Excellence in Development of Health Care Providers

Abstract

Introduction: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17% of the U.S. population is Latino, with an expected increase to 31% by 2060. It is imperative that we prepare students who will be future health care providers with the resources needed to care for the Latino population, specifically increasing the number of Spanish-speaking health care providers who have some understanding of the Latino culture. There is a lack of health care providers who are educated about the Latino culture and lack mentorship in the development of medical conversational Spanish. Method: The Nicaragua Clinical Experience is a service learning abroad program embedded in an academic setting through the scholarship of cultural immersion, language development, health care, and leadership development of students. Conclusion: The Nicaragua Clinical Experience is a unique academic program that prepares pre–health care majors to provide culturally congruent health care for the Latino population. Clinical Implications: Students are prepared to care for Latino patients through the cultural immersion program and are also introduced to working in “team-based care” multidisciplinary groups to improve health care outcomes.