Spanish for Healthcare Professionals III
LASP-40152
This course is appropriate for intermediate-level Spanish learners in the medical health profession who wish to increase their effectiveness in communicating with Spanish speaking clients. Topics include but are not limited to as a patient in the hospital, diagnostic evaluations, venereal diseases, dealing with high blood pressure, consulting a doctor about common ailments, and discussing drugs and drug addiction. The instructor will help the student acquire the specific vocabulary to communicate with the patient in the pertaining specialty. The student will be able to ask questions to establish diagnosis and treatment. Cultural Competence will be taken into consideration for a better understanding of each situation. The instructor will dedicate time and effort to achieve a more individualized course.
The students will be introduced to grammar topics such as: verbs conocer, saber, uses of se, uses of ¿qué and cuál, the past participle, the present perfect tense, the past perfect tense, the future tense, and more. This course is of interest to a wide range of health professionals such as nurses, physicians, psychologists, counselors, and administrative staff. Textbook chapters 13-18 are covered.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/9/2026
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Michael Woods
Michael Woods teaches in both the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals and the Translation & Interpretation Certificate programs. Michael is a Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ (CCHI) and also completed a Professional Certificate in Translation & Interpretation. He holds a Master of Arts in Contemporary Hispanic/Latino Studies and completed doctoral coursework in Spanish sociolinguistics with a focus on Central American voseo in the US. He has taught college-level courses for more than 15 years and has worked as a healthcare interpreter since 2017. Prior to teaching, interpreting, and translating, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras, which laid the groundwork for his career in language instruction and language access.
Section ID:
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Textbooks:
Basic Spanish Enhanced 2nd
by Jarvis A., Lebredo R., Mena-Ayllon F.
ISBN / ASIN: 9781285052083
Suggested
Basic Spanish for Medical Personnel 2nd
by Ana C. Jarvis and Raquel Lebredo
ISBN / ASIN: 9781285052182
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/13/2026
Note:
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/8/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 4/15/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 4/22/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 4/29/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 5/6/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 5/13/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 5/20/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 5/27/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 6/3/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 6/10/2026 | Wed | 6:30 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
Instructor:
Graciela Gomez Vittori, B.A.
Bachelor's degree in Spanish Literature and Linguistics with more than 20 years of teaching experience.
Graciela Gomez-Vitorri teaches teaches Spanish for Healthcare Professionals I, II, and III for the Spanish for Healthcare Professionals certificate program.
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Graciela Gómez Vittori holds a Bachelor's degree in Spanish Literature and Linguistics (Profesorado de Castellano y Literatura) and has more than twenty years of teaching experience.
An avid reader and award-winning writer, Graciela both developed and taught the Literary Café at UC San Diego Extended Studies, where students get the pleasure to analyze great Hispanic-American short stories.
In the medical field, Graciela spent over two decades working in the UC San Diego Genetics Department. Being in contact with patients under sensitive and difficult circumstances, Graciela was impacted by the crucial need for basic communication between physicians and patients. Consequently, she completed the UC San Diego Extended Studies English/Spanish Translation and Interpretation certificate.
After her time translating for patients and doctors at UC San Diego, Graciela felt compelled to develop a course that focused primarily on medical terminology in Spanish. Other objectives of the course would include; building a solid grammar foundation, cultural competence, giving students information about the customs and traditions of the Hispanic patient, as well as medical concerns specific to the Hispanic community.
