Learn Medical Spanish: Books, Certification, Online Classes, Immersion Trips, Interpreting & More
Why learn medical Spanish?
Because it makes a huge difference in the lives of your Spanish only patients when you can connect with them in their language (even if you only know basic medical Spanish phrases). Additionally, there are more reasons to learn medical Spanish in Colorado (and across the USA):
- First of all, you can physically see the sighs of relief when you use your medical Spanish with patients to establish a positive rapport and understand their situation.
- Secondly, you have more confidence and insight on patient conversations when using your interpreters because you know some basic medical Spanish and common medical Spanish phrases for high frequency ideas that you need to communicate.
- Additionally, many nursing jobs prefer candidates with some level of bilingualism, and most nursing schools don’t have space in their schedules to provide medical Spanish courses.
- Finally, Common Ground’s Spanish teachers are extremely engaging and fun to learn medical Spanish with, so our courses are low-stress and high-impact.
Free Medical Spanish Masterclass: Sign up here to join us in JanuaryRegister for the 4 lesson Medical Spanish Masterclass
The best resources to Learn Medical Spanish for the healthcare is Common Ground International! Since 2001 we’ve been providing Spanish training and language services that help Spanish-only patients connect with their healthcare providers. Patients understand their conditions and treatment options, and receive better quality care because the medical team they’re working with can speak their language.
We work hard to help you learn medical Spanish. For example, we write articles and language tips to help you navigate the responsible use of Spanish with your patients. In fact, many of the blog posts are “Video Viernes” free medical Spanish lessons. Additionally, we address frequently asked questions and common mistakes that students make in our Spanish for healthcare courses.
The best medical Spanish books and study resources for anyone in healthcare looking to learn medical Spanish. We have curated a list of resources that we approve of and believe are useful to you. Furthermore, our books help you in your endeavor to learn more Spanish for your clinical work with patients.
A new certification for the healthcare industry is coming soon. This bilingual certification for healthcare reduces costs and improves the quality of care that Spanish-only patients receive. This is an advanced level certification because it blends Spanish fluidity and accuracy with cultural savvy and assesses your ability to do your job in Spanish. This is a certification for clinical staff, not administrative staff.
Turnkey online medical Spanish courses for universities and healthcare programs wanting to integrate Spanish for healthcare into their curriculum. Firstly, these courses can be credit bearing or non credit bearing, pass/fail or graded courses. Secondly, all of our faculty have graduate degrees in Spanish or a related healthcare field. Therefore, we are well-equipped to become an integral component of your faculty.
See more info below…
Live-taught and pre-packaged online medical Spanish courses open for registration. Our live-taught online medical Spanish Courses are taught by our instructors abroad so that you have conversations with native speakers. And our pre-packaged courses are taught by our senior medical Spanish instructor, Rory Foster.
We open our immersion trips to healthcare workers and students of all Spanish levels trying to learn medical Spanish. We help you gain proficiency in Spanish so that you can give back to local communities in need. Immersion trips currently run 2 times a year in Central and South America (Costa Rica & Ecuador). Dates are February-March and June-July, so you choose what works best for you! These are not clinically focused medical missions because we want you to use Spanish in a wide variety of contexts. Our focus is on language proficiency development while we deliver community and public health outreach to local communities in need.
Learn Medical Spanish with us on Medical Spanish Immersion Trips to Ecuador and Costa Rica:
1-2 weeks in length
3-6 weeks in length; you choose!
1-6wks total trip length
Learn Medical Spanish with us Online: Online Medical Spanish Courses
Medical Spanish: Intermediate Listening Comprehension
Using Ser & Estar in Medical Spanish Conversations: Online Course
Using Present Tense in Medical Spanish: Online Course
Using Past Tenses in Medical Spanish: Online Course
Complete Guide to Taking a Medical History in Spanish
Medical Spanish Masterclass
Medical Spanish Pronunciation
Beginning MMS: Beginning Medical Spanish Course Online
Mastering Medical Spanish: Online Medical Spanish Course
Advanced MMS: Advanced Medical Spanish Course Online
Beginning Spanish for Pharmacists
Intermediate Spanish for Pharmacists
1:1 Online Medical Spanish Classes
Free Medical Spanish Masterclass: Sign up here to join us in JanuaryRegister for the 4 lesson Medical Spanish Masterclass
Stay connected with Common Ground’s Medical Spanish Community
Join our Learning Medical Spanish Facebook Group
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Free Medical Spanish Lessons & Terminology Downloads
Our goal is to help you improve your Spanish for free, so please use and share these free tools to learn Spanish terminology. These video lessons and downloads are completely free, so get yours today and share this page with your colleagues & coworkers who want free Spanish terminology as well!
Free Weekly Medical Spanish Lessons! Sign up here to get Video Viernes LessonsMost Fridays throughout the year we publish a free lesson for you.
We have packaged up free medical Spanish lessons just for you, so we hope you enjoy them! Some months we’ll publish free Spanish lessons every week. However, other months when we’re on medical Spanish immersion, we publish less content. Enjoy, and additionally, don’t forget to share with your colleagues!
Medication adherence and follow up conversations in Spanish
In this medical Spanish lesson you’ll learn 7 great questions to give you insight into how closely your patients are adhering to their treatment plan. For each question, we also share some follow-up questions and suggestions for your patients. The 7 questions suggested by the AAFP to know how closely they’re adhering…
Discussing side effects of medications in Spanish
In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about possible side effects of the medications your patients are taking and what to do if they experience those side effects. Pay careful attention to: The 20+ common side effects in Spanish in the lesson The Spanish names for the 19 most commonly…
Usted Commands and Medication Instructions in Spanish
This is lesson 4 in our series of Medications and dosing instructions in Spanish. In this lesson, you will learn how to put these common medication verbs into the USTED command form: Agitar – shake Alternar – alternate Aplicar – apply Beber – drink Contener el aire – hold your breath Cortar…
Discussing Medication Forms and Dosing Frequencies in Spanish
In this free medical Spanish video viernes lesson, you’ll learn how to give clear medication instructions in Spanish. You’ll learn common forms of medications (pills, tablets, creams, injections, etc) and useful dosing frequencies like: # of times a day, at specific hours, when needed, etc. Medication Forms in Spanish: El elixir =…
Medication classes & their uses in Spanish
In this week’s medical Spanish lesson, you’ll learn the names of various classes of medication. You will also learn common verbs that describe what medications do. Additionally, we look at the top 10 prescribed meds in the USA and give a simple description of each that includes what it is: ¿Qué es?…
Survey says…. Simple medication instructions in Spanish
Here is how you can form simple medication instructions in Spanish: Starter phrase Medication use Medication form Timing phrase Hay que…Tiene que…Necesita…Es importante…Debe…Puede…Favor de… AplicarDarleDarseInyectarleInyectarsePonerTomarUsar El inhaladorEl jarabeEl medicamentoEl parcheLa cremaLa pastillaLa tableta Antes de…Después de…En la mañanaEn la tardeEn la nocheTodos los díasTres veces al díaUna vez al día Some easy…
How to talk about weight management in Spanish
In today’s lesson you’ll learn how to talk about weight management in Spanish. This is lesson 5/5 of our well visit / routine visit series – thank you so much for all of your input over the last month! In this video, you’ll learn: Diet, exercise and weight-related vocabulary in Spanish How…
Well Woman Visits in Spanish
This is lesson 4/5 in our Spanish Well Visits series. Well Woman visits and gynecologic exams review all sorts of topics, but in this lesson we focus on: Spanish vocabulary to talk about: anatomy, symptoms, periods, pregnancies, sexual activity & sexually transmitted diseases / infections. Questions to talk about periods Questions to…
How to Discuss Cancer Screenings in Spanish
In today’s video viernes lesson, you will learn how to talk about cancer screenings in Spanish. Specifically, here is what today’s lesson covers: Cancer screening vocabulary in Spanish How to discuss the idea and importance of screenings in general Breast cancer screenings in Spanish Cervical cancer screenings in Spanish Colon cancer screenings…
Blood Pressure Management in Spanish
Lesson 2 in our routine well visit series is all about blood pressure management and hypertension in Spanish. In this lesson we’ll cover: Important vocabulary for blood pressure conversations in Spanish What blood pressure is and how to talk about the ranges of blood pressure Complications and risks of not controlling blood…
Discussing Lab Tests in Spanish & Lab Results in Spanish
The most requested topic for our series of Routine & Well Visits in Spanish is how to talk about different lab tests and lab results in Spanish. In this lesson you will learn how to describe and discuss the results of the following tests: Blood sugar tests in Spanish CBC blood test…
Medical Spanish Well Visit Series
Thank you for taking the Well Visit survey over the last couple of weeks! Here are the results and the topics that we will cover over the next 5 weeks as we close out 2020 together. In this series, we will be learning how to talk through the following topics and scenarios…
Discussing ADD and ADHD in Spanish
ADD in Spanish is “TDA: el trastorno de déficit de atención” and ADHD is “TDAH: el trastorno de déficit de atención e hiperactividad”. In this post you’ll learn how to talk about ADD & ADHD in Spanish. Specifically, you’ll learn: A description in Spanish of ADD and ADHD General and specific symptoms…
Discussing PTSD in Spanish
PTSD in Spanish PTSD is lesson 4 in our 5-lesson series on discussing mental health in Spanish. If you missed the previous lessons, be sure to check out the lessons on: depression, anxiety & substance abuse. In today’s lesson on PTSD in Spanish, you’ll learn about: Una descripción del trastorno (a description…
Discussing Substance Abuse in Spanish
In today’s lesson, we’re addressing topic #3 from the mental health survey that our community members asked to learn about: addiction & substance abuse in Spanish. Here is the Discussing Substance Abuse in Spanish lesson that I taught on YouTube and to our Facebook group: As we learn to talk about addiction and…
Discussing Anxiety in Spanish
This is Lesson 2 of 5 in our Mental Health in Spanish series. In this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to talk about anxiety in Spanish with your patients: Hablar sobre la ansiedad. In this lesson we’re looking at: Tipos de ansiedad / Types of anxiety Síntomas de la…
Discussing Depression in Spanish
This is Lesson 1 of 5 in our Mental Health in Spanish series. In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to talk about depression with your patients in Spanish: Cómo hablar sobre la depresión en español con tus pacientes. In this lesson we’re looking at: The SIG E CAPS…
Giving Clinical Recommendations in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to give clinical recommendations in Spanish and how to start using the subjunctive: Cómo dar recomendaciones clínicas en español y empezar a usar el subjuntivo. This lesson will provide you with two ways to give clinical recommendations in Spanish: one for beginners…
Upper Respiratory Infections in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to talk about upper respiratory infections in Spanish: Infecciones de las vías respiratorias superiores. We will be talking about: Respiratory symptoms / Síntomas respiratorios Related Anatomy / Anatomía relacionada Examination and analysis / Exámenes y análisis Questions to rule out causes /…
Discussing Contraception Options in Spanish
When you talk about contraception in Spanish, you generally cover a handful of subtopics: cost, effectiveness, any STI protections, OTC vs prescriptions, etc. So in this free medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to discuss various aspects of contraception, including: Efficacy of preventing pregnancies How long a particular method lasts and/or…
Tú Commands in Spanish for Healthcare and Clinical Interactions with Young Patients
Medical Spanish Tú commands are a little bit tricky. When you work with kids in the clinical setting, you use commands all the time. Simple things like: “open your mouth”, “say ah”, “follow my finger”, etc are all commands. The tricky part of Tú commands in Spanish is that the affirmative (+)…
Usted Commands for Medical Spanish in the Clinic
Giving instructions, suggestions and requesting things is a daily aspect of working with patients. In order to say something like: “sit down, please”, “follow me”, “wait here for a moment”, “breathe deeply”, “breathe normal”; you have to use the command form in Spanish. So in this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will…
2 Medical Spanish Ways To Say “For How Long” & “How Long Ago” in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn: How to use “¿Cuánto tiempo hace que… ?” and “¿Hace cuánto que…?” Examples in the clinical setting to start using these phrases Here is the “For How Long” and “How Long Ago” in Spanish lesson that I taught on YouTube and to our Facebook…
36 Medical Spanish Transition Words to Use in The Clinical Setting
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how 36 Medical Spanish Transition Words Notes TODAY: Palabras de transición para español médico. In this free Medical lesson you will learn: What is a transition word Types of transition words Examples to be used in the clinical setting Here is the 36…
Medical Spanish – How to Get Your Word Order Straight in Spanish
Do you ever feel like you know exactly what you want to say, and you have all the right words in Spanish, but you just can’t get them out in the right order? In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to get your word order straight in Spanish: Cómo…
Medical Spanish Adverbs of Location, Frequency & Manner
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to say use some medical Spanish adverbs of location, frequency and manner: adverbios de ubicación, frecuencia y manera en español médico. In this lesson you will learn: What an adverb is Adverbs of location in Spanish (The sloth lives up in the…
How To Talk About Coronavirus in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to talk about the Coronavirus in Spanish with your patients: Cómo hablar sobre el Coronavirus en español. In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn: Characteristics of the Coronavirus How it is transmitted Symptoms and Treatments Vulnerable populations How to prevent…
Mental Health Conversations in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to have Mental Health Conversations in Spanish with your patients: Conversaciones sobre salud mental. Here is the Mental Health Conversations in Spanish lesson that I taught to the Facebook group: Download the Mental Health in Spanish Notes TODAY In this free Spanish Medical…
192 Must Know Spanish Verbs for Healthcare
Verbs are the glue that stick all of your Spanish vocabulary together and allow you to string together complete thoughts in Spanish. In this lesson you will learn 192 essential verbs for Spanish communication in clinical settings. Here is the 192 Must-Know Spanish Verbs for Healthcare lesson that I taught to the Facebook…
High Blood Pressure and Hypertension conversations in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to have high blood pressure and hypertension conversations in Spanish: Presión alta e hipertensión. Here is the High Blood Pressure and Hypertension conversations in Spanish that I taught to the Facebook group: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see all of our lessons and get…
Media Use in Children and Adolescents – Anticipatory Guidance in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to talk about media use amongst children and adolescents in Spanish: Consumo de medios, tiempo de pantalla y redes sociales. In this lesson, I teach you how to discuss the following in Spanish: Common social media, TV and screen time vocabulary. Risks…
Smoking, Vaping & Tobacco Cessation in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson, you will learn how to talk about smoking, vaping, and tobacco cessation in Spanish: Fumar, vapear y dejar de usar tabaco. In this lesson you will learn: Tobacco-related vocabulary Tobacco risks for unborn babies Tobacco risks for babies and children Risk factors to start using tobacco…
Motivational Interviewing in Spanish
The first thing to learn is the different terms used in English and Spanish: Motivational Interview is Intervención Motivacional. In some Spanish speaking regions is also acceptable to say Entrevista Motivacional. These intervenciones motivacionales help people to control and talk through their own behaviors in order to be able to improve their…
Weight Loss and Management – Anticipatory Guidance in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to talk about weight loss and management anticipatory guidance in Spanish: Orientación temprana para controlar peso y evitar obesidad. Last week, we started this “Orientación temprana” topic talking about anticipatory guidance for diabetes. This week, we talk about weight loss and management…
Giving Spanish Anticipatory Guidance in Diabetes
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to cover the main details about anticipatory guidance in diabetes – and doing it in Spanish: Orientación temprana para diabetes. In this free medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to give anticipatory guidance in diabetes and discuss the following: How to…
2 Medical Spanish Pronunciation Rules to help you ACE medical Spanish words
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn two easy rules for making sure you’re pronouncing medical Spanish words properly. These 2 medical Spanish pronunciation rules apply to all Spanish words as well, and they’re especially great for all of you learners who are learning new vocabulary through self-study with your…
Learn Medical Spanish – Taking Family Medical History in Spanish
Family Medical histories in Spanish are an important aspect of gaining a patient’s complete medical history. In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn: Vocabulary for family members in Spanish Additional vocabulary for hereditary illnesses in Spanish Common questions regarding family history in Spanish Here is the Medical Spanish lesson on…
Learn Medical Spanish – 7 Easy Phrases for Communicating Treatment Plans in Spanish
In this free Medical Spanish lesson you will learn 7 easy phrases for communicating treatment plans in Spanish and being able to talk about them with your Latino patients. These 7 easy phrases include: Talking about future plans Explaining steps or instructions the patient must take Explaining things the patient has to…
7 Medical Spanish uses for PARA in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson teaches you 7 Medical Spanish uses for PARA in Spanish: ¿Para qué sirve PARA? 🙂 Last week, we learned how to use POR, so now it’s time to learn how to use PARA in Spanish in the medical setting, so that you can speak confidently with your Spanish…
6 Medical Spanish Uses for POR in Spanish
If you are not a native Spanish speaker, I’m sure 100% sure that you sometimes have to guess about whether you should use Para or Por in Spanish. In this lesson I help you figure out when to use POR in Spanish as we focus on using por in the medical setting.…
Tener Expressions – 13 Things You ARE in English but HAVE in Medical Spanish Contexts
This Free Medical Spanish lesson teaches you 13 Tener expressions, so that you know when to use HAVE in Spanish vs BE in English. These 13 tener expressions are used in everyday spoken language. However, the problem is that sometimes we just translate them literally into Spanish and they don’t make any…
Top 10 Prescription Medications Described in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson teaches you how to talk about the top 10 prescription medications described in Spanish: Top 10 medicamentos recetados descritos en español. In this medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to explain what each prescription medication is, their functions, how to take them and their side effects. Here…
Learn Medical Spanish – How to Explain Top 10 Hospital Procedures in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson teaches you how to explain the top 10 hospital procedures in Spanish to your Spanish speaking patients: 10 procedimientos hospitalarios más comunes. For each procedure, I discuss what the procedure is for. In this medical Spanish lesson you will learn how to explain the following hospital procedures in…
Medical Spanish Conditional Verbs and Patient Conversations
This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on learning how to use Medical Spanish conditional verbs during conversations with patients: Verbos condicionales en español médico para conversar con los pacientes. The conditional tense helps you sound more pleasant when giving instructions and making requests in Spanish. In this medical Spanish lesson you will learn:…
Learn Medical Spanish
Free Medical Spanish lesson This free Medical Spanish lesson focuses on learning how to express numbers, dates and vital signs in Spanish: Números, fechas y signos vitales en español. Numbers in Spanish form an integral part of the basic patient intake, and it’s crucial to be able to understand large numbers for…
Learn Medical Spanish – Patient Intake Questions in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on learning how to ask Patient Intake Questions and talk through patient intake information in Spanish: Preguntas para Ingresar al Paciente. In this lesson you’ll notice that talking through basic patient demographic information on your intake forms requires a good command of numbers and requires special focus…
Learn Medical Spanish – How to ask “Have You Ever…?” questions to your patients in Spanish
Have you ever is a great phrase that gives you insight into your patient’s history with a given problem or his/her medical history. This free Medical Spanish lesson focuses on learning how to ask questions to your patients using the Have You Ever… in Spanish: ¿Alguna vez ha….? In this lesson you…
Learn Medical Spanish – 16 Organs and Their Functions in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on talking about 16 organs and their functions with your Spanish speaking patients: los órganos y sus funciones. In this lesson you will learn about: The name of these 16 organs in Spanish. The main function of each of them to be able to explain it to…
Learn Medical Spanish – Talking About Palliative Care in Spanish
This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on talking through initial conversation around palliative care in Spanish with your Latino patients: Atención paliativa. Palliative care is a delicate topic as you speak with patients with severe illnesses and you definitely want to make sure you’ve got language support with you as you are discussing…
Learn Medical Spanish – Talking through Signs and Symptoms in Spanish with your patients
This Medical Spanish lesson focuses on talking through the different signs and symptoms in Spanish your patient could have when they see you in the clinic. In this lesson you will learn about: Two important Spanish verbs you need to learn in order to talk about signs and symptoms in Spanish. Useful…
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