Spanish

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Does anyone speak spanish or plan to use it in their medical career? Does anyone think that speaking spanish improves the odds of being accepted to a school in NYC or Philly?

Have any spanish speakers been accepted? If so - where?
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I took four years of spanish in H.S. I can't say that I am fluent like I used to be but I can read it better than I can interpret it via open ear. I do believe that it makes your application a bit stronger. The hispanic population in the U.S is skyrocketting exponentially and it is of great importance to have medical personnel who can decipher and understand the language...for obvious reasons of course.

Cya.
 
that ability depends on where you apply, really. but all in all, for much of the united states, i really don't think it is as important as you might imagine.

but it never hurt anyone, either.
 
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I think this should be to the applicant's advantage. Why shouldn't it? In about 30 years there will be more latinos than anyone else in the country. Along those lines, think how many there will be in 20? Oh, and doctors who are borderline applicants should get a huge nod here, because it is a very useful skill to have. VERY. These are MY thoughts.

I don't think it carries as much weight as it should, but it you get to the interview stage I think it can be. Make sure to mention it. I mentioned it in my personal experience (saying that I had traveled and studied in Spain) .. which was a cool way to tell them what kind of guy I am. I'd like to think it'd be advantageous (and it is) but I don't know how much propers they give to it ...

Buena suerte. Que Dios te bendiga en tus solicitudes a las escuelas de medicina ... sigue intentando ... eso es clave

Gumshoe
 
Necesito todas las benediciones que puedo recibir, comprar, ganar o robar -

gracias

donde estudiaste - gumshoe?
 
Translation:

"I need all the benefits I can receive, buy, win or steal.

thank you.

Where did you study - gumshoe?"

I speak a little Spanish, too. :cool:
 
I work in the medical field and am located in the south central part of the United States. We are seeing more and more Hispanic patients every day. I have ran across several patients in the past couple of years who speak little or no English.

However, we rely on interpreters, Spanish-speaking employees, and the ATT Language line to help us communicate with them effectively.

If I don't get in, I am definitely going to enroll in some Spanish classes next year.
 
hehe

couldnt thinnk of any other ways to come by the blessings. cart off didnt translate
 
It would make sense, but I am not really sure that speaking spanish is a factor. Going abroad or being fluent in many languages definitely is, but just taking spanish in college probably is not.
FYI, many med schools do offer elective medical spanish classes.
 
I spent a summer in Spain and have taken classes pretty much all through college. I think it does help. It's come up at all my interviews, and most places have asked if I consider myself fluent. I'm usually cautious about this, fearing they'll lapse into rapid Spanish that I have no chance of keeping up with. I doubt this will get you in to a school. It's more of a skill that gets your application a bit of attention I guess.
 
Completely fluent (read, write, speak) of course it helps that I was raised in Spain (he he). I think that knowing Spanish is an added bonus but not a huge determining factor. For some schools that have a large Hispanic population it may be more of a factor though. Also to the poster that wrote:


Necesito todas las benediciones que puedo recibir, comprar, ganar o robar -

What were you trying to say with benediciones? benefits or blessings? I think that you typed it wrong for benefits is beneficios, and blessings is bendiciones. So, see how much a couple of letters can change the meaning of a word?

Necesito todos los beneficios que puedo recibir, comprar, ganar or robar

Necesito todas las bendiciones que puedo recibir, comprar, ganar or robar

Just thougth I would share... :D
 
dont speel too welll en igles either - thanks. i add letters and syllables here and there - benefits of mild dyslexia
 
speaking about spanish... wake forest is, I think, the only school to start implementing this.... due to the increase in hispanic patients, they are making their fourth year students take spanish! so, some schools I know think that it's important that you know it. (y yo se hablar espanol tambien...)
 
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I have been a part-time Medical Interpreter in Washington State for over a year. We have 40% Hispanics in this county and I get to use these skills on a daily basis, whether interpreting or doing my regular job.

I believe that my ability to speak Spanish alone did not carry too much influence into my acceptances, but combined with my deep understanding of the Mexican culture and desire to return to rural underserved communities to work with farmworkers (as I was), the motivation for becoming a physician was clear. I presented this in my personal statement and I feel that medical schools saw this as being positive.
 
I speak Spanish fluently and volunteer in a local ER. When Latino patients came in, I helped interpret (not translate--translation is the written form, while interpretation is the spoken form), but I found out that the hospital had a policy that interpreters had to be officially trained--for legal reasons. I took a 40 hour medical interpreting course through an organization called the Cross Culture Health Care Program out of Seattle, WA and passed the course. EVERY interview I've had so far has talked about this and has been extremely interested in my experiences. I believe that this probably won't get me into schools by itself, but I know that it has gotten me interviews places I didn't expect to.

Just think of how much better health care would be in the U.S. if providers understood each patient's culture and background and could communicate in their native language. That goal is a far way off, but I feel that we're getting closer.
 
Speaking Spanish is very useful, especially if you plan on CA schools. I volunteer in the child play area at UCLA Medical Center, and I would guess that about half of the kids who come in speak only Spanish (as do their parents). I am taking Spanish 3 this quarter and am finding it really helpful. I would bet that it would be much more helpful when I am a doctor, since I will have to know how to say more than just, "Which picture would you like to color?" ;)
 
Whether or not you can speak Spanish will be only a tiny factor, if that, in affecting your probability of acceptance. On the other hand, a working knowledge of Spanish will be a big asset during your residency and in your medical practice. If you have no compelling reason to study a particular language, then choose Spanish. It is on its way to become the second laguage in the US. It appears to be one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. (Your accent will be another matter!).

Be aware that there are differences in spoken Spanish among different groups just as there are in English, some of it in accents and some in the use and meaning of words. You would not confuse a native English speaking New York City person with someone from New England or Georgia, for example. The Spanish taught in high school and college is for the most part literary Spanish, not the lingua franca of the streets. In Spain itself there are regional differences. You are not likely to encounter patients who speak the Spanish of Cervantes.
 
Yo tambien hablo espanol bastante bien, y en mi entrevista el viernes (Mt. Sinai) ellos me dijeron que es muy importante saber espanol, y me va a ayudar mucho como un medico en el futuro. En cada entrevista, hablamos sobre los acentos, y espanol en general. Trabaje en Bushwick (en Brooklyn) este verano, pero aprendi castellano en Salamanca (espana). Vivo en chicago, asi que se un poco mexicano, domincano, y castellano, es muy divertido y sigo practicando con cualquier persona que habla (los limpiadores, los que trabajan en la cafeteria en my escuela, en general, cuando pueda hablar)

"i also speak spanish fairly well and in my interview on friday at Mt sinai, they told me that it is very importan to know spanish, and it will help me a lot as a doctor in the future. In each of my interviews, we have talked about the accents, and spansih in general. I worked in bushwick (in brooklyn) this summer, but i learned spanish in salamanca, spain). I live in chicago, so i know a little mexican, dominican, and spanish it is very fun and i conitinue practicing with whomever i can (the janitors, and those that work in the cafeteria in my schol, and whenver i can, really."
 
samyjay ... where exactly are you from and where did you apply?

I hope to help in all ways I can, and I am very proficient. Yes, that term "fluent" is very tricky. I think the only time you should say that you are fluent is if you are like a native, or damn near close. It should be that high a standard. People throw that term around a lot.

Good luck to all. I hope all of you do good for mankind.

Gumshoe (IL, chicago style)
 
Yes, at most hospitals, there are interpreters on staff to help, but there is something valuable about being able to communicate directly with a patient - there area nuances in their responses and other descriptions that become clearer when you fully understand what the patient says.

I work as a volunteer interpreter at a local clinic that has primarily spanish-speaking patients. I think it helps with admissions to medical school if it makes sense with what you wish to do in the future. I am interested in working in underserved areas, specifically in latino communities, so it makes sense with my future interests.

I think simply taking it to better your chances of admission doesn't necessarily make sense for every person and therefore doesn't necessarily help. It depends on what your interests are and what you likely see yourself doing in the future. If it makes sense with your likely future interests, then it will definitely help.
 
while in general i think knowing spanish is a definite plus in getting into medical school, i think it's most important that the schools know that you plan to use it in the future. for example, i'm asian-american, but i'm fluent in spanish (having worked in south america) and want to work specifically with latino populations.

it's especially important to know what diversity of people visit the med-school hospitals, because if it's largely spanish-speaking, you can say that you want to attend that specific medical school because of the area's large spanish-speaking population. ultimately, the med-school will feel secure in being able to offer you that unique experience, which is a plus, since schools want to know that their future med-students will be satisfied with their education. then you're golden.
 
I'm fairly fluent in French having studied it since seventh grade while I know very little Spanish (just what I've picked up on my own). I used my French in the ER with a lot of African immigrants and discussed that in my personal statement. At two of my interviews, I've had interviewers say spanish speakers are basically a dime a dozen and that they think French (for African immigrants), Korean, Vietnamese, etc speakers are actually more valuable since there are so few of them, even though there are obviously more Spanish speaking people in this country. I think the bottom line is that fluency in any foreign language is going to be a big plus and that unless you are going to practice in Southern California, southern Texas, or Miami, then that foreign language does not necessarily have to be Spanish.
 
Originally posted by pillowhead
I'm fairly fluent in French having studied it since seventh grade while I know very little Spanish (just what I've picked up on my own). I used my French in the ER with a lot of African immigrants and discussed that in my personal statement. At two of my interviews, I've had interviewers say spanish speakers are basically a dime a dozen and that they think French (for African immigrants), Korean, Vietnamese, etc speakers are actually more valuable since there are so few of them, even though there are obviously more Spanish speaking people in this country. I think the bottom line is that fluency in any foreign language is going to be a big plus and that unless you are going to practice in Southern California, southern Texas, or Miami, then that foreign language does not necessarily have to be Spanish.
Click to expand...

Bonjour!
 
como se hace tildes?

what a neat thread - interesting ideas
the reason i asked was because i spent a year in spain and 3 months in costa rica. i thought that those things were some of the interesting areas in my application

thanks

jordanna
 
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