MedSpanish

  Mexico

• Guadalajara: 
Guadalajara
• Central Highlands: 
Guanajuato,  Dolores Hidalgo,  San Miguel de Allende
• Baja: 
La Paz

Term: Throughout the year 

Description: The PACE-MedSpanish center is located in San Miguel de Allende , a UNESCO World heritage site in the highlands of Mexico. It is one of the most charming cities in Latin America. The center trains health care personnel and pre- professionals in medical spanish, cultural literacy and provides as significant International Health experience. Over 450 health care workers from the US have been trained. The program has also sent MedSpanish students to Baja California, Guatemala, Ecuador and Argentina. The program plans to expand to Panama , Guadalajara, and Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

The center is one of the leading (and few) American Heart Association centers in Mexico and trains Mexican health care -personnel in Basic and Advanced Life Support , Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Heartsaver CPR and First Aid, as well as providing a variety of other emergency medicine training and certification courses throughout Mexico. Additionally, we are the Center for the AAFP Advanced Life Support for Obstetrics program and we provide various levels of conference support throughout Mexico and Latin America. We are, functionally, a Latin American "field station" for emergency medicine development.

Highlights: MedSpanish Students receive 2-3 hour individualized Spanish Lessons with the remainder of the day the working in various clinical settings (Hospitals, clinics and ambulances) perfecting their communication skills. Practicing physicians and other health care personnel (about half are emergency medicine) generally stay 2 weeks. Medical students and residents typically stay 1 month, Summer pre clinical students stay for 6 weeks.

The Medspanish students are allowed to acompany the PACE team when they teach the certification courses.
The MedSpanish marketing and Public Health Internships are more administrative and program management and development, and occurs in one of the finist cultural environments anywhere.

Qualifications:
* Pre Med / Pre Clinical Program : Presently student in an accredited university in the United States or Canada, First Responder/First Aid or EMT-Basic Training, or Medical School admission. Some Spanish language background highly recommended, but not required. Six week program if less than one year of Spanish on university transcript
* Senior Medical Student : 4th Year US or student, approval from the Dean of
Students for elective credit. Spanish recommended, not required.
* Medical Residency Program elective: PGY1 or higher in USGME accredited program, approval by Residency Program director or GME office, Spanish language background highly recommended
* Practicing health care professional: MD, RN or other heath care professional seeking CME, or CEU Credits.
* Medspanish Marketing intern: Near MBA or post MBA interested in opportunities to learn Spanish and latino culture at a UNESCO world heritage site. Requires 6 month to 1 year commitment. Marketing intern will apply marketing to the Health care provider sector (targeting pre-med, med and nursing students, physicians in specialty training and personnel requiring continuing medical education credits). Would also be liason with Ashoka.org as a social entreprenuerial liason. Room and minimal stipend available for the right canditate. Commission.
* PACEMD Public Interest Intern: Ideal canditate is a near or recent MPH or non profit grant writer, who will assist in securing funding for emergency medicine and maternal mortality impact training and certification programs directed at health care providers in Mexico and Latin America. Intern will also use program evaluation skills. Spanish speaking and cultural fluency is a big plus. Requires 6 - 12 month commitment.

Public Health and Marketing interns are offer housing and Spanish lesseons (or a small stipend). This requires a 6-12 month commitment.

Salary / Pay: Shared housing $400 a month Stipend OR Spanish lessons. Certification in any of our courses (for materials cost only), If eligible. Air fare cost returned after 6 months of internship.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian and European Participants.

Participants Travel to Mexico Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Phone Interview
• Resume
• Transcript

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad

PACE-MedSpanish's Mission Statement: We educate and provide facilitation for the collaboration and inter-institutional medical service during emergencies. We develop programs according to the necessities of the community in emergencies and provide technical assistance in these areas. 1) To be the best Medical Spanish and cutural literacy to US health care providers in a total immersion setting. 2) To develop emergency care in Mexico and Latin America with community based certification and training programs 3) To develop emergency care in US Border regions 4) To develop an outstanding Border and International Medical Fellowship program for Health care providers 5) To develop an outstanding Pre Med/ Pre Professional Student summer program. 6) To develop an extensive network of emergency care providers who wish to work part time in the US and the remainder in international projects (PACE in Latin America)

Year Founded: 2002