University of Wisconsin–Madison

Medical Spanish

Fall 2026 Course Announcement

Medical Spanish for Health Science Students (Medical Sciences 622-735)

Improve your Spanish skills, learn and practice culturally sensitive medical terminology and vocabulary. Earn one credit and gain valuable language skills.

Apply here.

Applications are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 4, 2026, by midnight. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by Friday, September 11, 2026. Please do not register for the course until you receive notification of acceptance.

Course information:

  • Attendance: 10-week long course. Students must attend at least 8 of 10 sessions for credit
  • Grading: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only; an A-F grade cannot be assigned.
  • Format: In-person only (no virtual option)
  • Cost: No tuition/fees for full-time students. Purchase of course book ($25.00), available at UW Bookstore HSLC location, is required for the Non-Heritage Learners group

Eligibility:

  • Spanish Proficiency: Minimum of Low-Intermediate level speaking skills required
  • Application: Fully completed online application form required for admission
  • Program: Students from all programs are welcome to apply, but priority for acceptance is given to students currently enrolled in health professional programs (excluding pre-med, pre-nursing, and other preparatory tracks).

Course offerings:

Two sections of the course will be taught on the same evening during Fall 2026 (note time differences below). To create balanced classes with similar learner profiles, the two sections will be organized by learner background (heritage or non-heritage) rather than strictly by language proficiency.

  • Spanish for Non-Heritage Learners:  Designed for students who learned Spanish through formal instruction and can communicate in interactive yet predictive settings with solid comprehension. See below for the dates and times of this section.
  • Spanish for Heritage Learners: Intended for students who grew up speaking or hearing Spanish at home or in their community and can sustain a wide range of conversations with fluency in speaking and comprehension. See below for the dates and times of this section.

While students may share a similar profile, each section includes a mix of proficiency levels. Subgroups will be formed within each section to support different skill levels. Responses from the application will be taken into consideration for placement purposes.

Course Dates:

  • Dates: Thursdays, September 24-December 3 (no class on November 26)
  • Location: In-person sessions in HSLC building, 10 weekly sessions (no virtual option):
  • Times (please note that the time varies depending on the section):
    • Non-heritage Section: 5:30–7:00 PM in HSLC room #2284
    • Heritage Section: 7:00–8:30 PM in HSLC room #2288

Class Content:

  • Pertinent medical vocabulary for clinical histories and physical exams
  • Grammar component to facilitate effective and professional communication (Intermediate)
  • Small group interaction to talk in the target language and practice medical terminology
  • Information about cultural practices unique to the Hispanic community and working with interpreters
  • An opportunity to gain insight into a different culture’s concerns and a better understanding of the various cultures in the Madison area
  • Practice scenarios that relate to medicine, pharmacy, nursing, PA, PT, and veterinary medicine students

Questions?

Please email us at medspanish@hslc.wisc.edu if you have any additional questions.