UA Health Sciences Hispanic Center of Excellence and UA Department of Spanish and Portuguese Introduce Spanish Language Classes for Health Sciences Students
Developed in consultation with medical professionals, the new Spanish language classes created for undergraduate and graduate health students are open for enrollment, classes begin in spring semester 2017.
The effort is part of a multi-faceted initiative to provide students interested in health sciences, including graduate students, a Spanish language learning experience. The aim is to improve population health outcomes by better preparing future and current health-care providers working among Spanish-speaking populations.
The UA Department of Spanish and Portuguese, in consultation with health professionals, developed the Spanish language classes as part of a collaborative effort to increase the language competency of health-care professionals at UAHS colleges and the community at large. The classes will allow students to fulfill their undergraduate language requirements in classes designed to improve their health-related language competency in Spanish and provide them skills to deliver health-care services in Spanish.
The classes will begin in spring semester 2017 with first- and second-year offerings (Spanish 101-202) catered to undergraduate pre-health students. It also will include similar offerings for graduate students in the health sciences disciplines enrolled at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Part of a larger collaboration, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the UAHS Hispanic Center of Excellence have created the following programs to improve the Spanish language skills and the cultural competency of health-care providers serving Hispanic communities:
- The Bilingual Medical Spanish/Cultural Competence Distinction Track, a graduate medical education training program for residents at Banner – University Medical Center South
- The Bilingual Medical Spanish Distinction Track, which trains medical students to be culturally and linguistically competent to work as bilingual Spanish-English health-care providers
- The Global MedCats, a UA Study Abroad program, offering medical Spanish immersion programs in Costa Rica and Spain
For more information about the classes, please contact Yadira Berigan, berigans@email.arizona.edu, or Nichole Guard, nichole1@email.arizona.edu
To reserve a spot in one of the three special sections, please contact Oscar Beita, obeita@email.arizona.edu
For additional information about the UAHS Hispanic Center of Excellence: http://hispanichealth.arizona.edu