If you didn't know already, California has a quite a large Spanish speaking population, and there is a sizable amount of people that speak Spanish only. As a result, it is inevitable that we run into such patients, so we are given a situation where we must carry out the entire eye exam in Spanish. This is especially true when I work at OCLA, which is in South Central Los Angeles, a population that is heavily Hispanic. There will even be days where I have only one English speaking patient out of all my patients of the day!

This makes the exam even more challenging, especially to those who don't know little to no Spanish. I'm already trying to analyze the data of the exam, and on top of that I have to find a way to communicate the findings to the patient in another language. Fortunately, I somehow was able to retain much of the Spanish I learned from high school so I was able to pick up on a lot of the terms. I admit my Spanish grammar is terrible and understanding the patients as they speak quickly can be difficult, but I am able to manage my way through most of the exam. If I ever have issues though, I am able to get a staff member to help translate, especially during the case history and at the end of the exam. So if you plan to go to California for optometry school (or plan to practice here), it would be a good idea to take some introductory Spanish classes if you don't know the language. I'm telling you, it will help you by leaps and bounds!

Here is a very short list of words and phrases that you may find useful:

Do you have any problems with your eyes or vision?
¿Tiene algún problema con los ojos o la visión?

Please read the letters.
Por favor, lea las letras.

What is the lowest line you can read?
¿Qué es la línea más baja se puede leer?

Which is better, one or two?
¿Cuál es mejor, uno o dos?

Look here.
Mira aquí.

Eyes
Ojos

Glasses
Lentes, Anteojos, Gafas

Vision
Visión

Blurry
Borroso

Clear
Claro