Medical Student Workshop Improves Student Confidence in Working With Trained Medical Interpreters.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Disparities
• Communication in Healthcare

Background:

• Physician-patient communication is challenged by language barriers, contributing to health disparities for limited English proficiency (LEP) populations.
• Trained medical interpreters improve communication outcomes but formal training on working with them is often lacking in medical education.
• Effective communication strategies are crucial for equitable healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the gap in formal training on working with medical interpreters.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive workshop for medical students.
• To enhance medical student preparedness for interacting with patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Main Methods:

• An interactive workshop was developed and led by professional interpreters and faculty facilitators.
• The workshop targeted medical students in their clinical years.
• Student feedback was collected on session relevance and helpfulness in preparing for interactions with LEP patients.

Main Results:

• Students found the clinical scenarios highly relevant to their clerkship experiences.
• Immediate post-session feedback indicated increased student confidence in working with interpreters.
• Follow-up reports confirmed the training improved preparedness for real-world patient interactions involving interpreters.

Conclusions:

• An interactive workshop is an effective educational method.
• This training improves medical student comfort and confidence when working with interpreters.
• The intervention positively impacts preparedness for caring for limited English proficiency (LEP) populations.