Medical Spanish II:

The ICM Interview in Spanish

Overview: This course is designed for the medical student who has had some previous exposure to the
Spanish language (i.e., took some classes in high school or college, or completed Medical Spanish I last
year). Students should already possess basic communication skills in the present and simple past tenses.
Any student who has not previously taken Medical Spanish at KSOM should take the placement exam to
ensure placement in the correct class level.
Students will learn to conduct a complete medical interview in Spanish, based on the interview
structure taught to Year I & II students in the KSOM Introduction to Clinical Medicine course. Each class
session will focus on a specific segment of the ICM interview, using that portion of the medical history as
a unifying theme to teach/review relevant vocabulary, grammatical constructions, and cultural
competency topics. Students will practice conducting the medical interview in Spanish with classmates,
teaching assistants, and Standardized Patients. There will be a strong emphasis on oral comprehension.
Learning Goals: Upon completion of this course, students will:

Understand the structure and purpose of the complete medical history;

Communicate regarding activities and events occurring in the present, past, and future, using
the relevant verb tenses with increased accuracy;

Correctly use the verbs ser and estar as translations of the English verb to be;

Understand and correctly use the verbs gustar and doler;

Understand and correctly use vocabulary relating to the medical history, including: basic human
anatomy and physiology, diseases, medications, allergies, activities of daily living, sexual
activity, and family relationships;

Be able to conduct a complete medical history in Spanish, including: demographic information,

chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, psychosocial
history, sexual history, and review of systems;

Demonstrate awareness of cultural competency issues pertaining to specific parts of the medical
interview;
Integrate the above knowledge, skills, and attitudes to successfully obtain a focused medical
history in Spanish in a manner that demonstrates respect for the patient at all times.
Session Topics:
1. Introducciones y la queja principal (Introductions & Chief Complaint)
Intro: structure of ICM interview and flexibility of order of topics
Review Grammar: present indicative, agreement, in/formal, pronouns
Relevant phrases for introductions, patient comfort, privacy, CC
2. Historial de la enfermedad actual (History of Present Illness)
Vocabulary: external anatomy, PQRST, medications, allergies
Review Grammar: present progressive, analytic future, comparisons
3. Historial mdico del pasado (Past Medical History)
Vocabulary: internal anatomy, major illnesses, surgeries, vaccinations.
Review Grammar: preterit, imperfect, present perfect
4. Historial familiar (Family History)
New Vocabulary: major hereditary diseases: kidney disease, hypertension, mental illness,
cardiac disease, diabetes, TB, cancer, arthritis
Review Vocabulary: numbers, family relationships
Review Grammar: phrases for asking ages, birth/death dates, uses of tener

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5. Historial social General (Social History - part 1: People, Home, Life Experiences)
Vocabulary & Phrases: living situation, people in patients life, travel history, military
service, level of education, occupation, other major life experiences
Review Grammar: direct and indirect pronouns, subject pronouns
Cultural Competence: Concepts of family structure
6. Historial social La vida diaria y las emociones (Social History - part 2: Daily Life & Emotions)
Vocabulary & Phrases: Activities of Daily Living, diet, exercise, habits, vitamins, herbal
supplements, alternative health practices, alcohol and drugs, emotions, sources and relief of
stress, spirituality/religion, mental health (depression, anxiety, suicidality), support systems
Review Grammar: reflexives
Cultural Competence: Common traditional/alternative medicine beliefs and practices; beliefs
and attitudes about mental health
7. Historial social Vida sexual (Social History part 3: Sex)
Vocabulary & Phrases: sexual activity and practices, sexual relationships, men, women, or
both?, contraception, STDs, sexual dysfunction
Cultural Competence: How to approach questions about sexual activity with
respect/sensitivity
For the Review of Systems section, lectures will address asking about symptoms and diseases using
language that is accessible to the patient. There will be a focus on oral comprehension, differential
diagnoses, and cultural prevalences. No more new grammar will be introduced.
8. Repaso de sistemas General, la cabeza y el cuello (Review of Systems General, Head and
Neck)
Vocabulary & Phrases: General (Skin, Hematologic, Endocrine), Head, Ears, Eyes, Nose,
Throat, Neck
9. Paciente Estndar (Standardized Patient Workshop) Attendance is mandatory.
Students will be assigned a specific time slot to participate in a group interview with a
Standardized Patient in Spanish. This will replace the regular class session for this week.
Students must wear appropriate professional attire, including white coat, for the SP session.
10. Repaso de sistemas El sistema nervioso y el sistema musculo-esqueltico (Review of Systems part 3: Nervous & Musculoskeletal Systems)
Vocabulary & Phrases: Neurologic and Psychiatric, Musculoskeletal
11. Repaso de sistemas El trax (Review of Systems - part 4: Thorax)
Vocabulary & Phrases: Breasts, Respiratory, Cardiovascular
12. Repaso de sistemas El abdomen y la pelvis (Review of Systems - part 5: Abdomen & Pelvis)
Vocabulary & Phrases: Gastrointestinal, male genitourinary, female urinary
13. Repaso de sistemas El sistema reproductivo de la mujer (Review of Systems - part 6: Female
Reproductive System)
Vocabulary & Phrases: Menstruation, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, breasts
14. Repaso (Review)
15. Examen Final (Final Exam)
Course Structure: Each class session is two hours, with the exception of the first 2 weeks, which will be
one hour each. Beginning with the third class, each session will begin with a 1-hour interactive lecture led
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by the instructor, immediately followed by a 1-hour Conversation Lab led by the Teaching Assistants.
During the Conversation Labs, students will complete activities in pairs or small groups to develop their
ability to conduct a medical interview in Spanish.
Elective Credit: This is an official elective for Year I & II medical students at the USC Keck School of
Medicine. Students who choose to enroll in the course will have their participation noted in their Medical
Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). As with all other components of the Year I-II curriculum, this
course is graded Credit/No-Credit.
Requirements for receiving credit: In order to successfully complete Medical Spanish II, the student:
May not miss more than two (2) class sessions without valid excuse (see below).
Must participate in Standardized Patient workshop (scheduled during one class session).
Must complete 5 video assignments.
Must successfully complete an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) with a Standardized
Patient in Spanish. The student will be asked to obtain a focused medical history in Spanish.
(He/she should be prepared to do any parts of the history.)
Absence Policy: The policy for excused absences for this course will follow the policy outlined in the
KSOM Student Handbook. If a student must miss a class session (beyond the 2 allowed absences), a
Standardized Patient workshop, or an exam, an excused absence will only be granted for emergencies
(personal illness, family illness or death, participation in a university-sponsored event, religious holiday).
The student must contact the instructor as soon as possible regarding the absence.
How to Enroll: The first two class sessions are open to all interested Year I-II medical students, so that
they may decide if they wish to enroll in the course. Attendance will be taken at these sessions. Following
the second class session, students with no absences will be eligible to be enroll in Medical Spanish II by
the Curriculum Office. Final enrollment will be limited to 40 students.
Course Materials: For each class session there will be a handout that includes: learning objectives, a
vocabulary list, a grammar summary (if relevant), and example sentences. These handouts are available
on Blackboard and must be memorized/studied before their corresponding class.
Recommended textbooks:
Conversational Spanish for Health Professionals (3rd ed.) by Rochelle K. Kelz. ISBN
0827367759. This book is "like a Bates for Medical Spanish" (i.e., an excellent text that will aid
your practical understanding of the material).
Spanish Grammar book the above text has many examples, but few grammatical explanations.
Therefore you may wish to select a grammar book to aid your studies.
Medical Spanish pocket dictionary Although the above text includes an extensive list of
vocabulary, it is not very portable.
Schedule: Available on the system schedules, and myMedWeb.
Contact Information: For questions or concerns about the course, please contact the instructor, Dr.
David Zaraza: zarazua@usc.edu or the KSOM Curriculum Office.
Note: Note: This syllabus may be subject to changes.

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