Enhancing Medical Spanish Education and Proficiency to Bridge Healthcare Disparities: A Comprehensive Assessment and Call to Action

Abstract

This article highlights the critical importance of linguistic and cultural concordance in health care, particularly in addressing the shortage of proficient Spanish-speaking healthcare providers in California. It advocates for standardized curricula, qualified instructors, and mandatory medical Spanish courses while stressing the significance of interdisciplinary training that integrates language skills with clinical experience and acknowledges the interplay between language and culture in health care. The article calls for proactive efforts from medical schools, faculty, and healthcare providers, emphasizing standardized curricula, culturally sensitive training, and reliable assessment tools. Additionally, it underscores the need to enhance the representation of underrepresented minority healthcare providers to ensure equitable health care for linguistic minorities, emphasizing the shared responsibility of healthcare and education stakeholders.

Enhancing Clinical Spanish Proficiency through Standardized Patient Interactions: A Case Study of Medical Students' Performance

“…With the Hispanic population in the United States projected to reach 30% by 2050, there is a corresponding growth in demand for Medical Spanish education among medical students to address the shortage of skilled Spanish-speaking healthcare professionals (2). Consequently, medical schools are urged to integrate compulsory Medical Spanish courses that not only enhance students' con dence in using the language but also signi cantly improve their linguistic competencies (3).…”

“…These programs frequently involve the utilization of Spanishspeaking Standardized Patients (SPs) to evaluate communication skills in Spanish, providing a controlled environment for students to practice and re ne their abilities in real-world patient scenarios (5). The engagement with Spanish-speaking SPs aims to improve communication between physicians and the growing Spanish-speaking demographic, thus addressing the critical need for enhanced language pro ciency in healthcare (3).…”

“…Additionally, the Vida curriculum incorporates diverse interventions dedicated to fostering cultural sensitivity and addressing implicit biases. These interventions encompass extensive training sessions focused on cultural competence, the cultivation of awareness regarding biases, and the provision of effective cross-cultural communication techniques (3). Notably, the curriculum emphasizes the utilization of gender-a rming language, which is reinforced through SP practice.…”