Medical Students on Learning Medical Spanish

Paulo G. Peña, Gillian Reynoso, and Orlando Acuna, medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, are involved with the Latinx Medical Student Association. They speak about why learning medical Spanish matters, what programs are offered by LMSA, and other resources available for both students and practicing physicians.

Paulo G. Peña is a second year medical student and a co-president of LMSA on campus. He was raised in a biracial household being both Filipino and Ecuadorian. He learned Spanish throughout junior high and high school and continues to develop his medical Spanish skills at UACOM-P.

Gillian Reynoso is a second year medical student and co-president for the LMSA chapter at UACOM-P. Growing up in Mexico allowed Gillian to have an appreciation for her culture. As she pursued medicine, she knew she wanted to serve the Spanish speaking communities that raised her and found herself in a unique position as a future bilingual physician.

Orlando Acuna is a first year medical and vice president of the LMSA chapter. Orlando was born and raised in west Phoenix and had the opportunity to live in Mexico for four years where he was able to perfect his Spanish-speaking abilities and develop his Spanish reading and writing skills. He gained insight into the cultural differences between his two native countries, which allowed him to better understand the healthcare disparities that exist across our communities.

About the show: Hosted and produced by John McElligott. Arizona Physician magazine and podcast are brought to you by Maricopa County Medical Society. This episode is sponsored by Bahbah Sobers Wealth Management and FirstNet, built with AT&T.