Latino Health Care and

Cultural Literacy

While achieving proficiency in Spanish is certainly an important part of the MedSpanish experience, it’s not the final goal. We seek to give students a foundational understanding of Latino health care via firsthand experience. At the same time, we provide cultural literacy training to help future and current doctors operate effectively in an unfamiliar environment where the differences go beyond language.
Health care in Mexico, and among Latin Americans in general, is quite different from what Americans are used to.

Mexico has very high quality physicians and hospitals for the wealthy. Interestingly, healthcare is a constitutional right in Mexico, although resources are scarce for the poor.  The government run facilities that we work with have surprisingly good preventative and educational outreach programs. In addition, Mexico is implementing a “Seguro Popular” to provide health care to the poorest of the poor.  Medical care is developing quickly. There is also a network of practices in traditional medicine that patients may resort to either before or at the same time as they seek modern medical care. We introduce the student directly to this wealth of differences.

An important thing for the student to remember is that we are guests of the Mexican government, and that the resources and methodology are often distinctly different. For that reason, we must be culturally sensitive. Our role is to be respectful at all times; to make ourselves useful while at the same time learning as much as possible about caring for Latino patients.  Ultimately, you will be deferring to our Mexican colleagues.

Cultural literacy is a large part of  MedSpanish  training. To work effectively, you will need to understand the attitudes and mannerisms of both the patients and your Mexican colleagues. Working hours, the relationships between men and women, and insurance regulations are all significantly different from in the United States.
We believe the most effective way to address all of these concerns with limited time is through MedSpanish. We offer the most complete program targeted for medical students and professionals seeking to learn Spanish and expand their ability to practice medicine among Latinos. Additionally, we are the only program that tailors our offerings on an individual basis (in Latin America or at home via internet) to accommodate the tight schedules of practicing physicians.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY CME PORTAL
MEDICAL ANTHOPOLOGY BOOKS -CLICK HERE

If you are interested in this subject, we recommend the following books.  They are required for Medical Students and Residents prior to rotating abroad:

Exploring Medical Anthropolgy - Donald Joralemon
The Latino Patient: A Cultural Guide for Health Care Providers - Nilda Chong (Included in Registration Packet)