Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
Learn How to Communicate Directly with Clients and Patients in Spanish to Improve your Quality of Care
About the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals Program
The ability to speak Spanish is increasingly important in the Healthcare field. California alone is home to nearly 7 million people who are limited English proficient (LEP). Additionally, over the past few years, the US has seen an increase in the number of individuals with access to healthcare due to the Affordable Care Act. As more individuals who are LEP use private and public healthcare systems, the need for healthcare professionals to learn Spanish to communicate effectively with clients increases.
To the extent that healthcare professionals can learn to communicate directly with their clients in Spanish, the quality of care will improve, including fewer errors, fewer misdiagnoses, and better compliance with treatment plans, which translates into both cost savings and higher professional self-efficacy for the provider and less morbidity and mortality throughout the Spanish-speaking community.
The Specialized Certificate in Spanish for Healthcare professionals is designed for individuals with little or no formal training in Spanish. The goal of the program is to build students’ effectiveness in communicating with Spanish-speaking clients in various healthcare settings.
Students will learn both general Spanish and Spanish medical terminology in order to be able to understand their Spanish-speaking clients and increase their cultural competence, which will help them connect and build rapport with clients and have more insight into client-interpreter conversations.
List of Courses
How to Enroll
Academic Calendar
This Program Is Designed For:
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Healthcare professionals who desire to become certified in Spanish for Healthcare.
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Healthcare professionals seeking career advancement in the translation and interpretation field.
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Medical professionals seeking to enrich their ability to communicate with non-Native speakers in a medical setting.
Course Benefits
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The opportunity to network with motivated adult learners who share your interests.
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UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies academic credit and optional BRN relicensure credit available.
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A specialized certificate in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals which can lead to new professional opportunities in our bicultural and bilingual region.
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Expert instructors who are experienced in teaching adult language learners.
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Pre-planned curriculum and sequence of courses designed to keep you on track and increase your confidence, ease, and fluidity with the language.
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A relaxed, interactive and supportive class atmosphere for maximum opportunity to practice coupled with convenient evening classes that fit your busy professional schedule.
What You Will Learn
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Both general Spanish and Spanish medical terminology in order to be able to understand Spanish-speaking clients/patients.
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How to increase your cultural competence to help you connect and build rapport with clients or patients, and have more insight into client-interpreter conversations.
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Build your effectiveness in communicating with Spanish-speaking clients in various healthcare settings.
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Increased cultural awareness and historical knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world.
How to Enroll
Academic Calendar
Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
Required Courses
Conditions for Admission
Applicants are encouraged to have some previous general healthcare knowledge. No prior Spanish language knowledge is necessary.
All courses are open to students not enrolled in the certificate, but enrollment in the certificate will require an application and certificate fee.
Certificate Guidelines
The Specialized Certificate in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals is issued upon completion of the total number of required credit units (10.5 quarter units). The approximate cost of the program is estimated at $1,510 (includes course fees and certificate enrollment fee), and is paid incrementally as students enroll in courses, rather than up front. Cost does not include textbooks. Course fees and schedules are subject to change.
BRN Relicensure Credit
The Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1-3 courses can be completed for 30 hours of BRN relicensure credit each. BRN board does not award partial credit. Students trying to earn BRN CEU credit cannot miss any class meetings and must sign in with their BRN license # during each class meeting.
Additional Information
Questions about our classes or certificates? Contact our department at 858-534-5760 or ahl@ucsd.edu.
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Hear From Students
Learning to communicate in a Foreign Language can be fun. UC San Diego Extended Studies' Foreign Language students and students in the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals certificate program share their insights and reasons for learning a foreign language from us.
FAQs
Students can transfer in one college level Spanish course to substitute for Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1 only. The transferred course must have been completed within the last five years at an accredited educational institution. Please email ahl@ucsd.edu for more information about transferability of previously completed Spanish language courses.
Students who have some academic knowledge of Spanish but are not able to transfer in a previously completed Spanish course from an accredited educational institution and feel that Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 2 would be a better fit for a starting point in the series are expected to:
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Know the grammar and vocabulary covered in Spanish for Healthcare Professionals 1
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Review the patient conversations and medical terminology covered in the textbook chapters reviewed in level 1 prior to starting level 2
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Complete Spanish for Communication 4 or Spanish for Communication 5 after completing Spanish for Healthcare Professionals levels 2 and 3 to meet the certificate’s credit requirements. Students may choose which level (either 4 or 5) they feel is a better fit for their knowledge of Spanish grammar.
When registering, students may choose between a Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass option. As long as a student receives a passing score (70% or higher), they will earn the same certificate of completion and any related documents, regardless of the grading method selected.
If you're pursuing employer reimbursement, we recommend checking with your company to confirm whether a Letter Grade is required for reimbursement eligibility.
Students can update their grading option via their MyExtension student portal anytime before 12:00 a.m. on the final class meeting.
Only students who are trying to earn BRN CEUs need to sign in on the class sign-in sheet.
Advisory Board
Luz Chung, MA, Ed.D
Grant Goodall, PhD
Dr. Aimee Holdwick, DAOM, Lac
Dr. Jorge Lazareff, MD.
Luiza Zanchi
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