Primera visita al médico en inglés

Curso de Inglés Práctico para Consultas Médicas

Contenido del curso

Introduction

1
Vocabulario médico en inglés para el consultorio
02:54 min

Visiting the Doctor

Essential Medical Terms

Common situations

Communicate Naturally

Closing

20
Proyecto final: visita al doctor en inglés
00:53 min
21
Cierre del workshop de inglés médico
01:28 min
22
Tell us what you learned in the course

Tomar examen

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0:006:14

Primera visita al médico en inglés

Curso de Inglés Práctico para Consultas Médicas

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Recursos

Going to the doctor in another language can feel intimidating, especially when you don't recognize the vocabulary being used. If you want to learn how to handle a first doctor's visit in English, this guide breaks down the essential terms you'll hear when describing symptoms, filling out forms, and discussing treatments, so you walk in prepared instead of confused.

¿Qué pasa en una primera consulta médica en inglés?

When you arrive without an appointment, the front desk may still fit you in if there's a cancellation. In the role play, a patient who had a bike accident stops by the clinic, hits their head, scrapes their shoulder, and feels pain in their ribs. On top of that, they mention a nagging cough that keeps them awake at night.

This scenario covers the four big areas you'll always face at the doctor: symptoms, paperwork, treatments, and follow up questions. Knowing the vocabulary for each one is what makes the difference between guessing and actually understanding your care.

What should I say at the doctor if I don't have an appointment? Try: "I wasn't able to make an appointment by phone. I just had an accident. Could I see the doctor today?" That phrase works as a polite walk in request.

¿Cómo describo mis síntomas en inglés con precisión?

Symptoms are what you feel, and the doctor needs them in clear words. In the dialogue, the patient uses very natural expressions you can copy:

I hit my head, for a blow or impact.
I scraped my shoulder, for a surface skin injury.
My ribs hurt pretty badly, to describe intense pain in a body area.
I have a nagging cough that keeps me awake at night, for a persistent cough.
Persistent cough, the clinical way to say it won't go away.

Notice the pattern: body part plus a specific verb (hit, scraped, hurt) plus an intensity word (pretty badly, nagging, persistent). That structure is your formula for any symptom.

¿Qué significa nagging cough y persistent cough?

Both describe a cough that doesn't stop, but nagging adds the idea of being annoying and constant, like something that bothers you all the time. Persistent is more neutral and is the term you'll hear from medical staff.

¿Qué vocabulario necesito para hablar de medicamentos y tratamientos?

Here's where the conversation gets technical. The patient mentions taking nighttime cough medicine, and the assistant explains that treatments may differ based on age and that a stronger dose could be prescribed.

These are the key words you want to own:

Medicine: the general term, including generic medicines (sin marca) y prescribed medicines (recetadas).
Treatment: the full plan the doctor designs for you.
Dose / dosage: how much and how often you take something. For example, one pill every four hours or two pills every 12 hours.
Prescribe: when the doctor formally orders a medication for you.
Solutions: the outcomes you're aiming for, ideally the least invasive ones, meaning treatments that don't require entering the body.

Dosage matters because your body reacts differently depending on weight, height, and age. That's why the same cough medicine can come in a smaller or stronger version.

What's the difference between medicine and treatment in English? Medicine is the specific product you take, like a pill or syrup. Treatment is the whole plan, which can include medicine, rest, therapy, or surgery.

¿Cómo lleno un formulario médico en inglés sin confundirme?

Forms are full of words that look simple but have a precise meaning. Two of them appear in the role play and tend to confuse non native speakers:

¿Qué son las allergies en un formulario médico?

Allergies asks whether you have allergic reactions. The assistant clarifies it's only if you are allergic to any medicines, but allergies in general can come from three sources:

Food allergies, like peanuts or almonds.
Seasonal allergies, triggered by pollen in the air during certain times of the year.
Medication allergies, which is what the form is checking.

Doctors ask this to avoid prescribing something that could cause an allergic reaction.

¿Y qué significa anesthesia en el formulario?

Anesthesia is the medication used to block pain during surgery. The assistant tells the patient not to worry about that section because it only applies if you need surgery. If you're going in for a regular consultation, you can skip it.

¿Qué frases útiles me sirven cuando no entiendo algo en la consulta?

One of the smartest moves the patient makes is asking for help with the form. You can do the same with phrases like:

I was filling out the form but didn't understand this question.
I also wasn't able to answer this question about...
Could you help me with this part?

The assistant's response, let me know if you need any help with the form, is also a phrase you'll hear often. Recognizing it tells you support is available, you just have to accept it.

How do I ask a doctor to repeat or explain in English? Use: "Could you explain that again, please?" or "I'm not sure I understood, could you say it in a different way?" Both are polite and clear.

Now it's your turn. When was the last time you went to the doctor, what were your symptoms, and what treatment did you receive? Share it in the comments in English and compare your experience with other students.

Useful Vocabulary

Patient: Paciente
Appointment: Cita
Medical history: Historia clínica
Symptoms: Síntomas
Examination: Examen
Diagnosis: Diagnóstico
Prescription: Receta
Medication: Medicamento
X-ray: Radiografía
Blood test: Análisis de sangre
Urine sample: Muestra de orina
Injection: Inyección
Surgery: Cirugía
Follow-up appointment: Cita de seguimiento
Allergy: Alergia
Fever: Fiebre
Headache: Dolor de cabeza
Stomachache: Dolor de estómago
Cough: Tos
Sore throat: Dolor de garganta
Nausea: Náuseas
Vomiting: Vómitos
Dizziness: Mareo
Fatigue: Fatiga

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

flu: gripe. cold: resfrío.

Night-time cough medicine.
I hit my head and scraped my shoulder.
My ribs hurt pretty badly too.
The treatments can differ based on age.
The last time I went to the doctor was two years ago, because I had a lot of pain in my abdominal part. After some appointments and tests, the doctor found out that I had chronic gastritis. The treatment was to take one pill of medicine for three months.

I want to know why this course dont't have captions

Hi Fabian - the Platzi team is working on this. thank you!

Actually, it has

Familiarizing ourselves with the medical terms:

The medicines could be generic medicines or prescribed medicines. For example: night time cough medicines.
The medicines could be classified by: cough medicines, throat medicines, earache medicines, inside others.
The dosage that is given as part of the treatment could be a smaller or stronger dose. For example: one pill every four hours or two pills every 12 hours.
It's important how our body reacts to the dosage based on your weight and your height.
There are different medical solutions to the treatments. It's hoped that the medical solution is always right. The medical solutions could involve anything serious. For example: surgical procedures. But other ones could be the least invasive treatment, that don't go into the body and just treat the external part of the body.
One person could be allergic to different things. Food products allergies. For example: peanuts or almonds. Plant allergies. For example: pollens. Medication allergies: the doctors always must check if the patient is allergic to certain medications and has an allergic reaction.

I went to the doctor last month, because I felt a little discomfort in my navel. I happen to have an umbilical hernia. The doctor did not send any medicine, he just told me not to lift heavy things.

The last time that I was to the doctor I have an infected ear. For that reason, I couldn’t listen well. My treatment was I vaccine for the pain and antibiotics for the ear.

The last time I went to a doctor was two months ago and it was because I had repetitive symptoms such as dizziness, headache and general discomfort, And the treatments that the doctor sent me was a CT scan to see that everything was fine in the cerebral part and an audiometry to check the ears

Basically, for a few weeks I was doing some calisthenics workouts and as my muscles were being exercised, my chest began to feel some pain. I visited the doctor, and he ordered a few medical tests, some blood tests and a heart exam as well. It took me around one week to complete them and once I finished them, I visited the doctor again for a consultation. During the appointment the doctor diagnosed a heart issue, but it was not something really dangerous, so he recommended that I take some pills for a month which stopped the pain.

What a shame, Diego. Hopefully you're gonna be better in a couple weeks!

When was the last time you went to the doctor?

I went to the doctor last month, and my symptoms were muscle pain. The doctor prescribed a muscle relaxant for three days and physical therapy for two weeks.

Example

Last time that I visited the doctor I had a skin allergy, it was caused by a meal. The treatments were, I had to take two pills every eight hours and I had to drink water a lot because the pills contain a few of secondary effects.

diagnoses daunting: desalentadora symptoms scraped: raspar rbs: costillas nagging: persistente cough: tos dose: dosis injuries: lesiones allergies: alergias anesthisia surgery: cirugía procesures: procedimientos invasive: invasor pollens: pólenes

Síntomas y Lesiones

Nagging cough: Tos persistente y molesta (que irrita continuamente o no te deja dormir).
Persistent cough: Tos persistente (el término clínico estándar para indicar que no cede).
Hit (hit my head): Golpearse / tener un impacto (por ejemplo, golpearse la cabeza).
Scraped (scraped my shoulder): Raspado / rasparse (por ejemplo, rasparse el hombro o herida superficial en la piel).
Hurt / Pain: Doler / molestia (por ejemplo, hurt pretty badly = doler con bastante intensidad).

Medicación y Tratamientos

Medicine: Medicamento / medicina (el producto concreto que tomas, ya sea jarabe, pastilla, etc.).
Generic medicines: Medicamentos genéricos (sin patente de marca).
Prescribed medicines: Medicamentos bajo receta / controlados.
Treatment: Tratamiento (el plan integral del médico, que puede combinar descanso, fármacos o terapias).
Dose / Dosage: Dosis / dosificación (la cantidad de medicamento y la frecuencia con la que se administra).
Prescribe: Recetar / prescribir (la indicación médica formal).
Least invasive (solutions/treatments): Lo menos invasivo posible (tratamientos o procedimientos que no requieren entrar al cuerpo o incisiones).

Formulario Médico y Consulta

Allergies: Alergias (reacciones a ciertas sustancias).
- Food allergies: Alergias alimentarias.
- Seasonal allergies: Alergias estacionales (provocadas por polen, clima, etc.).
- Medication allergies: Alergias a medicamentos.
Allergic reaction: Reacción alérgica.
Anesthesia: Anestesia (fármaco utilizado para bloquear el dolor durante una cirugía o procedimiento).

YO QUIERO EL CURSO DE MEDICINA

Estás en el lugar correcto: este es justamente el taller de inglés médico.

Para empezar con el vocabulario clave del consultorio, ¿te gustaría revisar primero Vocabulario médico en inglés para el consultorio o prefieres ver cómo se describe una [Primera visita al médico en inglés]?

Hi!, Goog Afternoon!

The last time i went to the doctor was in June in this year and him prescribed to myself a some medications and routines to improve my slepp

exercise,

i went to the doctor at the begining of the year, i had a cavity in my tooth, they put me a metal stuffed in the tooth AND said me not eat solid meals for eight hours at least

The last time I went to the doctor was three months ago. I had a bad cough and a sore throat. The doctor told me to rest and gave me some cough medicine to feel better.

¡Claro que sí, Yoselin! Podemos continuar en español sin ningún problema. Estoy aquí para que domines esos términos médicos en inglés con total claridad.

Para empezar, ¿qué concepto específico de la clase te está resultando más difícil de aplicar en una consulta real?

when i went to the doctor for the last time I had a bad experience. Public health is really bad here. I had dengue and my symptoms were: high temperatura, fatigue, i didn´t have energy and I wasn´t hungry, so thank God, they treated me badly, but at least they did something.

Introduction

Vocabulario médico en inglés para el consultorio

Visiting the Doctor

Primera visita al médico en inglés

Cómo llenar un formulario médico en inglés

Ache vs sore: qué palabra usar en inglés

Vocabulario médico en inglés para síntomas de piel

Preguntas y diagnósticos médicos en inglés

Essential Medical Terms

Tratamientos médicos en inglés para tu consulta

Verbos médicos en inglés y sus sustantivos

Especialistas médicos en inglés y sus nombres

Dentist vs orthodontist en inglés

Vocabulario de salud visual en inglés

Práctica de conversación en inglés en contexto médico (paciente-doctor)

Common situations

Hipotéticos médicos con second conditional

Procedimientos médicos comunes en inglés

Medicamentos en inglés para tratar en casa

Procedure vs purpose en inglés médico

Communicate Naturally

Idioms médicos para hablar con pacientes

Phrasal verbs médicos en inglés

Práctica de fluidez e inglés natural con vocabulario médico (expresiones idiomáticas y phrasal verbs)

Closing

Proyecto final: visita al doctor en inglés

Cierre del workshop de inglés médico

Tell us what you learned in the course

Primera visita al médico en inglés

Progreso del curso

Introduction

Visiting the Doctor

Essential Medical Terms

Common situations

Communicate Naturally

Closing

Recursos

Recursos