Chapter 1 - ¡Bienvenidos y bienvenidas! Welcome and Introduction

Abstract

This chapter will review the importance of building a language-concordant and culturally competent health care workforce and provide an overview of how medical Spanish education serves those principal objectives. We will review guidelines that the reader should apply when using this book as part of his/her medical Spanish learning process. The authors will explain the components of the book and suggestions for how to approach the cases from a cultural and linguistic perspective. The chapter provides the background and introduction needed to most effectively use the book’s cases as a tool for learning, review, practice, and assessment of medical Spanish communication skills.