Medical Spanish lessons for medical students and pre-med students
Become Fluent teaches medical students and pre-med students the Spanish they use with patients, in private one-on-one online lessons. Each 60-minute lesson is built around your level, from A1 to C1 and above, and around the situations you will meet in clinical training. Your tutor has 15 years of teaching experience and an MA in Romance Languages.
Where you will use Spanish
| Situation | What you say | What you hear |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical rotations | Take a history, ask follow-up questions and explain what comes next. | Patients describing symptoms in their own words. |
| Shadowing and observation | Introduce yourself, ask permission and follow what the care team says. | Fast, informal Spanish between staff and patients. |
| Volunteering and clinic work | Welcome patients, ask for their details and give simple directions. | Questions about forms, waiting times and next steps. |
| Practice patient encounters | Run a full encounter with the structure of a patient visit. | Unexpected answers and changes of subject. |
| Electives abroad | Communicate with patients and staff during a clinical placement. | Regional vocabulary and different accents. |
Sample dialogue: a student takes a short history
| Speaker | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Student | Buenos días. Soy estudiante de medicina. ¿Puedo hacerle unas preguntas? | Good morning. I am a medical student. May I ask you a few questions? |
| Patient | Sí, claro. | Yes, of course. |
| Student | ¿Qué le trae hoy? | What brings you in today? |
| Patient | Me duele el estómago desde ayer. | My stomach has hurt since yesterday. |
| Student | ¿Dónde le duele exactamente? | Where exactly does it hurt? |
| Patient | Aquí, en la parte de abajo. | Here, in the lower part. |
| Student | ¿Ha tenido fiebre o vómitos? | Have you had a fever or vomiting? |
| Patient | Un poco de fiebre, pero no vómitos. | A little fever, but no vomiting. |
| Student | Gracias. Voy a avisar al médico. | Thank you. I am going to tell the doctor. |
A 10-session outline
- Assessment and goals. Your level, your stage of training and the situations you expect.
- Introducing yourself as a student. Greetings, your role and asking permission.
- The chief complaint. What brings the patient in, in their own words.
- Describing symptoms. Onset, duration, location and severity.
- Medications and allergies. Questions and answers about what the patient takes.
- Past, family and social history. Illnesses, family history, work and daily habits.
- Review of systems. Fast, clear yes or no questions across body systems.
- Exam instructions. Commands and questions during the physical exam.
- Explaining next steps. Plain-language explanations and checking understanding.
- A full practice encounter. A complete patient visit with feedback and a plan for the next sessions.
Your plan is adjusted to your level and your training after the first lesson. Ask about rates when you book your free trial lesson.
Practise Spanish in a clinical setting abroad
Become Fluent offers an optional clinical immersion trip for students in the last two years of medical school, and for licensed professionals. See the trip details on the medical Spanish page.
Frequently asked questions
Can medical students take these lessons?
Yes. The lessons are for medical students and pre-med students at any level of Spanish, from beginner to advanced.
Is there an option to practise Spanish in a clinical setting abroad?
Yes. Become Fluent offers an optional clinical immersion trip, open to students in the last two years of medical school and to licensed professionals. Pre-med students mainly shadow and observe on placements. See the trip details on the medical Spanish page.
Are these lessons a clinical or interpreter qualification?
No. The lessons are language training. They are not a clinical or interpreter qualification.
Your tutor
- Ross Torres, founder of Become Fluent
- 15 years of teaching experience
- MA in Romance Languages, University of New Orleans
- Certificate in Spanish-English legal interpretation, San Francisco State University
- Native English and Spanish speaker
These lessons are language training. They are not an interpreter or translator qualification, legal advice or a clinical qualification.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson
Tell us where you are with Spanish and what you want to use it for. Your tutor will plan the first lessons around that.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson