University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Curriculum Proposal Form #3
New Course
Effective Term:
2147 (Fall 2014)
Subject Area - Course Number: Spanish 371
Cross-listing: N/A
(See Note #1 below)
Course Title: (Limited to 65 characters)
Spanish for Health Professions
25-Character Abbreviation:
Spanish for Health Prof
Sponsor(s):
Jodie Parys
Department(s):
Languages and Literatures
College(s):
Letters and Sciences
Consultation took place:
NA
Yes (list departments and attach consultation sheet)
Departments:
Programs Affected:
Is paperwork complete for those programs? (Use "Form 2" for Catalog & Academic Report updates)
NA
Yes
Prerequisites:
will be at future meeting
Spanish 321 and 322 OR Spanish 320
Grade Basis:
Conventional Letter
S/NC or Pass/Fail
Course will be offered:
Part of Load
On Campus
Above Load
Off Campus - Location
College:
Letters and Sciences
Instructor:
Jodie Parys
Dept/Area(s): Languages and Literatures/Span
Note: If the course is dual-listed, instructor must be a member of Grad Faculty.
Check if the Course is to Meet Any of the Following:
Technological Literacy Requirement
Diversity
Writing Requirement
General Education Option: Select one:
Note: For the Gen Ed option, the proposal should address how this course relates to specific core courses, meets the goals of General Education in
providing breadth, and incorporates scholarship in the appropriate field relating to women and gender.
Credit/Contact Hours: (per semester)
Total lab hours:
Number of credits:
0
3
Total lecture hours:
Total contact hours:
Can course be taken more than once for credit? (Repeatability)
No
Yes
If "Yes", answer the following questions:
No of times in major:
No of times in degree:
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No of credits in major:
No of credits in degree:
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48
48
Proposal Information: (Procedures for form #3)
Course justification: This course was originally created as a Special Topics course because of strong student
interest and demand for the topic, which resulted in several independent studies on Medical Spanish in the years
prior to the creation of the Special Topics course. It was offered for the first time in Fall, 2011 and then again in
Fall, 2013. Both semesters, the class was at or near capacity and received very positive evaluations and feedback
from the students, including a score of 4.8 out of 5.0 in Fall 2011. Based on this sustained interest in a course in
Spanish for Health Professionals, as well as a future plan within the Spanish Program to develop a minor in
Professional Spanish, we are requesting that this course be offered as part of the regular course rotation to meet
continued student demand.
Relationship to program assessment objectives: There are four primary goals and objectives for the Foreign
Language Programs. All four of these will be incorporated into this course and will be assessed, both formally and
informally, in the course in the following manners:
1. Proficient Oral Communication Skills: Students will work in each class period in pairs, small
groups, and one-on-one with the instructor to practice the skills of oral interpretation. This will
also be formally assessed through an oral interpretation assessment on both exams.
2. Proficient Written Communication Skills: Written communication skills will be assessed
through translation exercises, written assessments on the formal exams, and one final research
paper that will be written entirely in Spanish.
3. Proficient Interpretive Communication Skills (Reading and Listening): With each lesson,
students will listen to several dialogues relating to the medical topics of each chapter and will be
assessed on their interpretive listening skills. Further, students will have several reading selections
in each lesson and will be assessed, both orally and in written form, on their interpretive reading
skills.
4. Knowledge of Cultural Practices and Perspectives: Cross-cultural understanding is an essential
skill for medical translators and interpreters. For this reason, cultural practices and perspectives
will be presented in each chapter, through readings, dialogues, additional research, a midterm
presentation, the final paper topic, a special module dedicated to cultural competency, and finally,
through several presentations by guest speakers.
Budgetary impact: This course will be taught by faculty or academic staff within the Spanish program, affecting
overall Spanish program staffing needs and arrangements.
Course description: This course is a Spanish language course geared toward individuals studying or working in
health-related areas. The course is devoted to the study of medical Spanish terminology and the cultural issues
related to successful interactions with Spanish-speaking patients and their families in the clinical encounter. It will
introduce the student to a wide array of vocabulary particular to the medical field, as well as help the student develop
a cultural understanding of medicine and illness in the Spanish-speaking world to prepare for potential work with
Spanish-speaking patients in future careers in medicine, nursing, social work, translation/interpretation, or mental
health settings.
If dual listed, list graduate level requirements for the following: N/A
Course objectives and tentative course syllabus: See attached syllabus
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Spanish for Health Care Professionals
Spanish 496
Fall 2013
Instructor: Jodie Parys
Office: 3130 Laurentide Hall
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1-2, Tuesdays 1-2, and other times by appointment
parysj@uww.edu
262-472-5070
Description: This course is a Spanish language course geared toward individuals studying or working in healthrelated areas. The course is devoted to the study of medical Spanish terminology and the cultural issues related to
successful interactions with Spanish-speaking patients and their families in the clinical encounter. It will introduce
the student to a wide array of vocabulary particular to the medical field, as well as help the student develop a cultural
understanding of medicine and illness in the Spanish-speaking world to prepare for potential work with Spanishspeaking patients in future careers in medicine, nursing, social work, translation/interpretation, or mental health
settings.
Objectives: The course will:
1. Introduce the student to Medical Spanish terminology encompassing a variety of fields.
2. Address cultural issues that may affect the clinical encounter with Spanish-speaking patients and their
families.
3. Examine the conceptualization of medicine and illness in the Spanish-speaking world.
4. Introduce students to bilingual professionals working in this field to discuss future training, certification and
job opportunities.
5. Provide students with the opportunity to shadow an interpreter in the local or regional community and
reflect upon that experience.
Required Texts for Purchase (UWW Bookstore):
1. Chase, Robert and Clarisa Medina de Chase. An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers, 3rd
Edition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010.
2. Herrera McElroy, Onyria and Lola L. Grabb. Spanish Medical Dictionary. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
4th Edition, 2010.
Additional Resources (optional): Note: Excerpts from several of these texts, among others, will be used in
class and will be available via D2L:
 Armus, Diego, ed. Entre médicos y curanderos. Cultura, historia y enfermedad en la América Latina
moderna. Buenos Aires: Grupo Editorial Norma, 2002.
 Armus, Diego, ed. Disease in the History of Modern Latin America: From Malaria to AIDS. Durham, NC:
Duke University Press, 2003.
 Cardenas de la Peña, E. Terminología médica. McGraw-Hill, 1996.
 Jarvis, Ana C. and Raquel Lebredo. Spanish for Medical Personnel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
 Kelz, Rochelle K. Delmar’s English-Spanish Pocket Dictionary for Health Professionals. Albany: Delmar,
1997.
 Picardo-La Vallée, Olimpia. Basic Medical Spanish. The University of Texas Medical Branch of Galveston,
10th edition, 1999.
 Rogers, Glenn T. English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary. McGraw-Hill, 1997.
 Rush, Patricia. Spanish for HealthCare, Textbook and Workbook. Prentice Hall, 2003.
 Kelz, Rochelle K. Conversational Spanish for Health Professionals. 3rd (or latest) ed. Albany: Delmar
Publishers, 1999.
----. Delmar's English/Spanish Pocket Dictionary for Health Professionals. Albany: Delmar Publishers,
1997.
 Cotton, Christina E., et al. A su salud! Spanish for Health Professionals. New Haven: Yale UP, 2005. (2
DVDs and 1 CDRom)

Online resources:
http://www.medicalspanishpodcast.com/
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 http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/medical-spanish
 http://www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org/
 http://www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org/certification/standards.html
 http://www.omniglot.com/links/index.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation_studies
 http://www.atanet.org/careers/index.php
 http://www.healthcareinterpretercertification.org/certification/apply-now/136
How your grade will be determined:
Your active and consistent participation will be required during each class period. You will also be responsible for
working each day outside of class to learn as much as possible about the field of Medical Spanish through readings,
assignments and research that you will share in class. This class will also require significant amounts of
memorization to learn the active vocabulary.
Class Attendance and Active Participation: 20%
You are expected to be in class each day. Much of the material presented in lecture is only available from lecture,
and class discussion will provide additional insights into how the assignments can be successfully completed. Some
of the classes will include group activities, video segments, guest speakers, etc., that will be impossible to make up.
 Attendance will be taken at every class and 3 points will be deducted for every unexcused absence.
For an absence to be considered "excused" you must inform your instructor prior to class. Excused absences
include participation in a university-sanctioned event, the death of a family member, serious illness and
natural disaster. We may require written verification to support your excuse.
 Outside Preparation
Plan on spending at least 6-9 hours per week outside of class. You will need this time to read the text and
articles, memorize and practice the terminology, complete homework, research examples to illustrate the
lessons we’re studying, prepare team projects, and study for exams.
Homework and Journal Entries: 20%
You will be assigned homework from the textbook and other sources. Your answers to this work must be typewritten and turned in during the class on the due date. No late work is accepted. Additionally, you will be asked to
keep a journal in which you will share examples of Medical Spanish that somehow relate to the topics being explored
in class. You will also write reactions to the guest speakers’ presentations in your journal. This journal should be
type-written and will be shared orally in class and handed in for review on a regular basis.
Exams: 20%
There will be 3 exams worth 100 points each
Oral Presentation: 10%
There will be one presentation based on your individual research project. More detailed information will be
forthcoming.
Final Research Paper: 20%
You will research a topic related to Medical Spanish and write a final 5-page paper in Spanish that incorporates at
least 10 academic sources and follows APA or MLA guidelines. This will be due on the last day of class. More
detailed information will be provided in class.
Site visits/Shadowing an Interpreter: 10%
You will be required to shadow a medical interpreter during the last week of class (Monday and Wednesday) for a
minimum of 2 hours total. Students will be provided with a list of possible sites in the local and regional community
and will be required to establish contact and arrange a mutually agreeable date to shadow the interpreter. You may
choose to shadow the interpreter more frequently, but this will be up to you to arrange with your chosen site. You
will need to write a reflective journal about your experience.
Special Note: Plagiarism is NOT tolerated. Academic honesty requires that all course work a student presents to
an instructor honestly and accurately indicates the student’s OWN academic efforts. It is inappropriate to engage
in any activity that might constitute academic misconduct. Some examples include, but are not limited to:
1.
Cutting and pasting from another paper or the internet without proper citation
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2.
Paraphrasing from the web or other sources without crediting the source
3.
Using another person’s words, ideas, or research and presenting it as one’s own.
4.
Using an online or other translation service.
Warning: I may use Turnitin to verify that you have submitted an original paper. If you are found to have
plagiarized, you will receive a 0 on the assignment and will be referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary
action.
Grading Scale (Departmental):
93-100 A
90-92 A87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 Dbelow 60 F
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive, and non-discriminatory learning
environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with
University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious Belief Accommodation,
Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events. (For details, please refer to the Schedule of Classes:
the “Legal Issues” section of the Undergraduate Catalog
http://www.uww.edu/registrar/docs/2004_2006_catalog.pdf and the “Graduate Policies, Procedures and University
Information” section of the Graduate Catalog http://www.uww.edu/gradstudies.catalog2002/Gradpolicies.htm as
well as “Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures” [UWS Chapter 14] and “Student Nonacademic Disciplinary
Procedures” [UWS Chapter 17] at http://uww.edu/stdhdbk/uwsystem.html
Statement approved by action of the University Curriculum Committee on 1/21/05:
"The UW System standard for work required per credit is that students are expected to invest at least 3 hours of
combined in-class and out-of-class work per week for each academic unit (credit) of coursework; thus, a 3-credit
course will typically require a minimum of 9 hours of work per week (144 hrs./semester)."
Organization of the Course
The course is divided into 4 modules:
Module 1: Introduction to Medical Spanish
Module 2: Study of Specific Medical Terminology
Module 3: Cultural Considerations in the patient encounter
Module 4: Resources, Tools and Practical Experience in the Field, including a shadowing experience at a
local or regional medical clinic.
Course Schedule (Tentative)
Week 1 (Sept 4-6)
Module 1: Introduction to Medical Spanish
Week 2 (Sept 9-13)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapters 1-3
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Week 3 (Sept 16-20)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapters 4, 5
Week 4 (Sept 23-27)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers:
Exam 1: Wednesday, September 25
Week 5 (Sept 30-Oct 4)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 6, 7
Week 6 (Oct 7-11)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 8
Week 7 (Oct 14-18)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 9
Exam 2: Friday, October 18
Week 8 (Oct 21-25)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 10
Week 9 (Oct 28-Nov 1)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 11
Week 10 (Nov 4-8)
Module 2: An Introduction to Spanish for Health Care Workers: Chapter 12
Exam 3: Wednesday, November 6
Week 11 (Nov 11-15)
Midterm Presentations
Week 12 (Nov 18-22)
Module 3: Cultural Considerations in the Patient Encounter
Week 13 (Nov 25 -27)
Module 3: Cultural Considerations in the Patient Encounter
Week 14 (Dec 2-6)
Module 4: Resources, Tools, and Practical Experience in the Field
Guest Speaker:
 Discuss certification process
 Discuss practical considerations
 Share resources and future training opportunities
Week 15 (Dec 9-11)
Module 4: Resources, Tools and Practical Experience in the Field

Visit your site and shadow an interpreter

Write a reflective journal on your shadowing experience
Final Paper due
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