Online Medical Spanish intermediate

This course follows our proven, successful format, which combines self-study with a number of online meetings and guidance. It is the ideal format for anyone who wants to learn Medical Spanish in a flexible and independent way! Each week, you will be given exercises to complete on your own and assignments to complete with a fellow participant. There will also be several interactive group sessions with a teacher and some of your fellow participants. The sessions are not scheduled on fixed days and times, but are organized in consultation with you so that you can attend regardless of your time zone. Participants from all over the world take part in these courses!

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for anyone who needs to use Spanish for an internship or work in the medical field, such as medical students, doctors, trainee specialists, foundation doctors, and nurses. You should have a command of Spanish at CEFR level B1 or beginner B2. The course is entirely taught online on Brightspace, the online learning platform of the University of Groningen. Therefore, it is important that you have a reliable internet connection and well-functioning video and audio settings.

If you are unsure whether this level is right for you, you can make an appointment for the online consultation to get personal advice from our teacher.

How is the course structured?

Course schedule
You will have access to the online self-study module for ten weeks, with one of our teachers guiding you for eight of those weeks. To stay on track with the course, you should expect to dedicate 4-6 hours per week to self-study, following the course schedule. Each week, you will receive the schedule for the upcoming week. This includes information about planned self-study, speaking and writing assignments, and any tests and group sessions. 

Self-study
Self-study involves reading and listening to dialogues, learning new vocabulary, studying grammar, and completing exercises with answers that you can check. You will receive individual feedback from your teacher on speaking and writing assignments. 

Guidance
There will be no weekly classes in this course, but there will be four short interactive online group sessions with the teacher and a few classmates, where you practice your speaking skills. The online sessions will be scheduled in consultation so that you can participate from any time zone. We also provide an online discussion forum where you can collaborate with fellow course participants and ask questions to the teacher. 

What will you learn in this course?

• Medical communication: describing symptoms, giving diagnoses, and requesting diagnostic tests
• Medical vocabulary: common illnesses, treatments, pharmacology, and hospital settings
• Healthcare context: nursing roles, specialist care, and hospital structure
• Key grammar: pronominal verbs and the present and past subjunctive

What will you be able to do after the course?

• You will be able to communicate confidently in complex clinical settings in Spanish, describing symptoms, requesting diagnostic tests, delivering diagnoses, and discussing treatment options with both patients and colleagues. 
• You will have expanded your medical vocabulary across a wide range of specialist areas, from pharmacology and nursing to hospital management and surgery. 
• You will also have mastered key advanced grammatical structures, including the present and imperfect subjunctive, enabling them to express doubt, recommendation, and hypothesis in professional medical contexts. 
• Finally, you will be equipped to navigate the Spanish healthcare system at a specialist and hospital level, understanding its structure.

Course material

There is no book requested for this course. Course material will be provided during the lessons.

Practical information

• Registration and payment procedure
• Language levels
• Discount schemes
• Following a course and final assessment

Have a look at all our Spanish course options.

€ 360

25% discount for UG and Hanze students
10% discount for UG, UMCG, and Hanze staff

Available dates