Customer Reviews

Spanish and the Medical Interview: A Textbook for Clinically Relevant Medical Spanish, 1e

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Medical Spanish is, at last, professionally presented in textbook form, enabling English-speaking healthcare practitioners to better understand and be more clearly understood by the growing number of their Hispanic patients. Unlike other texts on the subject, Dr. Pilar Ortega's book and DVD offer a unique look from within. Both her medical knowledge and her Spanish heritage guide and instruct the reader through proper, caring, and legal procedures to ensure equality and humanity in the healing profession. From the basic skills of greeting Hispanic patients, to a progressively complex review of systems and a comprehensive physical exam, SPANISH AND THE MEDICAL INTERVIEW is, indeed, A TEXTBOOK FOR CLINICALLY RELEVANT MEDICAL SPANISH. Dr. Ortega's original illustrations--as the author is not only a physician, but also an artist--enhance her work through vignettes and cultural notes that effectively portray the idiosyncrasies of the Hispanic community, vital aspects defining lifestyle choices and healthcare practices. Sample patient-doctor dialogues and critical-thinking questions at the end of each chapter facilitate oral practice whether in a formal classroom setting or, more informally, during a TERTULIA with a friend or another colleague. Dr. Ortega's initiative to alleviate the healthcare problems of the Hispanic population--as evidenced years ago by the PROGRAMA SALUD she founded while an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University--is now available through her first book and DVD. ¡GRACIAS, DOCTORA PILAR ORTEGA!

I'm a medical student, and I spoke absolutely no Spanish and no other romance languages two weeks before the start of my family medicine rotation, which was in a predominantly rural and Spanish-speaking area. This book has been my savior. I did Fluenz level 1 for a basic introduction to Spanish, and then I worked my way through the phrases and vocabulary in the book, creating online flashcards for myself to remember and learn pronunciation. In 5 weeks, I've gone from not knowing a single word of Spanish to at least being able to struggle through basic encounters, including well child visits, post-partum visits (had to supplement for prenatal visits), going over lab results, and the basics of a complete H&P. The organization of the book by section of H&P is superb and clinically logical. The inclusion of chapters on mental health, preventive health/screenings, and diet has been very useful as well.
The book has a very skimpy first chapter on basics of grammar, so it is helpful to know at least a tiny bit. However, the phrases and vocab are easy enough to remember, mostly follow similar patterns.
One weakness of the book is that while it teaches you how to say and ask things fairly well, understanding what the patient says back is still a challenge if you are not asking yes/no questions.
I haven't tried the DVD yet so I can't comment on that.