UNC's School of Medicine is launching a new training program for Spanish-speaking students in an effort to improve Latino health care in North Carolina.
Twenty-three first-year medical students have been selected to participate in the Comprehensive Advanced Medical Program of Spanish, which is designed to nurture bilingual doctors.
CAMPOS will teach Spanish medical terminology to students and give them hands-on training during their four years in medical school.
To enter the program, students must pass a Spanish competency exam. They must pass a more thorough, skills-based test to graduate.
Dan Reuland, assistant professor of general medicine and head of CAMPOS, said students in the program will learn through both lectures and hands-on experience.
During the lectures, students learn medical vocabulary and study cultural issues. They also receive practical experience at community clinics, where Latinos constitute 25 percent or more of the population.
On Monday, students will begin the clinical portion of the program as part of the general medical school curriculum. All first- and second-year students spend a total of five weeks in practical settings.
Working with physicians in community clinics will give students a chance to practice both their medical and language skills at the same time, Reuland said.
A grant, funded by the Duke Endowment, will provide $125,000 this year and $100,000 during each of the next three years.
