Just moved to Spain? The last thing you want is to get sick. Not only are you in an unfamiliar place, but the language barrier can be a major hurdle. Walking into a hospital and facing a list of department names you don’t understand can be overwhelming, leaving you clueless about where to go. Today, we’re sharing a super useful guide to common hospital departments in Spain to help anyone in need!
First, Know Where to Go
First things first, it’s important to know that in Spain, you don’t rush to a major hospital for every illness. For common, minor issues like a headache, cold, or fever, you should typically visit your local health center (centro de salud) to see your assigned family doctor. If your family doctor can’t handle the issue or you need a specialist, they will give you a referral. Getting to know the different Spanish hospital departments is key. For emergencies, such as a sudden heart attack, severe injury, or conditions like long COVID symptoms, you should go directly to the emergency department (Urgencias) of a major hospital.
Common Internal Medicine Departments
Internal medicine issues can be complex and are divided into many specializations. You can find the right one based on your symptoms:
- Cardiología - Cardiology
- Neumología - Pulmonology
- Gastroenterología - Gastroenterology
- Nefrología - Nephrology
- Endocrinología - Endocrinology
- Reumatología - Rheumatology
- Neurología - Neurology
Common Surgical and Other Departments
Surgical departments are generally where procedures are performed. Here are some of those, along with other common departments you might encounter.
| English Name | Spanish Name | Notes |
|---|
| General Surgery | Cirugía General | For procedures like an appendectomy |
| Orthopedics / Traumatology | Traumatología | For fractures and sprains, this is one of the key Spanish hospital departments to know. |
| Gynecology & Obstetrics | Ginecología y Obstetricia | Women’s health and childbirth |
| Pediatrics | Pediatría | Specializes in treating children |
| Ophthalmology | Oftalmología | For all eye-related issues |
| Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) | Otorrinolaringología | Often shortened to “Otorrino” |
| Dermatology | Dermatología | For skin allergies, acne, etc. |
| Psychiatry / Psychology | Psiquiatría / Psicología | Mental health is important |
| Oncology | Oncología | Manages cancer-related treatments |
| Radiology | Radiología | Where you get X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds |
When visiting a doctor, it’s helpful to use a translation app beforehand to look up keywords for your symptoms, such as ‘headache,’ ‘fever,’ or ‘cough.’ Even if you can only say these key words, the doctor will likely understand your situation. We hope everyone stays healthy in Spain and never needs to use this guide! But if you do, we hope it provides some help. If you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below and join the discussion!
