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CAMPOS curriculum, by phase of medical school

Foundation Phase | Summer | Application Phase | Individualization Phase

Foundation Phase (first 3 semesters)

Welcome to CAMPOS! An orientation meeting will be held during medical school orientation week and allows incoming students to meet with faculty and other CAMPOS students to learn more about the program.

Orientation

In mid to late August of each of the first two years, a required orientation program is scheduled. The purpose of these meetings is to preview the upcoming year and to set expectations. CAMPOS faculty, members of the North Carolina Farmworkers Program and the CAMPOS staff coordinator attend.

Medical Spanish elective (CAMPOS class)

This elective provides fourth-year credit and occurs on selected afternoons during the Foundation Phase. The meeting times take into account your test schedules and other curriculum activities. Incoming CAMPOS students will be placed in either the intermediate or advanced group, based on language fluency. Students will learn the medical interview and clinical medicine using case and evidence-based materials in Spanish. CAMPOS faculty will serve as teachers for the small groups and Spanish-speaking standardized patients will be utilized for instruction and testing. At selected times throughout the Foundation Phase, both groups will meet together for special lectures and activities related to cultural or Latino health disparities issues. All sessions will be conducted in Spanish and emphasize the spoken language used in clinical encounters.

Students can gain further practice in interviewing and clinical exam skills while working in clinical practices during community weeks associated Patient Centered Care course, if you are at a site which serves Spanish speaking patients. There are three separate weeks scheduled throughout the Foundation Phase.

Clinical Selective

During the Foundation Phase, students will be expected to participate in various clinical selectives at the UNC SOM and Health Care Campus. The main collaboration is with the UNC Center for Latino Health (CELAH) and its UNC Latino Clinic. More information will be provided at the orientation.

Community Service

CAMPOS students are required, as part of their Medical Spanish elective, to perform 20 hours of service to the local NC Latino community during the Foundation Phase of medical school. The goal of the service requirement is to give students a richer understanding of this community and its needs. Travel time to and from the community service and any formalized training your receive in preparation for the event may be applied to the total hours; however, at least 50% of the required hours must be in direct service to the community. CAMPOS has partnered with the North Carolina Farmworker Program which will provide the majority of community service activities. The Farmworkers Program conducts outreach and health education activities to migrant farmworkers in the following nearby communities: Hendersonville, Wake County, Prospect Hill, Moncure and Benson. Students complete an on-line form documenting their service.

Summer between years one and two

Students are free to take the summer off if they like. However, the following opportunities are available:

Immersion Elective

All CAMPOS students are encouraged (not required) to do a month in a Spanish-speaking country on a health or service-related project. There are several UNC –affiliated programs, such as the Honduran Health Alliance and Proyecto Puentes de Salud, are available, as are a number of extra-mural organizations such as Child Family Health International. Students are encouraged to find an existing program that fits their availability, interest, educational goals, and budget. Credit will be given for programs approved by the faculty. Click on Immersion for a listing of additional resources.

Working with NC Farmworkers Program

Summer internships are available through this program. Visit their website for details.

Research

Several UNC faculty have ongoing research program in Spanish-speaking countries. Students make arrangements individually with the faculty member. Elective credit is available.

Application Phase

Clinical Rotations

Several clerkships (obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine, pediatrics) offer wonderful opportunities to work with Spanish-speaking patients and the CAMPOS administration will forward the list of CAMPOS students to all clinical clerkships, asking them to place you at the site with a high prevalence of Spanish-speaking patients. However, you need to take the initiative and contact individual clerkship administrators to be sure you are placed in this sites. To assist you when you sign up for your clerkships at the end of your second year, we will compile and distribute a list of sites developed by CAMPOS students who just completed the clerkships. They will be your best source of information about great sites.

Piedmont Health Services Collaboration

CAMPOS has started a new collaboration with Piedmont Health Services (PHS), https://www.piedmonthealth.org/ for those students who want a focus of their career to include working with the underserved Spanish-speaking population. PHS is a group of Federally Funded Community Centers located in several NC counties near Chapel Hill. PHS provides a full spectrum of health care to children, adults, older adults, pregnant women and has integrated behavioral health services. For further information about the CAMPOS and PHS Clinical Track, please click here.

If interested in this new program, please note it in your required application essay and expand the essay to inform us why this opportunity is important in your medical school education.

Individualization Phase

Latino Health Clinical Elective

All CAMPOS students are required to take this elective that emphasizes clinical work with Spanish-speaking patients at the UNC campus and local partnering private and community-based outpatient centers.

Immersion Elective

Described above.

Final Assessment

In March of the fourth year, there will be a final online educational experience survey and a speaking test done over the phone. Lastly, a CCLA-S – Clinician Cultural and Linguistic Assessment, will be administered.