Emma: Good morning, Greenfield Medical Clinic, Emma speaking, how can I help you?
Daniel: Good morning, I’d like to make an appointment with a doctor, please.

Emma: Of course, are you a new patient or an existing patient at our clinic?
Daniel: I’m a new patient, this would be my first visit.

Emma: All right, may I have your full name, please?
Daniel: Yes, it’s Daniel Roberts.

Emma: Thank you, Mr Roberts, can I also have your date of birth?
Daniel: Sure, it’s the 14th of May, 1988.

Emma: Great, and what is the reason for your appointment, just in a few words?
Daniel: I’ve had a cough and some chest discomfort for about a week.

Emma: Okay, thank you, it sounds non-urgent, so a normal appointment is fine.
Daniel: Yes, it’s not an emergency, but I’d like a doctor to check it.

Emma: Do you have any preferred doctor, or is any general doctor okay?
Daniel: Any general doctor is fine, I don’t know the doctors yet.

Emma: We have some free times with Dr. Lewis and Dr. Carter.
Daniel: When is the earliest appointment available?

Emma: Let me see… we have tomorrow at 9:30 am with Dr. Lewis.
Daniel: Tomorrow at 9:30 is difficult for me, I work in the morning.

Emma: All right, we also have Thursday at 4 pm with Dr. Carter.
Daniel: Thursday at 4 pm would work much better.

Emma: Perfect, I can book you for Thursday at 4 pm with Dr. Carter.
Daniel: Thank you, how long is the appointment?

Emma: It’s a standard 15-minute appointment.
Daniel: Okay, that’s fine.

Emma: Do you have health insurance that covers this visit?
Daniel: Yes, I do, I have private health insurance with BlueCare.

Emma: Great, we work with BlueCare, could you please read me your insurance number?
Daniel: Yes, one moment… it’s BC-4782-93L.

Emma: Thank you, I’ve noted your insurance details in our system.
Daniel: Do I need to bring the insurance card to the appointment?

Emma: Yes, please bring your insurance card and a photo ID on Thursday.
Daniel: All right, I’ll bring both with me.

Emma: There is usually a small co-payment of 15 euros for insured patients.
Daniel: Can I pay the co-payment by card?

Emma: Yes, you can pay by card or cash at the reception after your visit.
Daniel: Perfect, that’s very convenient.

Emma: I’ll just confirm your details: Daniel Roberts, new patient, appointment on Thursday at 4 pm with Dr. Carter.
Daniel: Yes, that’s correct.

Emma: Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill in a short registration form.
Daniel: No problem, I’ll come a bit earlier.

Emma: If you need to cancel or change the time, please call us at least 24 hours before.
Daniel: All right, I’ll let you know if anything changes.

Emma: Do you have any other questions about your appointment or the clinic?
Daniel: Just one, what is the clinic address?

Emma: We are at 25 Oak Street, next to the main pharmacy on the corner.
Daniel: Got it, 25 Oak Street, next to the pharmacy.

Emma: That’s right, we look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Daniel: Thank you very much for your help, Emma.

Emma: You’re welcome, have a nice day.
Daniel: You too, goodbye.

Emma: Goodbye.
Daniel: Goodbye.

Datos personales y de paciente
Aparecen términos muy típicos al llamar a una consulta: new patient, existing patient, first visit, full name, date of birth.
New patient = paciente nuevo (nunca ha ido a esa clínica).
Existing patient = paciente ya registrado.

Vocabulario de cita y organización
Palabras clave: appointment, make an appointment, book you for Thursday, earliest appointment available, standard 15-minute appointment, cancel or change the time, at least 24 hours before.
Fíjate en que appointment es la palabra básica para cita médica (no se usa meeting en este contexto).

Síntomas y motivo de consulta
El motivo se expresa de forma breve: I’ve had a cough and some chest discomfort for about a week.
Chest discomfort es una forma suave y general de decir molestia en el pecho sin sonar alarmista.

Horarios y disponibilidad
Se usan expresiones como tomorrow at 9:30 am, Thursday at 4 pm, earliest appointment, work in the morning, come a bit earlier.
Es muy típico hablar de huecos concretos con hora exacta, no sólo de “mañana” o “tarde”.

Seguro médico y pago
Vocabulario clave: health insurance, private health insurance, we work with BlueCare, insurance number, insurance card, photo ID, co-payment, pay by card or cash.
Co-payment = pequeño pago que hace el paciente aunque tenga seguro (el resto lo cubre la aseguradora).

EXPRESIONES ÚTILES Y NATURALES

Inicio de la llamada
Good morning, Greenfield Medical Clinic, Emma speaking, how can I help you?
Este formato es muy típico: nombre del sitio + speaking + oferta de ayuda.

Pedir cita de forma clara
I’d like to make an appointment with a doctor, please.
Esta frase es casi un “comodín” que puedes repetir en cualquier clínica.

Comprobar el tipo de paciente
Are you a new patient or an existing patient at our clinic?
Esta pregunta es muy habitual porque el procedimiento cambia según seas nuevo o no: más papeleo, datos, etc.

Motivo de la cita
What is the reason for your appointment, just in a few words?
Es normal que pidan un resumen breve, especialmente por teléfono.

Elegir médico y hora
Do you have any preferred doctor, or is any general doctor okay?
When is the earliest appointment available?
Thursday at 4 pm would work much better.
Fíjate en would work para decir “me viene mejor” sin sonar brusco.

Confirmar y repetir
I’ll just confirm your details…
Yes, that’s correct.
Repetir nombre, día y hora es parte del protocolo para evitar malentendidos.

Normas prácticas
Please arrive 10 minutes early to fill in a short registration form.
If you need to cancel or change the time, please call us at least 24 hours before.
Son frases que oirás casi tal cual en muchos sistemas sanitarios.

Cierre cortés
Do you have any other questions about your appointment or the clinic?
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
Thank you very much for your help. – You’re welcome, have a nice day.
Toda la llamada está llena de “please”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome”.

Uso de would like para pedir con cortesía
I’d like to make an appointment…
Es mejor que decir I want…, que suena más directo. I’d like es la forma estándar y muy recomendable para hispanohablantes.

Presente simple para hechos y horarios
We have tomorrow at 9:30 am with Dr. Lewis.
There is usually a small co-payment of 15 euros.
We work with BlueCare.
Se usa present simple para hablar de disponibilidad, normas de pago, políticas de la clínica.

Presente perfecto para duración de síntomas
I’ve had a cough and some chest discomfort for about a week.
Estructura clave: I’ve had… for… para síntomas que duran días o semanas.

Futuro implícito con “can” y decisiones
I can book you for Thursday at 4 pm.
You can pay by card or cash.
Can expresa posibilidad y ofrece opciones; es muy usado en atención al cliente.

Imperativos suaves para instrucciones
Please bring your insurance card and a photo ID.
Please arrive 10 minutes early.
Call us at least 24 hours before.
Imperativos pero suavizados con please, muy típicos en contexto profesional.

Uso de “appointment”
En español se habla de cita médica o simplemente cita, pero en inglés casi siempre se usa appointment. Evita date (que suena a cita romántica) o meeting (más de trabajo).

Brevedad al explicar el motivo
La clínica pide: “just in a few words”. Se espera algo breve, no un relato detallado; la explicación larga se deja para el médico.
Ejemplo típico: I’ve had a headache for three days, stomach pain since yesterday, etc.

Sistema de seguro y co-pago
Es habitual preguntar enseguida: Do you have health insurance?
Que la clínica diga We work with BlueCare significa que tiene acuerdo con esa aseguradora.
El co-payment es muy común en muchos países: el seguro paga una parte, el paciente otra pequeña parte fija.

Política de cancelación
La norma call us at least 24 hours before es casi estándar para no perder la cita. Puede haber cargos si cancelas demasiado tarde, aunque en el diálogo no se mencione.

Pedir llegar antes
La petición de arrive 10 minutes early para rellenar formulario de registro es muy típica si eres new patient. No es una “exigencia agresiva”, es más bien logística.

Preparar un mini guion antes de llamar
Puedes usar algo como:
Good morning, I’d like to make an appointment with a doctor, please.
I’m a new patient.
My name is… and my date of birth is…
I’ve had [síntoma] for [tiempo].

Aprender 3 preguntas clave

-When is the earliest appointment available?
-Do you work with [nombre de tu seguro]?
-What is the clinic address?
Con estas tres preguntas cubres disponibilidad, seguro y cómo llegar.

Cómo hablar de tu seguro en inglés
Estructura simple:
I have private health insurance with [company].
My insurance number is…
Do I need to bring my insurance card?

Confirmar detalles para evitar líos
Imita a Daniel:
So my appointment is on Thursday at 4 pm with Dr. Carter, right?
Repetir día, hora y médico es una práctica excelente, sobre todo por teléfono.

Si te cuesta seguir la conversación
Ten preparadas frases de emergencia:
Sorry, could you repeat that, please?
Could you speak a bit more slowly, please?
Can you spell the doctor’s name / the street name, please?

Y recuerda: con unas pocas estructuras fijas (I’d like to make an appointment, I’m a new patient, I have health insurance with…, When is the earliest time?), puedes manejar una llamada de cita médica en inglés sin necesidad de un gran nivel. La clave es mantener la calma, usar please y thank you, y confirmar siempre los detalles al final.