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Medical Spanish Courses

The School of Medicine offers various medical Spanish courses for students — explore the prerequisites, course goals, and activities.

Medical Spanish

FAPR 977 Medical Spanish Level 1 (2 credits)

This is an entry level Medical Spanish course for students with minimal or no Spanish language education. Students will develop working language skills, learning techniques for optimal communication, phonetics, morphology, grammar, understanding sentence structure, conjugation and cultural aspects applicable to the current healthcare environment. The goal is to achieve proficiency and confidence when using the Spanish language with Hispanic patients.

Prerequisites: Minimal to no knowledge of Spanish language and approval from the Dean for Student Affairs.

FAPR 978 Medical Spanish Level 2 (2 credits)

Modular course that will offer students hands-on ability and integration of the Spanish medical language needed to properly interact with Spanish speaking patients.

This course offers expanded knowledge and language utilization with real case scenarios, dialogues and role plays, with models of realistic clinical situations using key vocabulary and grammatical language structure that doctors and other medical professionals will need for expected clinic intervention with Hispanic patients.

Cultural notes are included to equip students with practical insight into cultural behaviors, patterns and other pertinent medical treatment beliefs of Hispanics in the United States. This course will also offer the opportunity to improve aural and oral proficiency as students resolve Latino specific sample situations or case scenarios in Spanish similar to possible encounters in their work as health care professionals.

Students will also continue developing and show progression of their communication skill by reinforcing essential grammar points and comprehension of medical topics in Spanish.

Prerequisites: Some knowledge of Spanish and prior enrollment in IDSP 910 Medical Spanish.

NURS 401 – Basic Spanish for Nurses (4 credits)

The general goals of the instructional program are to provide, within one month, a functional command of the language for basic interaction between health care providers and recipients. The following objectives will be emphasized in order to meet the goals of the program.

Students will:

  1. Develop and/or improve oral communication skills with emphasis on General American Spanish
  2. Demonstrate the basic phonology and fundamentals of syntax of the language
  3. Practice use of the most commonly used verbs in present and past tenses
  4. Accumulate a specialized vocabulary appropriate to most health care situations
  5. Sustain a limited conversation about appropriate topics with some degree of fluency and comfort
  6. Develop an appreciation and understanding of cultural differences within Hispanic cultures and backgrounds
  7. Demonstrate basic Spanish language skills by taking a history in Spanish from Spanish speaking real or simulated patients

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor required; one year Spanish language coursework or the equivalent recommended

All courses are offered Online with in-person and synchronous online events to practice conversation.

Questions? Please email ose@kumc.edu.

KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
KU School of Medicine Office of Student Engagement
Mailstop 4007
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: 913-588-1237