School of Medicine

The language barriers between physicians and their patients have been linked to decreased access to care, impaired patient comprehension, and decreased patient adherence and satisfaction. In California, this is specifically relevant to the Spanish-speaking population, as Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency (LEP) make up 13.70% of the population. As a future primary care physician, I believe offering quality care to all my patients will require my ability to use Spanish in a myriad of clinical scenarios. As a result, I decided to dedicate my Independent Study Project to medical Spanish immersion in a broad range of clinical settings with the goal of experiencing the full scope of family practice including obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatrics and adult medicine all in Spanish. I worked in community health centers around San Diego, participated in the Spanish programs available through UCSD, and worked in a public hospital and clinic in Riobamba, Ecuador. At the end of my experience, I created a list of available opportunities and contacts for medical Spanish immersion in San Diego and abroad, with the hope of making it easier for UCSD medical students to seek out medical Spanish exposure.