Spanish Immersion

Wendy: Welcome to another addition to Momentum where we share ideas on how you can gain and sustain momentum in your career. I am Wendy Walden. Today I am speaking with Rufus Perry, Department Head at the Buck Mickel Center otherwise known as our Continuing Education Division. And Rufus is going to share with us a program to Mexico. It’s a Spanish study program for professional health care and without further ado let's go ahead and jump right into the program. Rufus welcome.

Rufus: Thank you

Wendy: And I am delighted that you could join us and share with us all the exciting things that is going on in your area. Tell us about the trip. I know it’s to Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Rufus: Very good

Wendy: Did I say that correctly?

Rufus: I think you did probably, as well as I say it.

Wendy: laughs. Okay give us the important facts

Rufus: Well the trip is to Cuernavaca, Mexico. And Cuernavaca, Mexico is 50 miles south of Mexico City. So we will not be going to a touristy location. We will be going to authentic Mexico. It is a Spanish Immersion trip for health care professionals in the Upstate. They will learn Spanish language as it relates to their health care profession in clinical patient practices.

Wendy: okay

Rufus: They will also learn quite a bit about Mexico social and ethnic nuances and hopefully come back with a greater understanding as to how to take care of their Mexican and Spanish patients here in the Upstate.

Wendy: That sounds wonderful. Let's quantify that. When you say professionals, health care professionals are we talking surgeons, MD's or are we talking anyone that works in a health care facility; such as an office manager, medical assistant?

Rufus: Wendy we are talking about all of them.

Wendy: Okay

Rufus: We are talking about Doctors, surgeons, nurses, practitioner, social workers, administration support. Anyone who has contact with patients. Anyone who has contact with patients is qualified to go.

Wendy: Which is important to know.

Rufus: Absolutely and anyone who has an interest in learning the Spanish language and more about their country.

Wendy: You know that the Upstate has become so diverse and continues to become diverse so this is really important that we are able to offer something like this to sort of bridge the gap if you will.

Rufus: absolutely

Wendy: So tell us what will the students will actually learn and how will they apply it to their day to day office duties, if you will?

Rufus: Okay, well the trip is ten days long. The students will learn Spanish, basic Spanish. I don't mean that they will come back from the trip fluent in Spanish but they will come back knowing basic Spanish that they can apply in the health care setting. Our Spanish classes there will concentrate on health care terminology so they will learn terminology there that they will bring back and use in the hospitals, and the clinics and doctors offices here. In addition to that we have enough cultural and historical trips planned so that they will feel that they have actually been immerged in that culture. They will come back with a better understanding of various nuances and any kind of ethnic diversity there which we feel will make them better able to serve their clients here in the Upstate

Wendy: Which is really good and it is important to mention to their not going to come back and be fluent within that ten days in Spanish and in health care but they will be able to communicate a little bit better with the Hispanic if you will

Rufus: Absolutely

Wendy: patients which is a very important thing.

Rufus: Hopefully they should be able to communicate much better to the point where they will understand what the patient is saying to them about their condition or their ailment and be able to respond so that the patient will understand them.

Wendy: Now let's talk about housing. Where will the students be housed? Will there be a hotel? Will it be a resort? Describe for us.

Rufus: Okay, it will be at a multi-cultural center named Experiencio Cultural Center. It is a combination of a hotel and a training center. It was established in 1977 to educate Mexicans in the English language and to educate foreigners in the Mexican language. And I have looked at pictures on the website and I have talked to some people who have been there before and it appears to be a training entity with a villa like appeal. And I don't mean this is a five star resort but I do mean that there’s a pool there. There are beautiful gardens and flowers. There is a fully stocked library there. There is a TV room with internet connection. Classes are held both inside and outside the facility and it appears to be a very beautiful, beautiful location.

Wendy: it sounds like it has all the amenities that someone would need to you know just to go down and just enjoy the sights and just enjoy the hotel and live very comfortably for the ten days.

Rufus: Yea, but yet be immerged in a very intense learning environment. That is what will be there.

Wendy: I know you are going on this trip which is great. I wish I could go also but is there going to be an instructor on the Mexico side that will also oversee the trip and the studies and make sure everybody is well taken care of and the program is running according to plan and scheduled?

Rufus: Oh, yes. From the time we arrive in Mexico City until the time we depart, we will have a lead instructor that will be on site at the Cultural Exchange Center that will make sure that all the classes go according to schedule. That has set up everything up for our trips we will take away from the center. And then Greenville Tech has two personnel who will be going also. But we will be fully escorted from the time we arrive until the time we depart.

Wendy: So protection so security is not really an issue

Rufus: No it’s not.

Wendy: Wonderful. When is the trip departing? When is it? Give me the dates if you will

Rufus: We leave on October 5th and we return October 15th

Wendy: Okay if people are interested how do they get in touch with the right folks? Is it you or

Rufus: they can get in touch with me. Yes I welcome any calls about the trip.

Wendy: Great. Now is there a screening process. Are there certain documentations that are needed by individuals to go on the trip such as a passport? I am sure there is. Any other documentation?

Rufus: Yes those who travel with us will need a passport and I emphasize that they apply for a passport early because of the problems we have now with getting passports.

Wendy: It’s a lengthy process.

Rufus: And as far as attending the trip with us, they need to give me a call. There is an application form for international travel they need to complete. And then I would like them to come in and we sit down and talk about the trip.

Wendy: Now you recently hosted a trip to India from CE with a joint effort from also the college curriculum side. Tell us about that.

Rufus: It was a wonderful experience. It was the first continuing education trip and we spent ten beautiful days in India. We took a look at business and industry there. We just studied everything. We studied Religion, History, and Archeology. We looked at all the famous sites. We just came back a much better group.

Wendy: The photos were absolutely wonderful.

Rufus: The photos don't do it justice.

Wendy: I am sure it does not. Now do you plan on hosting other trips within CE?

Rufus: yes

Wendy: Or is this going to be one or a very few.

Rufus: No, as a matter of fact I plan to host many trips in CE and it’s my goal that we will have a trip every semester.

Wendy: Wow

Rufus: Three times a year and each trip should be something different and special but with an emphasis on education.

Wendy: got you

Rufus: so that the participants coming back will have enjoyed visiting the country or area but they will come back with a skill or a knowledge that they did not leave with.

Wendy: That they can apply in what they currently do

Rufus: Absolutely

Wendy: That is wonderful. Now can you let the cat out of the bag a little bit and tell us where some of these trips may be leading to or be going to.

Rufus: Well, if I must Wendy I will.

Wendy: laughs

Rufus: I expect we will probably have a study aboard trip maybe to some spot in Europe. I am thinking Italy.

Wendy: Great

Rufus: And Greece

Wendy: Wow

Rufus: Or maybe something in China.

Wendy: Oh, very exciting

Rufus: And Latin America possibly.

Wendy: Very good, very good. Now you are also the Department Head for the Real Estate area if you will. What’s on the rise in there? Very seldom do I get the opportunity to actually speak with you on camera about your program so give me a little bit of a highlight of what happening in real estate area.

Rufus: Well real estate is one of my major program areas and Wendy I can't say that anything so different is happening in that area. We do have a very, very strong Real Estate school at the Buck Mickel Center. So many people out in the community, believe it or not are not aware that we have a Real Estate school there. What we train individuals to become Real Estate Sales Agents, to become Real Estate Brokers, to become Real Estate Appraisers, Property Managers, and Home inspectors. So it’s a very comprehensive program.

Wendy: And it is a very strong program I might add.

Rufus: yes it is

Wendy: yea, any other areas you host or you are responsible for you want to touch on today.

Rufus: Well yes I am also responsible for Certified Purchasing Management and that is for individuals that are employed in the purchasing and Procurement field and that is a very strong area. I would also like to talk about the Trades program that I have with so many employees being displaced and needed to get back into a job field quickly we have a number of trades courses that a student can come in and get saleable skill in 90 days and actually get back into the work field again.

Wendy: That’s the quick jobs

Rufus: Yes it is

Wendy: That’s the quick jobs. We've touched on that quick jobs and with a quick jobs have a host of programs that is included in that; such as the heath care if you will. A lot of the health care programs fall under that and as you just mentioned to. So wonderful programs and Rufus as always it’s great talking to you. I know your trip to Mexico is going to be a sell out. How many spots are you?

Rufus: 14

Wendy: 14 spots so it’s a first come fist serve

Rufus: absolutely

Wendy: and we have gotten a lot of interest and a lot of inquires already about the program so we expect it to be sold out pretty early on so if you are interested certainly give Rufus a call at the Buck Mickel Center. The number is 864-250-8276. And Rufus as always thank you so much and good luck with the trip.

Rufus: It’s my pleasure

Wendy: Well this is going to do it for this addition of Momentum. If you are interested in learning about any programs that are offered at the Buck Mickel Center give us a call at 864-250-8800 or visit us on line at gtbmc.com. Thanks for watching.