National Health Service Corps

Medical Spanish Training in the U.S.

Studying Medical Spanish in international training programs provides intensive instruction in the language. Some programs also include clinical rotations and hands on experience. Most courses provide one-on-one instruction in the language and creative introductions to the culture.

The NHSC does not endorse these programs. This list is a resource of available opportunities outside the NHSC. (Colleges and universities offering similar programs may contact us to be added to this site.)

Available Opportunities

Clinical Opportunities
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- Guatemala
- Mexico
- Venezuela
Language Opportunities (Non-clinical)

Clinical Opportunities

Argentina

http://www.amerispan.com/salud/
"SALUD is a language-learning program run by AmeriSpan Unlimited and endorsed by AMSA." Students in SALUD learn cultural medical differences studying in any of several Spanish-speaking countries. Opportunities are available for pre-med, med students, physician assistants, EMTs and those involved in public health. Participants will observe, shadow and occasionally get some hands-on experience. "Participants should NOT expect the full duties of a rotation or to be treating patients directly. Please also note that for the SALUD Spain program, there is no hands-on service learning component." For the remainder of 2003, you will be able to participate in the SALUD Independent programs, which start any Monday and are available in Mexico, Guatemala, and Argentina.

Ecuador

http://www.cfhi.org/prog_desc.php4?pcode=17#PROGRAM%20DATES
Child Family Health International - Rotations are available in Oaxaca, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador and Cuenca, Ecuador. Additionally, Tropical medical rotations are available on the coast of Mexico in Puerto Escondido and in Ecuador. This program is open to all levels of medical students and residents, as well as to pre-meds who are at least 21 years of age. Programs require some Spanish knowledge in addition to knowledge of medicine in the participant's native language.

http://www.nrcsa.com/whats_new/articles/1001217.html
Quito, Ecuador - Academia Latinoamericana offers a Medical Spanish and Volunteer Program in the summer of 2003. The course may become annual. From June 29 to July 25 medical professionals will study medical Spanish, take weekend excursions and spend time volunteering in a hospital in Quito.

Guatemala

http://www.spanishschool.com/medical.htm
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala - A medical Spanish program at Miguel Angel Asturias Spanish School provides intensive one-on-one classes, specialized conversation practice and clinical experience. Students may stay as little as one week or as much as three months. Students also have the option of taking a week off to relax and travel.

http://www.unmc.edu/isp/studyabroad/medicalspanish/medicalspanishcourse.htm
Antigua, San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala - The University of Nebraska Medical Center offers a two-phase program. Phase one involves seminars on health care in Guatemala, observation of health care programs, visits with health care practitioners and cultural activities. Phase two includes private instruction in Spanish followed by three weeks of clinical experience. Lectures and field trips expand the experience.

http://www.mundo-guatemala.com/volunteer.htm#Social%20Work
Mundo Guatemala offers volunteer opportunities and welcomes those in health care fields. Skills and talents will determine placement according to the current needs of local clinics and hospitals.

http://www.pop-wuj.org/medical.htm
Pop Wuj, Guatemala - A special program for medical students and providers is offered in March, April, September and October for a maximum of 15 students. June, July and August have a modified program geared toward public health, nursing and medical students still completing their studies. Practitioners are also accepted. One-on-one classroom settings hopefully provide students with tools to take a history, perform a physical exam and address physical healthcare needs. Outside the classroom, students have access to medical conferences and hands-on clinical volunteer positions.

Mexico

http://www.donquijote.org/english/la/courses.medical.asp
Guanajuato, Mexico - This is a two-week Spanish medical vocabulary course for doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. The first week is focused on generally improving knowledge of Spanish. The second week is devoted to the specialization, including a visit to a hospital. (Also see http://www.abanico-espanol.com/abanico/courses.medical.asp and http://www.spanishinmexico.org/)

http://www.medspanish.com/
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - This program could count as a med school residency elective or CME (continuing medical education) experience. Every day, participants receive two hours of small group instruction and six hours of total immersion clinical time.

http://www.cfhi.org/prog_desc.php4?pcode=17#PROGRAM%20DATES
Child Family Health International - Rotations are available in Oaxaca, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador and Cuenca, Ecuador. Additionally, Tropical medical rotations are available on the coast of Mexico in Puerto Escondido and in Ecuador. This program is open to all levels of medical students and residents. It is also open to pre-meds that are at least 21 years of age. Programs require some Spanish knowledge and knowledge of medicine in the participant's native language.

http://www.mardejade.com/medvol.htm
Mar de Jade, Mexico - Medical Volunteer Program provides opportunities for working with local dispensaries in Chacala, clinics in Las Varas, and more. This opportunity is available to clinicians, medical students and those focused on counseling and psychology. There is also a birthing center in the clinic.

http://intlhealth.med.utoronto.ca/spanish.pdf
Guadalajara, Mexico - The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara offers medical Spanish courses. The course offered here can last from 2 to 8 weeks and provides basic language, seminar instruction in health care systems in Mexico, use of medical terminology and colloquial idioms, contact with patients in medically supervised clinics, opportunities to study public health aspects of the community and epidemiological investigation.

http://www.pacemd.org/id30.html
San Miguel, Mexico - PACEMD, the Pan American Collaborative Emergency Medicine Development Program, has externships for medical personal. Held over a two to four week period, the course includes two to four hours daily of intensive medical and general Spanish, opportunities to use communication skills in the local County Hospital, exposure to the Mexican health care system, cultural components and places to explore.

http://www.instculturaloax.com.mx/courses.html
Oaxaca, Mexico - Instituto Cultural Oaxaca offers three to four hours of intensive one-on-one daily instruction allowing students to focus on medical terminology and language skills necessary for interacting with patients. Group program can also include visits to area hospitals. Programs are available most months of the year.

http://www.medicalspanish.homestead.com/
Oaxaca, Mexico - Medical Spanish Immersion (MSI) provides opportunities to learn medical Spanish while working in hospitals and health clinics. Guided clinical rotations let students implement what they learn in contextualized language instruction sessions. A minimum stay of 10 days is recommended, and longer stays are encouraged.

Venezuela

http://cela-ve.com/html/health.html
Margarita Island, Venezuela - The program at CELA Spanish School is designed for physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers, as well as students in health related professions. This course gives participants a chance to use Spanish in a hospital situation while also receiving classroom instruction. The program goes from one to four weeks.

Language Opportunities

http://www.amsa.org/global/ih/intlintro.asp
This site lists countries hosting International Health Electives for Medical Students.

http://www.amwa-doc.org/Education/RHI/International/rhi_international.htm
American Medical Women's Association offers international opportunities relating to reproductive health.

http://www.fcm.arizona.edu/predoc/internationalhealth/Medical_Spanish.html
South America - The Interhealth South America Summer Program is a study tour introduction to South American primary and community health care accompanied by medical Spanish language for first and second year medical students. The session for beginners is mid-June to mid-July, and the advanced beginner/intermediate session is mid-June to early July. Courses are listed by country.

Argentina

Costa Rica

http://www.adventurespanishschool.com/
Costa Rica - "AEC combines intensive, small group Spanish instruction with afternoon and weekend activities such as Latin Dance & cooking classes, as well as kayaking, river rafting, mountain biking and nights in the jungle. There are numerous volunteer programs and the Medical Spanish program combines in-class language lessons with weekly visits to local clinics and hospitals. By combining both locations, Turrialba and Dominical, students can have two separate and unique Costa Rican experiences enjoying the finest aspects of the city, countryside, beach and mountains."

http://www.cpi-edu.com/seminars/medicalmontflam.htm
Monteverde, Costa Rica - Medical Spanish classes accommodate students according to placement level. Cultural activities and excursions round out the learning experience and expose students to cultural dimensions. Programs are also available in Flamingo.

http://www.mvinstitute.org/annreport/healthco.html
Monteverde, Costa Rica - This six-week course, Field Methods for Community Health, uses in-depth field practice to teach qualitative and quantitative methods for applied anthropology and health disciplines, explores changes in health and healthcare communities and has participants living near one of the last remaining cloud forest preserves in Central America. Participants have the chance to carry out interdisciplinary research on community issues. In 2003, the course begins June 21.

Dominican Republic

http://www.hispaniola.org/home.htm#MEDICAL%20LANGUAGE
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Medical language program for one: this course is centered on the participant. Course duration centers on the level of Spanish competency and fluency the student wants to achieve with the option of five progressive levels. The one-to-one student/teacher ratio and personal schedule make this a unique learning experience.

http://www.hispaniola.org/home.htm#MEDICAL%20LANGUAGE
Dominican Republic - The Committee on Institutional Cooperation offers the Latin American Health, Nutrition and Environmental Issues Program in the Dominican Republic. The program runs from mid-June to mid-August. There is another component available from mid-August to mid-December and students may participate in one or both components. The first component focuses on cultural orientation, language training and a seminar on Latin American/Caribbean Health, Nutrition and Environmental Issues. The fall component includes advanced language training, regular university courses in health and special area studies courses for foreigners, and a field-based independent study project. The university courses include: community medicine, public health, medical sociology, Afro-Caribbean culture, literature of the Hispanic Caribbean, history of the Caribbean and Latin American film.

Guatemala

http://www.unmc.edu/isp/studyabroad/medicalspanish/medicalspanishcourse.htm
Antigua and San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala - University of Nebraska Medical Center offers a two-phase program. Phase one involves seminars on health care in Guatemala, observation of health care programs, visits with health care practitioners and cultural activities. Phase two includes private instruction in Spanish followed by three weeks of clinical experience. Lectures and field trips expand the experience.

Mexico

http://www.studyspanish-mexico.com/medical.htm
Cancun, Mexico - Medical Spanish courses are designed to accompany the general Spanish courses to teach general terms for basic communication with Spanish-speaking patients. Classes start every Monday, year-round and participants may study for as many weeks as they choose. The minimum study length is one week.

http://www.chac-mool.com/medical.html
Cuernavaca, Mexico - Classes run from 1-4 weeks or five or more weeks, with tuition broken down accordingly. Programs are tailored to students' needs with one-on-one supplemental instruction included. The goals of the course include producing Spanish correctly, communicating while performing a patient examination, terminology for external and internal anatomy, communicating treatments for common diseases, communicating information on complex diseases and writing a prescription.

http://intlhealth.med.utoronto.ca/spanish.pdf
Guadalajara, Mexico - The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara offers medical Spanish courses. The course offered here can last from two to eight weeks and provides basic language, seminar instruction in health care systems in Mexico, use of medical terminology and colloquial idioms, contact with patients in medically supervised clinics, opportunities to study public health aspects of the community and epidemiological investigation.

http://abbc3.hsc.usc.edu/familymed/medspan/medspan4.htm
Ensenada and Baja California, Mexico - The three-week course, beginning July 11 this year, provides training in medical Spanish. Students experience family life and learn about the human body in small group sessions.

http://abbc3.hsc.usc.edu/familymed/medspan/index.htm
Ensenada, Mexico - "This is an intensive 3-week program focusing on medical Spanish and international health." The courses are designed for all levels of proficiency.

http://www.crossculturalencounters.com/
Puerto Rico; Monterrey, Mexico - Cross Cultural Encounters offers experience in perinatal and woman's healthcare. Options at these sites include: professional conferences, presentations and workshops, on-sight training at your work place, correspondence courses, travel study courses in Puerto Rico and winter workshops in Anchorage, Alaska.

http://www.bajacal.com/medical.html
Baja California Language School offers a weeklong medical Spanish immersion program.

http://www.instculturaloax.com.mx/courses.html
Instituto Cultural Oaxaca offers three to four hours of intensive one-on-one daily instruction, allowing students to focus on medical terminology and language skills necessary for interacting with patients. The group program can also include visits to area hospitals. Programs are available most months of the year.

http://www.aventurased.com/
Cuernavaca and Tepoztlan, Mexico - Educational Travel Adventures offer special study programs for professionals (health, medical, education, social work, psychotherapy, business, legal, etc.) Students will learn Spanish in the context of understanding the Mexican culture through classes and learning integration activities like cooking and dancing.

California

Ambassador Blends Goal of Increasing Minority Enrollment with NHSC Mission

For Les Howard, having a sense of mission in one's life is inextricably tied to community and responsibility. This is what he learned growing up disadvantaged himself. It is how he lives his life, and it is the single-most important message that he brings to the students under his careful watch. As program director of the San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) Primary Care Physician Assistant (PA) Program he sees himself perfectly positioned to pass on the values and resourcefulness that have inspired his own remarkable life. For Howard, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is one of his most important allies in the task of sending the best and brightest of his graduates to care for California's underserved communities.


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