Bilingual Medical Spanish Distinction Track

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 levels.  Instructional activities throughout the four years of medical school training emphasize the development of:

• Oral/Aural Proficiency in Medical Spanish,
• Cultural Competence, and
• Core Medical Competencies.

The program's main goal is to graduate cohorts of physicians who are competent to work as bilingual Spanish-English healthcare providers. Students enrolled in this track will be better prepared to serve the healthcare needs of Limited English Proficiency, Spanish-speaking patients and perhaps have an advantage in applying to residency programs in communities with a growing Spanish-speaking population.

Prerequisite

First-year medical students interested in joining the BMS must complete a Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in the fall semester (Year 01), and reach an ACTFL¹ – Intermediate-High or above level of proficiency to be accepted in the program. The BMS is not currently available for 2^nd - 4^th year medical students or students from other health professions.

When should I apply?

The Bilingual Medical Spanish Distinction Track will be available to first-year medical students beginning in the fall semester. Interested students must complete an application and schedule an initial interview with the Program Director.

Instructional Activities

Medical students accepted in the BMS are required to complete a variety of instructional activities on each of the four years of medical school training. Students who complete all these activities satisfactorily and reach an 80% score or above in the Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment - Spanish exam (CCLA-S) developed by ALTA Language Services, Inc. will be awarded the COM-Tucson Bilingual Spanish Healthcare Provider Certification.

Year	Required Instructional Activities	Description
First	Complete Y01 Clinical Medical Spanish coursework	Fall 1 hr/week; Spring 1 hr/week
	Complete 1 Standardized Patient Interview in the Spring semester	H&P with standardized patients in Spanish and supervised by instructor
	Attend 1-2 Spanish for All sessions or alternative Spanish-speaking events	Informal monthly conversation during lunch hour; offered in collaboration with LMSA
Summer between Year 1-2	Complete Clinical Spanish Immersion (4 weeks) / Alternative: 50 hrs of clinical shadowing	Can be completed concurrently with Global Health or Rural Health DT / Alternative: volunteering in a clinic with Spanish-speaking patients.
Second	Complete Y02 Clinical Medical Spanish coursework	Fall semester 1 hr/week
	Complete 2 Standardized Patient Interviews in the Fall semester	H&P with a simulated patient in Spanish and supervised by the instructor
	Finish completing Clinical volunteering: CUP clinics	Fall/Spring semester
	Take ALTA's Clinician Cultural & Linguistic Assessment - Spanish exam	Bilingual Spanish Clinician Certification exam
Third	Attend Individual Tutoring Session (2-4 hrs per semester)	Zoom appointments are available for those who did not pass the ALTA exam
Fourth	Complete Elective with Spanish-Speaking Preceptor (4 weeks)   Complete Medical Spanish Capstone Elective (MED-800D)   Retake ALTA's Clinician Cultural & Linguistic Assessment - Spanish exam.	Can be completed concurrently with Global Health or Rural Health Distinction Tracks   8-10 page reflection paper (4 credit units corresponding to a 4-week block)   Only those not passing the exam in the first attempt.