Number
703
Name
Assessing Language Proficiency in a Medical Spanish Program
Date & Time
Monday, June 16, 2025, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location Name
Exhibition Hall C
Presentation Topic(s)
Technology and Innovation
Description

Learning a second language can be incredibly beneficial in many fields, but particularly in the healthcare industry where effective communication with patients is critical. Clinical professionals and health providers who can communicate with Spanish-speaking patients are in high demand, as Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the United States, and over 40 million people in the country speak it as their primary language. To help address this healthcare need, the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso requires all students to take Spanish (Medical). Two years of Spanish instruction are longitudinally integrated in alignment with the pre-clerkship phase medical skills course. The main goal of this work is twofold: (1) to show the impact of the instruction using a proficiency test in two takes and (2) to state the main components of a Medical Spanish program located in the pre-clerkship phase. The methodology of this study is a quantitative approach to measure the effect of instruction through their path in the Medical Spanish program. A proficiency test (i.e., Emmersion) is used at the beginning and the end of the instruction. The first take is used to place the students in the right level of proficiency (pretest); and the second take is used as an exit exam for the students (post-test). The results from two cohorts of students (classes of 2025 and 2026) have demonstrated progress from the pretest to the post-test, meaning the improvement of the students’ proficiency. This means the instruction students received has been meaningful to develop proficiency. This study can serve as evidence to other schools trying to implement language programs initiatives as well as to place and assess students in their language proficiency.