Premed Spanish

[Diogenes's Barrel]

I am currently waiting to hear back from medical school for any interview invites. I have a decent background in Spanish language and can communicate fairly well conversationally in Spanish. In the future, I want to be someone trusted to care for the Spanish speaking population in America, but I have not been immersed in Spanish in several years and parts of my fluency have become less fluent. I have some money I’m willing to spend and I would like to become proficient in clinical Spanish. I would appreciate any recommendations about programs, classes or experiences that would better prepare me for a future providing care for the Spanish speaking population. Thank you for sharing.

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[Diogenes's Barrel]

I’m looking to spend 3 to 5 weeks of immersion in order to learn and appreciate the language, concerns and culture of the Spanish speaking population in either Spain, central or South America.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you are planning to attend medical school, I would not spend money needlessly. You need as much as you can with your move and subsequent transition to medical school. Every medical school will have access or have organized opportunities to learn Spanish. If you feel compelled to spend money, check your local community college for medical/health professions Spanish courses.

At least start with free email lessons from Medical Spanish . More: Medical Spanish Learning Resources

 

[Diogenes's Barrel]

If you are planning to attend medical school, I would not spend money needlessly. You need as much as you can with your move and subsequent transition to medical school. Every medical school will have access or have organized opportunities to learn Spanish. If you feel compelled to spend money, check your local community college for medical/health professions Spanish courses.

At least start with free email lessons from Medical Spanish . More: Medical Spanish Learning Resources

@Mr.Smile12 I completely understand your advice, especially given the near 7% interest rates (great that the Fed recently lowered rates), and rationally, I agree with you. Nevertheless, as docs I have work with frequently remind me, time is an invaluable commodity for young medical students/professionals. Considering that I have previously studied Spanish and know that there is no single experience that can teach foreign language proficiency more than immersion, I believe that this time, and what accrued financial resources I have, can provide the greatest benefit to the ever-growing Spanish speaking population I will hopefully serve one day. @Mr.Smile12 I have been deliberately considering the financial and time investment of medical training, and given the harshly limited time in medical school, I don’t think I will have a better opportunity to learn medical Spanish as I do now.

I have seen on this platform that you constantly offer sage advice, and I respect and appreciate what you do for us premeds. Nonetheless, I would still like to know what others have done to enhance their Spanish proficiency.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

@Mr.Smile12 I completely understand your advice, especially given the near 7% interest rates (great that the Fed recently lowered rates), and rationally, I agree with you. Nevertheless, as docs I have work with frequently remind me, time is an invaluable commodity for young medical students/professionals. Considering that I have previously studied Spanish and know that there is no single experience that can teach foreign language proficiency more than immersion, I believe that this time, and what accrued financial resources I have, can provide the greatest benefit to the ever-growing Spanish speaking population I will hopefully serve one day. @Mr.Smile12 I have been deliberately considering the financial and time investment of medical training, and given the harshly limited time in medical school, I don’t think I will have a better opportunity to learn medical Spanish as I do now.

I have seen on this platform that you constantly offer sage advice, and I respect and appreciate what you do for us premeds. Nonetheless, I would still like to know what others have done to enhance their Spanish proficiency.

Oh please, anyone else who has done this recently, please post your experiences. You could probably search the forums archives for others that have done these experiences, but I don't know how long ago...

I understand the importance of time and opportunity, but I am just exercising my advising responsibility to keep potential anticipated costs in mind. Anticipated opportunities should also be on your radar when you research and network with schools about intensive courses and clinical experiences using medical Spanish. (I am addressing anyone who stumbles on this conversation who may think being in an immersive overseas experience is somehow what adcoms want to see in applicants.) You'd still have to spend money, but it might be a little bit cheaper (volume, university negotiated pricing and insurance coverage, etc.).

Someone on the AAMC GSR from 2008 (2008!!!) compiled responses on the nature of medical Spanish access/training: https://www.aamc.org/media/24996/download

Sampling via Google (exercise due diligence and vetting, not endorsing):

Immersion Opportunities | CAMPOS (Comprehensive Advanced Medical Program of Spanish)

www.med.unc.edu

Medical Spanish - AGS Andean Global Studies

Quito Medical Spanish program

www.andeanglobalstudies.org

Intensive Medical Spanish : 3 Weeks Program

Learn about CPI´s Private Classes option for your Spanish program in Monteverde.

cpimonteverde.com

Medical Spanish and shadowing Argentina - Academia Buenos Aires

Our Medical Spanish program offers medical students and health practitioners Spanish classes combined with valuable practical medical shadowing experience.

www.academiabuenosaires.com

Learn Medical Spanish in Mexico – Spanish Language Institute

The ASLI Spanish Language Institute in Cuernavaca offers Spanish lessons applicable to the medical field and more! Register today!

www.spanishincuernavaca.com

I will just say on the admissions side of things, such experiences don't pop up as much as one would think. They also can get conflated (right or wrong) into voluntourism opportunities.

 

[LizzyM]

A one -month immersion in Mexico, Central America or South America would be a good experience and should be possible as an "away rotation" while you are in your clinical years. Until then, see if you can find a volunteer clinical or volunteer non-clinical opportunity. Food pantries may be particularly grateful for a Spanish speaker. You can learn the vocabulary later (huesos, higado, cicatriz are three that come to mind from my immersion experience 50 years ago!) but just training your ear here in the States could be a valuable experience until then.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

More thoughts... depending on where you live, you may already have a robust community of Spanish-speakers. If you even took some time to meet others where they are, that alone will be insightful.

6 Places to find someone to practice your Spanish with - Helping You Learn Spanish

At about the 2 year point in my learning Spanish journey, I had two short trips to Mexico under my belt. The first trip served to rekindle the desire I had to learn Spanish and the second trip taught me that the I was learning a lot, but what I was learning wasn't nearly enough.

helpingyoulearnspanish.com

How to Find Someone to Practice Your Spanish With No Matter Where You Live

If you want to find someone to practice your spanish with, there are 3 options. Here, you'll learn 2 offline techniques and 1 set of useful websites.

www.realfastspanish.com

10 Ways to Speak Spanish in Your Hometown

See 10 ways for students to practice speaking and understanding Spanish in their hometown, inspired by our educational student trips.

acis.com

Practice Spanish groups | Meetup

Find Meetup events so you can do more of what matters to you. Or create your own group and meet people near you who share your interests.

www.meetup.com

 

[fishs]

I volunteer at a food pantry in an area not particularly known for having many spanish speakers, but we have lots of people who come and only speak spanish, and I've already picked up a lot just from that! (not really any clinical terminology tho lol)

 

[Diogenes's Barrel]

thank you all for your advice @Mr.Smile12 @LizzyM @fishs . I appreciate the resources, somewhere to start…

 

[gyngyn]

I'm proud of you!
This is an incredibly useful skill that will make you a more valuable member of your team.