Health professionals and students of the health professions understand that because the Spanish speaking population in the US is growing at a steady rate and many Hispanics have very limited proficiency in English, the need for doctors, nurses and other health professionals who can communicate directly with patients is critical. This 15 credit certificate will give participants a solid grounding in oral and written medical Spanish proficiencies and strong cultural competence in order to deal effectively with Spanish speaking patients. This will be done through the advanced study of medical terminology in Spanish and the creative use of Spanish language in simulated conversations that enact real professional medical settings. 

The Certificate of Advanced Spanish for the Health Professions and First Responders is open to all students specializing in the Health Professions at the University of Akron (majors in the College of Health Professions, BS/MD, Premed, biology, psychology, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, chemistry, pre-physical therapy, first responders, etc.). Currently enrolled UA students who wish to pursue the certificate must have completed 202 (or equivalent) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in Spanish. Admission for all others seeking the certificate is contingent on satisfactory performance on an Oral Proficiency Interview conducted by a member of the Spanish faculty. The certificate may be earned along with the Spanish minor and major.

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