First edition of GMF course concludes with Boston University School of Medicine
With the participation of 10 BUSM first and second-year medical students, this new initiative of the IHCAI Institute was successfully completed. Although IHCAI started its online courses since 2017 with the establishment of its virtual classroom, to train health professionals from the Central American area in evidence-based medicine, this was the first edition that is developed for the teaching of medical Spanish.
The course was called Give Me Five (GMF) and is part of the P010 family of options catalog, which includes various Spanish modalities aimed at students and professionals in the health sciences who need it as a working instrument for their patients.
Taking the technological leap in distance learning was a challenge for the Institute's entire language department. It was taken up with enthusiasm and also with some haste, motivated by the Covid-19 crisis that completely paralyzed the normal flow of students in the high season. However, since some teaching materials had already been modified with the future establishment of this type of course in mind, the jump was easier.
From the total of the 10 BUSM students, after applying the standardized tests to determine the level of Spanish of the participants, 2 groups were formed: The first with 6 students of a beginning level; the second with 4 students with fluent Spanish. Excellent results were obtained in both groups at the end of the 4-week experience. The key to success lay mainly in the commitment and excellent receptivity of all participating students.
The two lines of work were very different, the students with less Spanish strengthened the basic subjects and at the end of the course, they managed to overcome the barrier of the past tenses. The most advanced sailed from the beginning in the sea of the subjunctive and showed interest in cleaning up accumulated vices and weaknesses in their long learning of the language. In terms of the emphasis of the course on the clinical interview, the most beginners concentrated on the correct formulation of questions, on the use of the imperative for physical examination, on the explanation of medical procedures, and on informing the patient of diagnoses and treatments. The most advanced were able to sharpen their skills through the analysis of clinical cases.
At the Institute's management level, special recognition is given to Dr. Franz Biehl and Prof. Alba Vargas, who are respectively in charge of the clinical scenarios and grammar scenarios classes. Without the dedicated commitment and quality of their work, this wonderful experience would not have been possible.
If you are interested in the IHCAI Institute programs do not hesitate to contact us at info@ihcai.org
From the total of the 10 BUSM students, after applying the standardized tests to determine the level of Spanish of the participants, 2 groups were formed: The first with 6 students of a beginning level; the second with 4 students with fluent Spanish. Excellent results were obtained in both groups at the end of the 4-week experience. The key to success lay mainly in the commitment and excellent receptivity of all participating students.
At the Institute's management level, special recognition is given to Dr. Franz Biehl and Prof. Alba Vargas, who are respectively in charge of the clinical scenarios and grammar scenarios classes. Without the dedicated commitment and quality of their work, this wonderful experience would not have been possible.
