Spanish-Speaking Resident Physicians in the United States
Aligning Workforce Skill and Population Need
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21748205 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Piedad Ortega (0000-0002-5136-1805, University of Illinois Chicago, corresponding author), Rahardhika Utama (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education), Montserrat Tijerina (University of Chicago), Muveddet Harris (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-17 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1557-1912 • E-ISSN: 1557-1920 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10903-026-01908-w |
| PMID | 41995973 |
| OpenAlex | W7154697189 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 43 |
The growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States experiences disparities in healthcare access and quality due to frequent language discordance between patients and physicians. Prior research has highlighted a deficit in US Spanish-speaking physicians, but the existing Spanish-speaking physician workforce has not been well described. This study aimed to characterize the profile of US Spanish-speaking first-year resident physicians and their distribution relative to the Spanish-speaking population. We conducted a secondary analysis of language data from 107,610 first-year resident physicians between 2021 and 2024, using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Of 107,610 physicians, 46,935 (43.2%) reported speaking Spanish at any level. The largest proportion of Spanish-speaking physicians reported basic proficiency (43.7%, 20,504/46,935). Only 22.7% (10,661/46,935) self-assessed as advanced/native, the levels most consistent with language-concordant care. Physicians who acquired Spanish as a heritage language were likelier to report advanced/native proficiency compared with non-heritage learners (adjusted odds ratio, 44.1 [95% CI, 40.2–48.5], p r = .596). Given the prevalence of physician Spanish-language skills at varied proficiency levels, health and medical education systems should establish clear, evidence-based standards for qualified multilingual clinicians to ensure safe, high-quality care that meets population language needs
Accreditation · Graduate medical education · Health care · Health services research · Odds · Population · Population health · Public health · Workforce · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Global Health Workforce Issues · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare
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I get to relate to my patients
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| Highly cited | No |
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