A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or
more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two
months apart.
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons
are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have
to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until
the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each
lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such,
we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final
exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work,
including the final exam.
Week One
Wednesday - Lesson 01
¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome !) In our first lesson, you’ll master the building blocks of Spanish. First, you’ll discover how easy it is to spell and pronounce words en español. After that, you’ll learn how to count from 0 to 19.
Friday - Lesson 02
La familia is central to Latin American life, and family members play a key role in a patient’s medical care as well. Today you’ll learn the Spanish words for those family members, and pick up some handy phrases for conversing with patients and their families. In addition, we’ll talk about pronouns and explore the role of gender in Spanish.
Week Two
Wednesday - Lesson 03
In this lesson, you’ll power up your Spanish vocabulary by learning the words for colors and directions. In addition, you’ll find out how to count all the way to 199—and you’ll learn six handy prepositions to beef up your sentence-building power.
Friday - Lesson 04
As a medical professional, you’re always in action—so you’ll want lots of action words in your Spanish repertoire! To help you master those verbs effortlessly, I’ll introduce you to my super-simple conjugation system that uses only three tenses (present, easy past, and easy future). In addition, we’ll look at two interesting verbs that mean “to be:” ser and estar.
Week Three
Wednesday - Lesson 05
Today we’ll start zeroing in on the medical Spanish you need to know. We’ll begin by taking a look at the parts of the body, and you’ll learn the words for everything from teeth to toes. After that, we’ll peek inside the body, and talk about internal organs. And finally, we’ll delve into the Spanish vocabulary for common medical conditions.
Friday - Lesson 06
It’s time to visit the doctor’s office, where you’ll learn lots of words for making patients feel welcome. You’ll also discover the magic of the word ¿Cuál? and explore other ways to ask questions. In addition, we’ll talk about Spanish words for hours of the day, days of the week and months of the year—all handy things to know if you’re making appointments for patients!
Week Four
Wednesday - Lesson 07
In an emergency, every second counts—and today’s vocabulary words can help you respond quickly in medical crises involving Spanish-speaking patients. In addition, you’ll learn words for describing medical tests, treatments, and procedures, so you can inform and reassure patients receiving care in the emergency room. And finally, we’ll look at terms you can use to talk with patients and their families about medications.
Friday - Lesson 08
Most patients have routine symptoms and ailments, and in this lesson we’ll add more words to your vocabulary for discussing these common medical problems. In addition, we’ll look at words for instructing patients during a medical exam—and we’ll end off by expanding your toolkit of Spanish words with some new adjectives.
Week Five
Wednesday - Lesson 09
Today we’ll visit the patient care floors and learn words for everything from bedpans to pillows to call buttons. You’ll also discover lots of new words for talking about time, and you’ll find out how to explain visiting hours to your Spanish-speaking patients. Finally, we’ll explore words for feelings—something that will help you soothe patients when they’re sad and celebrate with them when they’re happy.
Friday - Lesson 10
Patients are constantly coming and going—and that means it’s a good idea to know Spanish words for admitting and discharging them! Today you’ll learn a new set of verbs that will help you talk with patients when they’re arriving or leaving. In addition, we’ll look at words for talking about insurance and payments.
Week Six
Wednesday - Lesson 11
This lesson starts with a look at the youngest patients who visit a doctor’s office or hospital: the ones who aren’t even born yet. After we talk about pregnancy, labor, and delivery, we’ll move on to pediatrics and explore words for making your young patients and their parents feel informed and comfortable. As a bonus, we’ll talk about words that’ll get you out of a bind if you don’t understand what a Spanish-speaking patient is saying.
Friday - Lesson 12
Today we’ll finish our journey through the ages and stages of life by talking about adult patients. We’ll look at words for discussing cancer symptoms, tests, and treatments, and explore ways to assess the mental status of a patient en español. In addition, we’ll look at Spanish words for all those diets your patients love so much: low-salt, low-fat, low-cholesterol, and more! And finally, you’ll discover the little word “hay” and find out why it packs a powerful punch.