of PR as a student. Is this requirement waived for rotations?

 

[la gringa]

i'll second the immersion...

i went to costa rica for 5 weeks during 4th year to this school: www.adventurespanishschool.com, name of the school is AEC. i can now do my own H&P's with little to no difficulty, i do usually get a translator for any sort of complicated consent or family meeting. or i conduct it with a fluent resident (benefit of IMG's from C and S America!). had a great time at the school and tours are included.

 

[discus]

Don't you forget the Spanish again once you use less of it in the States? Or do you retain it?

 

[opstandzon]

i've heard good things about the Rosetta Stone computer program. it's really expensive, and i've heard for spanish there is one substantial minus: they exclude a tense from their teaching (preterite or imperfect, i think). but it's supposed to be very good for learning vocabulary.

i've been getting some reading knowledge of spanish in the past year, and so i'm just going to go with the much cheaper Instant Immersion computer program--because it's a hardcore immersion method, i've heard many say that it's not recommended for those with no prior spanish.

man, i feel for you on the german front. worst linguistic mistake of my life. have you ever met a native german-speaker who isn't also pretty darn fluent in english? welcome to a much easier (for english-speakers) and more useful language!

The Rosetta Stone programs are really great! I found that my local library provides it for free. I recommend that you check your university's library and local library to see what goodies they kick in thanks to your tuition!

 

[Ramon y Cajal]

I thought that you had to already had to speak Spanish to attend the University of PR as a student. Is this requirement waived for rotations?

Basically, you should know some Spanish, and you experience in PR would help you to become more fluent as you would be immersed in the language and it would provide an opportunity to learn medical Spanish.

That being said, as a student at UCC, I have seen a fair amount of students here from the mainland, who speak little to no Spanish when they arrive, but have managed to learn the language while here and are very proficient at the end of their 4 years. My friends at Ponce tell me they have seen the same thing down there as well.

 

[sarahg]

i'll second the immersion...

i went to costa rica for 5 weeks during 4th year to this school: www.adventurespanishschool.com, name of the school is AEC. i can now do my own H&P's with little to no difficulty, i do usually get a translator for any sort of complicated consent or family meeting. or i conduct it with a fluent resident (benefit of IMG's from C and S America!). had a great time at the school and tours are included.

I went to the same school! Which location did you go to? I was in Dominical.