Intercultural Competence Seminar

Health care professionals today are serving communities more diverse than ever. As an Earlham student, you will be offered the opportunity for real-world experience with patients at Alivio Medical Center in Indianapolis, the state’s only Spanish-English bilingual medical center. Earlham’s partnership with Alivio will introduce you to the importance of cultural understanding and inclusiveness in health care, no matter which career path you choose.

This intercultural program features three significant educational benefits:

• Participants begin with a two-week seminar on campus led by Earlham professors across the curriculum. The goal is to build intercultural competence through study of interdisciplinary topics:
  • Health care disparities
  • Ethics
  • Religion and health
  • Cultural awareness
  • Medical Spanish

• During the third week, participants job-shadow physicians at Alivio, observing real-life situations of patients who are navigating a culture different from their own. Participants also gain awareness of various roles and professions across the health care fields.

• By completing the seminar, participants obtain certification in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which provides security for safeguarding medical information.