Language, cultural and literacy barriers play a significant role in explaining racial and ethnic health disparities, particularly among Hispanics with limited English proficiency. The Arizona Hispanic Center of Excellence is committed to preparing the next generation of bilingual Spanish-speaking healthcare professionals through a variety of competency-based language instruction programs highlighted below:
Bilingual Medical Spanish Distinction Track - College of Medicine-Tucson
The Bilingual Medical Spanish Distinction Track (BMS) is a longitudinal program designed to enhance the medical Spanish communication skills of medical students entering with intermediate to advanced proficiency level. Instructional activities throughout the four-years of medical school emphasize the development of oral/aural proficiency in medical Spanish, cultural competence and core medical competencies through a combination of online and classroom-based instruction, clinical shadowing rotations, standardized patient interviews, and cultural/language immersion experiences…
GME South Campus - Spanish Language/Healthcare Disparities Distinction Track
The Spanish Language/Healthcare Disparities Distinction Track is a new collaboration with the UA College of Medicine’s Office of Graduate Medical Education – South Campus. The program offers medical Spanish training to 2nd and 3rd year residents with an intermediate to advanced proficiency level.
EM Residency South Campus – Medical Spanish Program
The Medical Spanish Program for Emergency Medicine Residents at Banner University Medical Center - South Campus (BUMC-SC) offers medical Spanish instruction to both beginner and intermediate/advanced level residents.
Elementary Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
Elementary Spanish for Healthcare Professionals is an introductory, two-course sequence (Span 101-202) designed to help future healthcare professionals –with a beginner proficiency level-- increase their ability to communicate in Spanish in healthcare settings.
Global MedCats – Spain and Costa Rica
Global MedCats offers Spanish language instruction, clinical shadowing, volunteering with local organizations, and cultural immersion with Spanish-speaking families in Costa Rica and Spain. The two six-week summer programs are an ongoing collaboration with UA Study Abroad, UA Pre-Health Professions Advising Center, and in-country organizations like Atlantis Project (Spain) and Hospital Clínica Bíblica (Costa Rica).
Canopy Medical Spanish
The Arizona Hispanic Center of Excellence offers health professions students pursuing a degree at the University of Arizona Health Sciences with free access to Canopy Learn. Canopy Learn is a web-based e-learning platform designed to improve the medical Spanish proficiency of health professions students and healthcare professionals, starting with a beginner, intermediate, or advanced ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients. Health professions students can request access to the 40-hour online training program by submitting their email and name on the Request Access form.
