Medical Students as Medical Spanish Standardized Patients for Peer-to-Peer Communication Skills Practice and Feedback

Date of Review: January, 2026

This MedEdPORTAL article describes a peer-reviewed educational module that trains Spanish-speaking medical students to serve as standardized patients (SPs) for peer-to-peer Medical Spanish communication practice. Implemented in two phases, the program first prepared students at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine to portray patient cases and provide structured feedback, then paired them with mainland U.S. medical students in virtual simulated clinical encounters. Phase 1 showed an increase in confidence among student SPs who underwent the training. Phase 2 demonstrated that US mainland learners were satisfied with the quality of the trained SPs’ performance and feedback. The article includes detailed training materials, assessment tools, and implementation guidance, making it replicable for other health professions educators – and adaptable to different institutions, settings, or languages.–Cody Ellis, MD, NCEAS

Institution:

the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

Where was the Curriculum Implemented:

Puerto Rico and US Mainland (virtually)

Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:

Self-reported learner attitude

Measured learner behavior in simulated setting

Outcome and Study Design:

Pre/Post

Level of Learner Assessment

Appreciation of content/attitude assessment (self-reflection, blogging with rubric)

Demonstration of skill in a controlled environment (OSCE, Simulation)