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Program Goals
The Cacha Medical Spanish Institute is a not for profit immersion language program where medical students, resident doctors, and practitioners (for example, physicians, nurses, health care workers and providers) can fulfill their goal to master Medical Spanish. In addition to language acquisition, the participants will gain an appreciation of cross-cultural medicine, and enjoy a vibrant and stimulating experience in Ecuador. This institute is the result of a long standing plan to establish an exchange medical program between the two countries by introducing to medical professionals and health care providers in United States the human resources and physical beauty of Ecuador.
We offer a wide range of clinical experiences for medical students and physicians. Many participants come with a specific community/research project they want to undertake, but projects aren't necessary to have a rewarding experience. From our experience, the individuals who seem to have enjoyed the program the most were usually self-starters and had concrete objectives or goals for their experience. Students should know that the primary goal of Cachamsi isn’t to learn what they would otherwise learn in 3rd year clerkships. When shadowing physicians, sometimes students feel frustrated when they don't pick up on all the clinical nuances of a case. This is okay. Rather than diagnosis and management, the main emphasis is on taking a history, doing a physical exam, and giving patient education in Spanish.
We accept participants at most educational levels and at different medical specialties:
- Medical Students, MD and DO 1-2
- Medical Students, MD and DO 3-4 (We've had many students in the past do Cachamsi as one of their 4th year electives. We're able to complete all the necessary paperwork and satisfy requirements for credit).
- Senior level Pre-Med Students
- Medical Residents, MD and DO (We've had many residents do our program as one of their international health electives. We can complete all necessary paperwork and haven't had any problems satisfying requirement for credit.)
- Nursing, MPH, and PA students / professionals
- Practicing Physicians
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Spanish Classes
The medical Spanish curriculum will cover a wide range of topics from anatomical vocabulary, medical terminology, and procedures to doctor-patient relationship and cultural appropriateness. The student will systematically learn the different grammar structures, providing a strong linguistic base knowledge as he / she progresses in the program.
In addition, the curriculum will also offer the student the opportunity to learn about the traditional indigenous and complementary/alternative forms of medicine. The Hospital Alternativo / Andino in Riobamba is well known for its established program that covers allopathic or biomedicine, indigenous, and herbal/acupuncture medicine.
After arrival to Riobamba, the students will take a language skill proficiency evaluation test. The results of this evaluation will provide the instructor with the pertinent information as to how address the learning needs of the student. The instructional objective is to best tailor the program to the student in order to maximize his/her experience in Riobamba. The Medical Spanish lesson curriculum will be similar to the one used in various US medical schools, that is, anatomical vocabulary, medical terminology, procedures, and cultural appropriateness. The curriculum will also include topics on indigenous medicine, complementary/ alternative medicine, comparative international health, and Ecuadorian health care. The Spanish language instructors are professionals graduated from major Ecuadorian universities or selected Spanish professors from private language schools.
Class size is dependant on the number of participants enrolled in the program each month. During the summer months of June, July, August, class size ranges from 5-10 students per instructor. During the rest of the year, each instructor has about 1-4 students. The program has a maximum enrollment of 22 each month.
Students will spend approximately 2 hours in Spanish classes each day during the week. There are no classes on the weekend since many students wish to use the time to travel. |
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Clinical Preceptorship
Students will have the opportunity to shadow various physician preceptors among different hospitals and clinics in Riobamba. Prior to traveling to Ecuador, the student will submit a list of preceptor preferences based on specialty, prior experience, etc. Arrangements will then be made, prior to the student arrival and according to availability. Students will visit each of the hospitals during the first two days of orientation to get a better sense of the health delivery system in Riobamba. They will then work out a schedule with the program coordinator as to the hours and location sites where they would like to work. Preceptorship time will vary according to the hospital or clinic schedule, preceptorship time may be in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Preceptorship time will start on or around the third day of the program. On average, students spend about 4 hours each day in preceptorships. All precepting physicians are faculty professionals from the following health centers:
Subcentro de Salud Cacha (Clinic)
The opportunity to work in the Andean community of Cacha is a unique aspect of the program and one that participants overwhelmingly enjoy the most. This small clinic serves a vast area of indigenous communities 20 minutes outside of Riobamba. Students may work at the Subcentro, do pediatric checkups at local schools, or put on community programs. Most of the patients are indigenous and don’t have access to a regular physician. More info on Cacha can be found in the Plan Forestal Cacha, a report commissioned by the Federation of Indian Pueblos of the Nation of Puruha Cacha (FECAIPAC) and the Duchicela Foundation, which details the following aspects of Cacha: geography, agriculture, population demographics, economics, and health. We apologize that the document is only available in Spanish. We're currently working on an English summary translation.
IESS Hospital (Hospital del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguro Social)
This busy hospital serves the beneficiaries of the Social Secure System in Ecuador. Workers usually contribute to this non-profit national entity. Students have particularly enjoyed working in the ER and going on ambulance rides. Walking distance from Rincon Aleman: approximately 1.5 miles. Easy bus access as well.
Hospital Alternativo / Andino
This excellent hospital was started in 2002 with the mission of serving patients of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The hospital consists of three areas: Western, Alternative, and Andean. Students may work in all three areas, assisting and observing. Emphasis is on patient satisfaction, holistic care, and affordability. The busiest time is in the morning hours from 8 – 12. Participants may also work the 7pm – 7am shift. Walking distance from Rincon Aleman: approximately .5 miles.
In addition to seeing patients in the clinics and hospitals, we now have standardized patients that participants will be conducting H&P's with in Spanish.
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Sample Daily Schedule
Cacha
8:00 - Pickup at Rincon Aleman or family stay
8:45 - Arrive in Cacha
9:00 - 12:30 - Spend time at the Subcentro, daycares, or high school
12:30 - 2:00 - Lunch
2:00 - 4:00 - Spanish Didactics
4:00 - evening - Free
IESS Hospital / Hospital Andino / Policlinico
8:00 - Walk or take bus to hospital
8:15 - 12:00 - Preceptorship
12:00 - 2:00 - Lunch
2:00 - 4:00 - Spanish Didactics
4:00 - evening - Free
Schedules may change. Depending on the number of students, one group might have their didactic lessons in the morning while another would go to Cacha in the morning. They would then switch the next day.
Weekend Trips
Currently, Cachamsi does not provide scheduling for weekend trips or activities. Usually, students set those up on their own . Some elect to brave the public transportation system when going to the jungle or the beach. Most students use an established tour/travel agency for all of their weekend trips. Tsaitami Travel is a travel and ecotourism agency that services all of Ecuador. Students have used them to arrange hotels, transportation, tours, etc. You may contact Tsaitami Travel at igarrido@tsaitami.com for more information on availability and pricing. |
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