Is spanish REALLY useful in the medical field?

I am planning on taking a class of Spanish in college and its about $300 a credit at the school I go to, and its a 4 credit class.





Is it really REALLY worth learning spanish for $1200 being taught the right way, through school?





Or is going through google, getting a spanish dictionary, 1 month of practice, all it takes to use spanish in the medical field?|||Long ago, If you planned to go to medical school either Latin or German were two important languages, because so many of the medical terms and readings came originally from texts written in Latin or German.





But, I think modern students can get by without German or Latin.


Spanish is a Latin language, and is most important to deal with non-English speakers, it's the fourth most spoken language in the world, behind Chinese, English, and Hindustani (?).





But, if you want to learn it on the cheap, buy a computer DVD program, so you can hear it spoken, and work interactive tests, better than using a dictionary.





Also, find some Spanish speakers to practice with.


You will find that idioms and "slang" usages make speaking Spanish, much different from "text book" Spanish.





It's not just memorization of words, but using right verb tenses and learning the masculine and feminin endings to Spanish nouns and adjectives that makes it so much different than English.





I've had 4 semesters of college Spanish, two semesters of high school Latin, and once studied Japanese out of a book.


I can read some Spanish, but cannot really speak it, but it's been years since I tried much.


You have to use it, or lose it.|||I work as a network administrator in a hospital and we lost 30 million dollars last year to illegals who came in for the free care they can't be denied by law. Guess what language they spoke? If you are going to be directly involved with their care you better learn it or you will need everything translated.|||Always a new language is a good investment





Spanish speaking community in the US is growing implausably, so being a doctor and speak a little bit of Spanish will surely help ur career.





Take out of ur course as much as u can, think of it as an investment and not purely a requisite.





Exitos!!!|||id get taught, or learn from a computer program. dont use the internet or a basic dictionary.





is it REALLY useful? depends where you are.





will you be hired before someone who can only speak one language fluenty?


yes.