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Communicating With Patients Who Prefer a Language Other than English: A Curriculum on Interpreter Use for Medical Students
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Communicating With Patients Who Prefer a Language Other than English: A Curriculum on Interpreter Use for Medical Students

Carolina Gonzalez Bravo, Sofia Ramirez, Kristen E Sandgren, Amy L Conrad and Anna Schmitz
MedEdPORTAL, Vol.22, 11572
2026
DOI: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11572
PMCID: PMC12827796
PMID: 41584376
url
https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11572View
Published (Version of record)Zip file with 5 docx files, 1 mp4, and 1 pdf Open Access

Abstract

Patients who prefer a language other than English (LOE) often face significant barriers in health care. Although national mandates require access to professional medical interpreters (MIs), studies indicate that interpreter services are frequently underutilized or used inappropriately. Moreover, many medical schools lack a formal curriculum dedicated to training students on the effective use of MIs. An educational curriculum was developed for second- and third-year medical students to enhance effective communication using MIs to interact with patients who prefer an LOE. The curriculum included an online module (26 minutes) followed by an in-person workshop (60 minutes) featuring simulated patient encounters with an MI. Pre- and postcourse surveys were administered to assess self-reported knowledge and comfort. Descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney test were used to characterize responses and analyze differences between pre- and postcourse responses. Over 1 year, 131 medical students participated in the curriculum. The precourse survey was completed by all 131 students, and the postcourse survey by 92 students. Scores on all survey items significantly changed, indicating more frequent or confident behaviors related to interpreter use. Postcourse satisfaction was high, with 90% of respondents reporting they were or with the curriculum. This educational innovation successfully addressed a critical gap in medical training by introducing a structured curriculum focused on best practices for working with MIs. The hybrid approach of an online module followed by in-person practice was a time- and resource-efficient way to integrate this information into a busy medical student schedule.
 Adult Communication Communication Barriers Curriculum - trends Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods Female Humans Language Male Physician-Patient Relations Students, Medical - psychology Students, Medical - statistics & numerical data Surveys and Questionnaires Translating

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