Spanish for doctors — medical Spanish CME from first conversation to formal certification.
Every bilingual clinician starts the same way: a clumsy greeting, a patient's face softening, a quiet thought of I want more of that. We built the pathway that gets you the rest of the way — earning AAFP CME at every step.
The honest version of what this is
No online course — ours included — qualifies a US clinician to conduct Spanish-language visits without a certified interpreter. That qualification comes from passing a proficiency exam like ALTA or Kaiser's QBS, and it should.
What this program does is take you from your first buenos días to the day you walk into that exam confident. Real CME credit at every step. A clear pathway, not a one-off course.
The four-stage pathway
Start wherever you are. Each stage earns CME and prepares you for the next.
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Immerse
— Accelerate in PeruAAFP PrescribedWhen you want a real leap forward, spend one to four weeks in AAFP CME–accredited clinical immersion in Peru. Live with a host family, shadow in a Spanish-speaking clinic, and learn faster than any classroom allows — the immersion carries its own separate AAFP accreditation worth up to 128 CME credits.
Medical Spanish CME built for the realities of clinical practice
Spanish CME credits for physicians, PAs and NPs — AAFP Prescribed, accepted as AMA PRA Category 1 equivalent.
5–10 minutes between patients
Modules are designed for the gaps in a clinic day, not for a quiet evening you don't have.
Earn CME as you go
0.75 AAFP Prescribed credits per module. Certificates issued automatically — no end-of-year scramble.
Real patient scenarios
Chief complaints, ROS, physical exam commands, discharge instructions — language you'll actually use.
Pain assessment in Spanish
Start with high-frequency clinical language like pain, vital signs, and history taking. See our free pain-in-Spanish reference.
Pain in SpanishFamily medicine Spanish
Primary care needs breadth across every age and organ system. Browse the family-medicine vocabulary hub.
Family Medicine SpanishEmergency Spanish
Fast, clear communication under pressure. Review the emergency-room phrases every clinician should know.
Emergency SpanishBuilt by Medical Electives Peru
A team of language teachers and physicians who have delivered AAFP CME–accredited medical Spanish immersion programs in Peru since 2011. This online program brings the same clinically-focused curriculum to your schedule, wherever you practice.
Frequently asked
Will this course qualify me to see Spanish-speaking patients on my own?+
No course does. US health systems require a passed proficiency exam — typically ALTA, Kaiser's Qualified Bilingual Staff assessment, or CCLS — before you can document a Spanish-language visit without a certified interpreter. This program builds the underlying skill so that, when you're ready, those exams are within reach. For exam prep specifically, see medicalspanishtestprep.com.
What CME do I earn?+
38.25 AAFP Prescribed credits across the Complete Bundle (26 Clinical Vocabulary modules = 19.5 credits, 25 Grammar modules = 18.75 credits). AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted as AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ equivalent. You earn 0.75 credits per module — as you go, not all at the end.
Is this just for family physicians?+
The accreditation is through AAFP, but the curriculum works for any primary-care or hospital-based clinician — physicians, PAs, NPs, residents, fellows, hospitalists, EM, peds. If you see Spanish-speaking patients, the content fits.
How much time does it take?+
5–10 minutes per segment, on your phone. Most clinicians do a module or two a week between patients or on the commute. It is a one-time purchase — no subscription.
I already speak some Spanish. Will this be too basic?+
The self-paced course covers Beginner to Intermediate Medical Spanish (approximate CEFR range: A1–B1). General and clinical Spanish are not the same, so conversational speakers can still benefit from healthcare vocabulary, patient questioning, grammar and clinical communication practice. If you need advanced, individualized speaking feedback, live tutoring or Peru immersion may be a better fit.