Medical Spanish
Graduate Certificate in Medical Spanish
Elizabethtown College's Graduate Certificate in Medical Spanish is an interdisciplinary and dynamic Spanish for Health Professions program that allows you to apply your coursework in providing high-quality care to diverse patients. You will develop the skills and the vocabulary to improve trust and communication, while investing in the quality of your care for diverse communities.
Healthcare systems are increasingly seeking nurses, doctors, therapists, administrators, and other personnel that can overcome language and cultural barriers to improve provider-patient communication while enhancing quality of care and patient safety.
Our five-course, 15-credit certificate program will increase your language and cultural communication skills and deepen your understanding of the barriers and challenges facing diverse Hispanic/Latinx communities seeking health care.
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Program Formats:
Credits Required: 15
Tuition:
- $525/Credit
- 10% Alumni Scholarship
- 10% Affinity Partner Scholarship
Tuition and fees are reviewed and subject to change annually.
Student Outcomes
- Acquire and use a variety of medical terminology in Spanish and modify language register as appropriate to their audience.
- Analyze, critique, and articulate barriers facing Hispanic/Latinx patients within regional health systems.
- Describe best practices of interpretation, confidentiality, and ethical linguistic practice.
- Identify, describe, and respond to cultural factors that influence practices and information related to illness, well-being, and health care.
- All students who successfully complete the program will be encouraged to sit for the ALTA Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment Test (CCLA) or the Qualified Bilingual Staff Test (QBS).
Medical Spanish Requirements
To be admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Medical Spanish at Elizabethtown College, students are required to take a Spanish placement exam or demonstrate recent completion of a 300-level Spanish course. Students who request admission to the program will be tested through the online Emmersion which provides students with a defined placement level. Candidates for this certificate must have earned a bachelor’s degree and must have previously worked or be currently working in the medical field. An understanding of medical concepts will be required for the successful completion of this program.
Course Listing
- Medical Spanish I**
- Medical Spanish II**
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Interpretation/Translation Skills*
- Latinx Health Issues in the U.S.*
*Four of the five courses in the program will be instructed in Spanish to continue a progression of language development and acquisition that will strengthen a student’s readiness to sit for either exam.
**Medical Spanish I & II are available to take by students enrolled at Elizabethtown College at the undergraduate level and are delivered in a livestreamed, online format.
Meet the Program Director
Sarah Dutton
Program Director, Medical Spanish Program
717-361-1240 | duttons@etown.edu
Sarah Dutton is a Visiting Lecturer at Elizabethtown College who has been teaching and developing the Medical Spanish Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing for over twenty years. In addition to being a Pennsylvania-certified Spanish teacher with a master’s degree in education from Millersville University, she has also worked supervising language teachers and taught courses in Educational Foundations. Additionally, she has worked on case development and delivery of bi-lingual Standardized Patient Education programming through Wellspan Health, helping to enhance provider communication with Limited-English Proficiency patients. Sarah is an avid reader of Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels and an award-winning gingerbread artist in her spare time.
Impact Society
The mission and deep heritage of Elizabethtown College, focused on peace, dignity, service, and social justice, complements our program's intentional and quality approach to healthcare. We believe that healthcare should be accessible, compassionate, and communicative, and that our efforts can make a positive impact on society. Enroll today!
Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298© 2023 Elizabethtown College