There are many medical Spanish immersion programs and thousands of Spanish study abroad opportunities around the world – so what makes Common Ground’s Spanish immersion programs so unique?
Several more things that make our programs special…
Our unique Medical Spanish immersion trips – whether you are a working healthcare professional or a healthcare student – place a balanced emphasis on 3 primary components of proficiency developing activities: medical outreach work in Spanish, Spanish classes focused on general and medical terminology, and host family lodging that gives you 24/7 immersion. This balanced approach ensures that our immersion students have unstructured & spontaneous language experiences with their host families (no memorized dialogue could ever prepare you for those conversations), structured time preparing for and delivering educational messages through various service learning projects, and time in a class to sort out the native-paced Spanish input they’re receiving 24/7.
Most Spanish immersion programs that you see online are language school brokers and collect fees from language schools around the world to list their programs on their site. Yes we also work with a language school that we don’t own – but Common Ground is far from just the broker for medical Spanish immersion trips. We work with you from the point you register to the time you get home. Here is a quick peek at our involvement in your medical Spanish immersion trip:
- Pre-departure preparation: Multiple pre-departure webinars together as a group help you anticipate the experience, set your expectations realistically, prevent some culture shock, and prepare for your community involvement. Being prepared with relevant knowledge about the towns and communities in which you’ll be living and working are essential if you want to be a part of a successful medical Spanish immersion program.
- 24/7 access to CGI coordinators and leadership: CGI has its staff and it’s partner medical providers who are always with the immersion group. Why does this matter?
- You have someone you can rely on for logistical help
- You have a Spanish teacher around you all the time for those random language questions borne out of real-life situations
- You have a medical provider close by to assist you in your community work and help you ensure that the medical outreach work you’re doing is always relevant and sustainable for the community
Essentially, the advantages of CGI’s medical Spanish immersion trips boil down the the fact that we walk with you through the experience to help you maximize your learning, and to maximize the benefit that the communities receive through your involvement. You have plenty of autonomy of course, but you take comfort in knowing that the medical work you’re doing in a community level while on your medical Spanish immersion program is not happening in a vacuum. Your medical outreach work is an integrated piece of a larger puzzle that fits together nicely and coherently within the context of multiple interventions throughout the year.
If you’re considering participating in Common Ground’s medical Spanish immersion in Costa Rica, please contact us. The program isn’t for everyone, but if it looks like it might be a good fit for you, we’ll be happy to help you decide one way or the other.
By the way – we think you’re awesome for considering a medical Spanish immersion program. It will really make a difference in the level of care you provide to your patients!
