Preceptor: Victoria Dinsell, MD 
Coordinator: Elizabeth Mendy
Contact: Elizabeth.Mendy@NYULangone.org 

Prerequisites: Intermediate or advanced level of Spanish, equivalent to 2-3 years of high-school Spanish. Student Spanish level is ascertained through an oral interview to participate in the Medical Spanish Course, a required element of the Medical Spanish Longitudinal Elective (MSLE) 

Approval Process

To be eligible to participate in this longitudinal elective, students must first complete the Medical Spanish Course during the first year of medical school. On completion of the Medical Spanish Course, students will be provided with information to register for this elective. Required hours must be completed by January of a student’s graduation year. 

Description

The Medical Spanish Longitudinal Elective (MSLE) provides medical students with the opportunity to participate in sustained language practice and language learning activities relating to providing care to Spanish-speaking patients over the course of medical school. All students participating in the elective will first complete the Medical Spanish Course which counts as a foundation for the elective. Throughout the remaining time in the elective, students will engage in activities from a provided menu of approved Spanish-language activities relating to medical practice. Students may propose additional medical language activities for approval. Over the course of the elective, students will learn about and reflect on their role in increasing provider-patient language concordance to improve patient care. 

Objectives of the Elective

The elective is designed to provide an opportunity for students to pursue Spanish language learning and practice throughout their medical school career. They will participate in guided reflection at the beginning and end of their intentional language study. Elective objectives include:

• To contribute to efforts to increase language concordance and support Limited English Proficiency patients
• To better understand and communicate in Spanish with Spanish-speaking patients
• To further develop students’ professional fluency in Spanish as healthcare providers, and personal identity as a Spanish-speaker, building empathy with Spanish-speaking patients

Key Responsibilities of the student while on the Elective

• Students will fulfill the hourly requirements for language practice or learning required by the elective and submit their activity documentation on time
• Students will complete the required introductory and summary reflections
• Students will complete the exit survey on completion of their elective participation

Didactic Program

The didactic component of the MSLE includes a mandatory reflection related to the students’ motivation for learning Spanish in the medical context, and a summary reflection at the conclusion of the sustained period of language study. 

Method of Evaluation

Students will receive elective credit if they complete all required components of the elective as described below. Their hours and assignments will be managed and approved by Victoria Dinsell, MD and Elizabeth Mendy. The elective is graded Pass/Fail.

 

Activity/Category	Anticipated hours for activity	Required (Y/N)	Maximum hours for activity	Documentation required
Medical Spanish Course (must attend at least 7 of 10 sessions to receive any credit hours, includes 30min pre-work per session).	15	Y	30	Based on registration and attendance records. Participation in the course is required once, students can participate a maximum of twice.
Peer Observation and feedback for MS student OSCEs (6 encounters per OSCE)	1.5	N	6	Faculty sign-off (Max of 4 scheduled OSCEs)
Standardized Patient in MS Course OSCE (Includes SP rehearsal and 6 encounters)	3	N	6	Admin sign-off (Max of 2 scheduled OSCEs)
Spring OSCE participation	1	N	2	Admin sign-off (Max of 2 Spring OSCEs)
Spring Conversation hours	1	Y (3 meetings)	6	Faculty sign-off (Max of 6 conversation hours)
Case Presentation/patient history in Spanish	3	N	9	Upload oral recording of presenting the patient history or present in person at a conversation hour (Max of 3 case presentations)
Required Elective Reflections	2.5	Y (2 reflections)	5	Upload reflection (minimum 1 page)
Reading in Spanish about the first-person patient experience, or the healthcare practitioner experience (from approved book list)	5	N	15	Upload 500-word book summary (Max of 3 books)
Watch and report on a Spanish movie depicting first-person patient experience, or the healthcare practitioner experience, from an approved movie list)	3	N	6	Upload 500-word review (Max 2 movies)
Create patient education materials in Spanish	5	N	5	Upload document (Max of 1)
Shadowing with Spanish-speaking patients	1	N	15	Faculty sign-off indicating # of hours (Max of 15 hours)
Humanities Spanish Seminar, includes reading, discussion and writing in Spanish (Seven 1.5hr sessions, 1hr pre-work per session)	20	N	20	Admin sign-off
Asylum Clinic Student Volunteer with Spanish client (includes observing trauma-informed psychiatric or medical asylum evaluation, with Spanish translator and faculty, drafting affidavit with faculty evaluator)	5	N	5	Asylum Clinic directors sign off (Max of 1 Asylum Clinic case)
Certification in Spanish at Bellevue or Tisch	2	N	4	Upload approval document
Reflection essay on SRF or other elective using Spanish	3	N	6	Upload reflection

The Medical Spanish Longitudinal Elective (MSLE) is offered as a longitudinal experience. Students must complete a total of 70 hours comprised of the above elements. The MSLE will count as 2-weeks of elective credit.

The MSLE is one of NYUGSoM’s longitudinal electives. The maximum amount of longitudinal elective time that can count towards the graduation elective requirements is 2-weeks.

Scheduling Information
Months Offered: All Year (Longitudinal) 
Report To: Victoria Dinsell, MD, and Elizabeth Mendy, MA MPH 
Students Per Period: Unlimited 
Duration: Longitudinal