{"id":151758,"date":"2026-03-25T12:41:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=151758"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:41:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:41:24","slug":"ucf-college-of-medicine-leads-the-way-in-bilingual-medical-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-college-of-medicine-leads-the-way-in-bilingual-medical-training\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF College of Medicine Leads the Way in Bilingual Medical Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new Spanish-language program offered in UCF\u2019s College of Medicine<\/a> will better equip its students to serve patients in Florida \u2014 a state that ranks among the top four in the country for Latino populations and Spanish speakers.<\/p>\n

UCF is the first medical school in Florida offering Spanish language certification through the national Physician Oral Language Observation\u202fMatrix exam.<\/p>\n

The exam establishes the physician has demonstrated comprehension, vocabulary and pronunciation skills in Spanish to provide care to patients without an interpreter.<\/p>\n

Three students have passed the exam already, four are awaiting results and 11 more are on the path to complete it. Two of the certified students recently found out on Match Day<\/a> they are staying in Florida for their medical residency programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exam represents a meaningful milestone because it validates that a student can provide safe, language-concordant care in clinical settings,\u201d says Analia Castiglioni, assistant dean and director of the Spanish language program.<\/p>\n

Elevated Care for Florida\u2019s Patients<\/h2>\n

Data shows that communications problems are the most frequent root cause of serious patient safety events such as mismanagement of medications. Patients with limited English language proficiency face higher levels of such risk.<\/p>\n

The College of Medicine offers Spanish as its language focus to meet the state\u2019s healthcare needs. Florida ranks as one of the top four states in the country for in Spanish speakers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 22% of Floridians report speaking Spanish at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the care team and the patient share a common language, something important happens,\u201d Castiglioni says. \u201cTrust develops more quickly, patients share more complete information, and care becomes safer and more compassionate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not Your Average Spanish<\/h2>\n

Fourth-year medical student Rodolfo Rodriguez came to Florida from South America when he was young and spoke Spanish and English at home. While he is bilingual, he needed to learn medical Spanish to be a more effective physician.<\/p>\n

\u201cHousehold Spanish is much more casual and you\u2019re not using terms that are prevalent in the medical field,\u201d Rodriguez says. \u201cThere are also words that don\u2019t directly translate the same, like \u2018stroke.\u2019 In Spanish, you wouldn\u2019t say \u2018stroke\u2019 you\u2019d say \u2018accidente cerebrovascular\u2019 which literally means \u2018cerebrovascular accident.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He wanted to specialize in rehabilitative medicine after witnessing his father recover from a motorcycle accident. Last week, he matched into the University of Miami\u2019s physical medicine and rehabilitation program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m overjoyed, and I know my dad is too,\u201d he says. \u201cMany people here in Florida don’t speak English as a first language, so being able to use my medical Spanish to help these patients feel comfortable through the rehab process is something I know will make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

The training is equally as valuable to non-native speakers like fourth-year M.D. candidate\u202fElizabeth\u202fDurkin. She\u202fsays\u202fUCF\u2019s structured program helped strengthen the Spanish\u202fskills she studied throughout her education,\u202fand she wants to continue\u202fbuilding her proficiency. She passed the national\u202fcertification,\u202fand this summer will begin her\u202fneurology\u202fresidency in neurology at\u202fHealthONE\u202fin\u202fEnglewood,\u202fCO.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to speak directly with\u202fnon-English speaking patients has\u202fbeen a goal of mine for a long time,\u201d says Durkin, who used to translate doctor\u2019s visits for her Russian-speaking grandparents. \u201cI\u2019d like to say I did this to honor my family and my grandparents.\u201d<\/p>\n