Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions

The Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions assists students interested in pursuing careers in medicine and various health professions, including public health, pharmacy, and other areas in developing linguistic and cultural competencies related to Spanish and the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries. These competencies will assist them in providing services to Spanish-speaking patients and co-workers.

Program Objectives/Outcomes

Students will:

• Further develop their Spanish skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing with a focus on application in a medical- or health-related field;
• Recognize, comprehend, and develop respect for the differences among various types of Spanish and their related cultures;
• Engage in the practice of utilizing various techniques and skills necessary to translate between Spanish and English;
• Develop the ability to work effectively collaboratively.

Minor Requirements

If you have any prior experience with studying/speaking Spanish, please review our Placement Exam information prior to registration.

A minimum of 18 hours will be required for the minor. Students must have completed SPAN 004 INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II or higher in order to take these courses.  Students must have completed SPAN 140 SPANISH PRACTICAL SPEAKING AND WRITING as a prerequisite for courses with higher numbers.

Required Courses: 

• SPAN 135 Spanish Medical Terminology
• SPAN 154 Cultural Health Perspectives

Select two of the following: 

• SPAN 136 Basic Methods of Bilingual Medical Interpreting
• SPAN 139 Applied Spanish Medical Terminology
• SPAN 141 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals

Select two of the following*: 

• BIO 092 Introduction to Ethnobotany
• BIO 145 Selected Topics in Biology
• BIO 196 Biology Internship – with Spanish competence necessary
• HIST 189 US-Mexico Borderlands
• HSCI 104 Global Health
• HCSI 106 Culture Care and Health Literacy
• PHAR 285 Experiential Rotation Block**
• PSY 135 Psychology of Prejudice
• SPAN 136 Basic Methods of Bilingual Medical Interpreting
• SPAN 139 Applied Spanish Medical Terminology
• SPAN 140 Spanish Practical Speaking and Writing
• SPAN 141 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals
• SPAN 153 Culture and Society (focus on Maya)
• WLC 148 Intercultural Communication

Total Hours = 18

* Six elective credit hours are required. No more than three credit hours may be in English. 
** Students must have a CPHS-approved rotation at Primary Health Care in which they use Spanish in order to earn three hours of credit towards the minor. 

Students may not receive both the Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions and the Minor in Spanish Language and Culture. The Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions may be earned in conjunction with the Major in Spanish. 

Note: AP/CLEP/IB/Seal of Biliteracy credits may not be applied toward the requirements for the Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions. These examinations and programs test course material covered in beginning- and intermediate-level Spanish courses at Drake. All Spanish courses that do count toward this minor are upper-level, so AP/CLEP/IB/Seal of Biliteracy credits are not appropriate for the minor.