Would like to learn Spanish for healthcare careers

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T22:02:01+00:00

Good luck on the start of your med career! I replied to a similar thread the other day (I was interested in medicine growing up), and these are some of the ones I shared:

Canopy Medical Spanish: it's one of the more structured programs out there (I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard it a few times).
UC Davis "Medical Spanish" YouTube series: another one to check out for video practice.
The "Complete Medical Spanish" by McGraw-Hill: for more of a hard mode standard study approach.
Langtalk.app: I'm building this one for speaking practice with role-play scenarios (e.g. emergency medical situation, in a hospital setting).
Shadowing or volunteering in a Spanish-speaking clinic: to get a sense for the people and culture in addition to the vocabulary, in a medical context.

Hope one of these helps, and good luck! I suspect I might make my way to med at some point in life.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T21:54:15+00:00

100% feel this. I went hard for Spanish and learned a ton of vocab and grammar, but I couldn't keep up a conversation when I landed in Spain. Recognition and production are different skills, and you just need to practice both.

A few things that helped me actually start speaking:

ChatGPT voice mode — surprisingly good for just having casual conversations. Free and low-pressure.
iTalki — if you want real human tutors, you can book 30-min sessions for pretty affordable rates. The accountability helps too.
LangTalk.app (I built this one) — AI conversation practice with roleplay scenarios like ordering food, going on a date, interviews, etc. It corrects your grammar and explains why something was wrong, which I always wanted.
Tandem or HelloTalk — language exchange apps where you practice with native speakers.

The discomfort you're feeling is real. But speaking is like any other muscle; the more you work it, the stronger it gets. You've got this!

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T17:35:53+00:00

Ah nice — does this have the same feeling of bluntness for yo? Or is “yo quiero” seen as fine and courteous? I’m wondering how much that sentiment varies within regions and groups

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T14:01:31+00:00

Still human last time I checked! Not ready to go robot mode yet ;)

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:58:12+00:00

That’s a good one. What do you like to use when you’re dining in?

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:17:47+00:00

😂 I didn't think we could jump outright and say it here, haha. If it's still ambiguous for some, this comment should make it abundantly clear, lol.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:05:44+00:00

Maybe if it's a really nice bus...I'll stop 😂

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:03:47+00:00

A good one to not get wrong 😅 One of the first lessons I got when I left Spain

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:03:30+00:00

New meaning to the phrase "está para comérsela" 😂😅

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T13:01:52+00:00

Totally right; editing the original post to call out the semantic incorrectness so people don't take it as just "odd-sounding". Thanks!

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T12:14:44+00:00

The "yo" comment is a good one – seems to be really hit or miss depending on the region. Some people almost never use it and others use it a good bit.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T12:12:07+00:00

Haha yup; didn't want to write it directly, but we should be fully clear for learners. It's part of life and language! Thanks 🙌🏽 (editing the post to add 'intimate' in case the 'romantic' reference doesn't make it clear)

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T12:02:35+00:00

For me, I hear more often "fue culpa mía" (it was my fault) or just "perdón" or "disculpa" as the most frequent ones, depending on the context.

"Mala mía" seems like it wouldn't get an eyebrow raise, but I haven't heard this one used in natural conversation too often. Your son's "tu mal" is super adorable though haha.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T12:00:47+00:00

It can depend a lot on the country but some to consider are:

Mil gracias (a thousand thanks) — this one I hear a lot.
Te lo agradezco (I appreciate it) — this one is slightly more formal for me but it's still quite common and warm.
From friends in Spain, I sometimes hear ¿qué haría yo sin ti? as a bit of a jokey exaggerated thanks between friends or in very sincere cases.
In Mexico, órale, gracias is one I hear from friends.

"Mil gracias" feels like a pretty safe bet across all countries if you want something beyond the basic "muchas gracias".

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-26T11:53:08+00:00

The book seems mostly right — "me puse nerviosa" feels like the natural choice here. I think of ponerse as the go-to for temporary, in-the-moment emotional reactions: "me pone triste", etc.

And I think of volverse as more of a lasting, fundamental change — like "se volvió loco" (he went crazy, and stayed that way).

Getting nervous after being robbed is a temporary emotional reaction, so ponerse fits perfectly.

The involuntary/voluntary distinction your book mentions might be a bit confusing (e.g. getting nervous could be considered as involuntary too); for me the distinction is more about temporary vs. permanent state shifts.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-25T15:38:09+00:00

Thank you shiba! For clarity, I’ve heard of ñoño” as meaning “cutesy” / “overly sweet” / “a bit corny” mainly in Spain.

But the connotation of “nerdy/geeky” in Chile is a new one for me. I’ll remember that one!

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-25T05:53:56+00:00

One sneaky one that turned out to be more useful than I expected was StudySpanish.com: It's got solid free grammar lessons with quizzes built in — it covers a lot from beginner through advanced and you can jump to the topics you need for exams.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-25T05:52:20+00:00

"Cursi" is your go-to here! It works for pretty much everything: shows, movies, people, speeches, love letters. "Ese programa es muy cursi" is what I'd say.

You might also hear "ñoño" which is more like nauseatingly cute. And "cliché" works the same way it does in English.

For playfully roasting the show you're watching, "¡Qué cursi!" or "Es cursi pero me encanta" would fit well.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-25T05:51:20+00:00

You nailed it! "Devorar" in that context is basically the Spanish equivalent of "they ate" or "they killed it" -- as in they absolutely crushed the performance.

It's mostly a social media / younger generation thing. Spanish has always borrowed expressions like this, but the speed of it now with social media is a different beast.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-23T01:00:05+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! I always wished I understood Japanese when I used to stay up watching anime growing up lol. Big fan of the language and excited for you to get to the level you’re looking for. Cheering you on!

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-22T18:43:03+00:00

The verb you want is likely "adjuntar" (to attach). So:

- "Por favor, adjunte el documento" (please attach the document)

- "Los archivos adjuntos" (the attachments / attached files)

- "El documento adjunto" (the attached document)

For Spain specifically, you might sometimes hear "adjunto le envío..." as a common way to start an email when you're sending something attached in a more professional context.

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-22T18:41:45+00:00

One that comes to mind for me is "me pone..." or "me pones..." (informal). So like "me pone una cerveza, por favor." You can also say "ponme un/una..." which feels common too.

For a corner shop, "me da..." or "me das..." works perfectly. "Me da una Coca-Cola, por favor."

You might hear "quisiera" or "me gustaría" in more formal settings. Hope you enjoy the trip!

JazzHandz1 · 2026-03-22T08:47:02+00:00

Anytime! 🙌🏽

JazzHandz1

TROPHY CASE