Ana created a Dental Spanish curriculum, implementing it through the four years of the UAB School of Dentistry curriculum with the support of the administration. To achieve this goal, she first developed content for four (4) lectures with voiceovers focused on teaching basic dental Spanish to aspiring dentists. With faculty involvement, she delivered all the lectures to the D2, D3, and D4 classes and has introduced the first lecture to the D1 class who will begin phasing in the material in a more consistent fashion. Ana also created an associated cheat sheet for each lecture so that students could utilize the material in the clinic. An IRB application was approved to survey the students on their thoughts and comprehension of the Spanish to improve the lectures moving forward.

As a result of the program:

• Introduced Dental Spanish material to 282 pre-doctoral dental students
• Developed 4 lectures to introduce Dental Spanish, focusing on common patient interactions
• Created methods to measure efficacy of the material implemented, including an IRB-approved study of the comprehension and perceived value for each lecture
  • 265 students (94%) believed this material was important for them to learn
  • 251 students (89%) improved comprehension
  • 166 students (59%) now feel comfortable using the material with Spanish-speaking patients

Ana’s project will be sustained by course directors who will continue to offer the material alongside their own content in order to mirror the lectures first-year dental students are receiving in their regular classes so that most content will be delivered before patient care starts.

“What the Fellowship has taught me is that I shouldn’t be satisfied with the “norm”. It is my duty as a healthcare professional to care for all my patients, especially those who are underserved, and to seek out the issues that my community faces. It is no longer acceptable, if it ever was, to be complacent and let my patients suffer when there is something I can do about it.”