Althouh not required for CME students, we strongly encourage MedSpanish participants to engage in clinical settings while in Mexico. Return home with not just a command of the Spanish languge but with a well-rounded experience and better understanding of the health care system in Latin America.
Clinical rotations improve your assimilation of the language, expose you to things that you may not learn in the classroom and improve your cultural acumen. In addition, the hospitals with which MedSpanish works like to build longitudinal relationships with other North American clinicians. Take advantage of this unique and rewarding opportunity!
Option 1 - CLINICAL ROTATIONS
- 2 hours of personalized small group instruction/day
- Up to 5 hours of clinical time/day (hospital, clinic, ambulance and/or rural mobile clinic) based on how much you would like to participate. Some MedSpanish students use all the clinical time available to them, others use less in order to spend more time with their families and enjoy the surroundings. It is up to you. One exception is Medical Students and Residents who are required to participate in 5-7 hours / day X 5 days / week of clinical rotaions.
To be eligible for this option, students must score at least 25% on a baseline proficiency exam.
Option 2 - BOOT CAMP
Those interested in Option 1 but who score less than 25 % on our placement exam are placed in Mobile Health units / Ambulances for 20-25 hours per week, while working more intensively to improve their Spanish. Once they exceed a score of 25 % or it is otherwise determined, students may be placed in clinical settings where a better command of Spanish is needed: an Emergency Department, hospital inpatient services, or outpatient clinics as appropriate. If the pretest score is available early enough, Remote Instruction via Skype will be made available prior to arrival.
NOTES REGARDING CLINICAL ROTATIONS
We try to affect the best possible placement for the participant. There are a limited number of clinical spaces available, so priority selection is based on specialty interest, language ability, and appropriateness. Unless there is a strong reason not to, be prepared to move from an outpatient to an inpatient setting after two weeks to further enhance your experience of the Mexican Health care system.
If you are a physician seeking CME credit, you are not required to participate in clincal rotations although we encourage you do so.
