Medical Spanish in US Medical Schools: a National Survey to Examine Existing Programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Linguistic Competency in Healthcare

Background:

• Medical Spanish education is offered by most US medical schools to improve patient-physician communication.
• Inadequate course structure, faculty, assessment, and credit can hinder skill development, potentially worsening communication with linguistic minorities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the national landscape of medical Spanish education in US medical schools.
• To evaluate existing programs against basic quality standards.
• To identify areas for improvement in medical Spanish education.

Main Methods:

• A national environmental scan using an IRB-exempt online survey.
• Surveys were sent to deans and identified medical Spanish program leaders.
• Data collection occurred from March to November 2019.

Main Results:

• 79% of surveyed medical schools participate in medical Spanish education.
• Only 21% of schools with programs met all four basic standards (curriculum, faculty, assessment, credit).
• Key components like formal curricula (54%) and course credit (31%) were less common.

Conclusions:

• Medical schools should formalize medical Spanish courses, ensure qualified faculty, implement learner assessments, and offer credit.
• Further research is needed to develop best practices for effective implementation and evaluation.