Integrating Gender-Affirming Care in a Medical Spanish Endocrine System Curriculum.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Disparities
• Cultural Competence

Background:

• Growing Hispanic population in the US necessitates improved medical Spanish and cultural competence.
• Medical education needs to better integrate gender-affirming care for Hispanic populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess a 3-week medical Spanish endocrine module for first-year medical students.
• To enhance communication skills for endocrine health and gender-affirming care among Spanish-speaking patients.
• To evaluate the module's effectiveness through surveys and assessments.

Main Methods:

• A 3-week medical Spanish endocrine module was implemented for first-year medical students.
• The curriculum included classroom sessions, standardized patient practice, and peer tutoring.
• Pre- and postmodule surveys and knowledge tests evaluated student learning and confidence.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in student confidence interacting with Spanish-speaking patients were observed.
• Knowledge scores for endocrine system terminology improved significantly (22.3 to 25.7, p=.002).
• Students achieved a high mean score of 86% in a diabetic consultation objective structured clinical examination.

Conclusions:

• The curriculum successfully enhanced medical students' Spanish proficiency and gender-affirming care skills.
• This educational approach can help reduce health care disparities for diverse populations.
• Improved communication and cultural competence lead to better patient outcomes.