Spanish in the Medical Field
In the Nightingale pledge, nurses promise to dedicate themselves “to devoted service for human welfare.” This creed is followed by workers throughout the medical field, but it can be a difficult standard to meet when there is a communication gap between the caregiver and the patient. This challenge combined with a rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population, has created the need for language training for medical professionals. As Dr. Benjamin Brown writes in his article “Interpreting Medicine: Lessons from a Spanish-Language Clinic”, “caring for patients is an act of interpretation… Caring for patients of limited English proficiency – a population that needs a very literal form or interpretation -- underscores this lesson.”
So, language training can be valuable, but not all language training is created equal. For people in the medical profession, standard language education may not be the best fit. Fundamentals are important of course, but the focus needs to be on the application. Medical Spanish programs recognize the unique needs of medical professionals and offer practical application-based instruction. Instead of dialogues dealing with tourism or everyday life, Medical Spanish programs employ scenarios that are relevant to the industry and quickly allow students to take medical histories, communicate about symptoms and treatments and help put their patients at ease. Patients will feel more connected to their caregivers and caregivers can be more confident in the care they are providing.
CCLS Houston offers customized Medical Spanish programs in both group and one-on-one settings. Contact us for more information. Special pricing is available.