Medical Spanish

[MiaMia14]

Hi! I am a 4th year medical student who was a Spanish major in undergrad. I have been to Argentina and Spain for 2 months each, and I speak Spanish fluently if patients speak slowly, but having just started filling out ERAS I am nervous about clicking the "advanced" language status for Spanish because I haven't gotten a chance to speak it consistently the past couple of years (just the random, "can anyone translate?"). I am especially rusty on medical terms since I am not a native speaker and things like "when was the last time you had a bowel movement?" doesn't usually come up in normal conversation. Any suggestions on ways to brush up on my conversational Spanish as well as learn more medically related terms?

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[SoSimplyKari]

I was also a Spanish major in undergrad and feel like my abilities are quite similar to yours. If you have a bit of free time (ha) there is an online medical spanish course through the Southern California School of Interpretation that are really helpful. You get 12 weeks to work on each course level and the courses actually qualify you to take the national interpreter certification exam. They're around $500 each, but it's the best way I've found to really touch up my medical spanish. In my experience, whatever you mark as your fluency level, you should be able to prove. I've been asked to speak spanish in various interviews, etc., so just be prepared to demonstrate your skills and explain your background

 

[MiaMia14]

Awesome, that is exactly what I was looking for. Kinda on the expensive side but it seems like it's worth it. As I am doing some electives before sub-I's right now, I have a little bit of extra time and wanted to make sure if I put "advanced" that I really am advanced. I know I was at one point, but I would feel more comfortable putting "good" right now according to their definition....Obviously advanced would be more desirable and I feel like with a little bit more dedicated study I would get to that place again. It's annoying how fast the language slips. Just curious, in interviews did they conduct the whole interview in Spanish or how did you prove you could speak? I get so nervous in interviews I'm not sure my brain would be able to function in English, let alone Spanish.

 

[SoSimplyKari]

There was never a whole interview in Spanish, thank god. There was a native spanish speaker on one of the interview committees, so he had just a "normal" conversation with me, not very medically in-depth, but rather just to make sure I could communicate. At a different interview they just wanted to hear me "say something" - I probably could have made up something fake and they wouldn't have known the difference.

As far as the classes go, I know they're expensive, but I'm hoping to work my way through all of them so I can actually get the interpreting license. I don't know that I would actually ever use it, but I'd rather have it for legal reasons than anything else (not to mention it would probably look good in the future).

I lived in Spain for a year and during that time I was completely fluent, I can still understand everything, it's just harder to come up with the right words quickly. The more I speak, the easier it flows. Long car rides are great for practicing - Sirius spanish radio stations to listen to different accents and to pick up vocab and talking to the "fake Spanish speaker" in the passenger seat are both great ways I've found to practice - they still won't help with much medically, but it still helps to prevent losing your language skills.

 

[BooRadley85]

OP, I would use the word fluent very lightly. Fluent is more along the lines of being able to carry on a conversation about most topics (ie can you talk to a mechanic about your car, a patient about their illness, and understand cultural jokes). From the sounds of it, you're not fluent, especially in medicine which what programs really care about. Definitely put it on ERAS, but just like you wouldn't over sell your research, don't over sell your language capabilities.

 

[MiaMia14]

The thing about language fluency is that it comes and goes depending on how much you use it. I would absolutely have said advanced when I got back from Argentina, but having not used it consistently the last 2 years I was concerned about being a little rusty. However, I taught Spanish language classes for 2 years, have lived in Spanish speaking countries, and was an interpreter at a free clinic for a year. Anytime we have needed an interpreter at the hospital I was able to fully communicate with the patient...there were just sometimes where I wouldn't know the medical word for something and had to explain it rather than use the direct word. I would assume that even in english we don't know every single word and have to do the same thing. I'm not saying I am putting down that I am a native speaker...but the way that ERAS defines the categories it seems I am in between "good" and "advanced" and I was looking for some advice as to how I can brush up on my medical Spanish so I will be at the advanced stage again once interviews roll around.

 

[Kahreek]

if you cant watch a Spanish tv show without subtitles I don't think you should tick the advanced box. If that's not the case go ahead.