Common English Mistakes in Medical Reports by Spanish Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Spanish speakers from Mexico when writing a Medical Report in English.

Mistake Example #1

Misuse of prepositions ('Married with' instead of 'Married to')

PThe patient is a 45-year-old male, married with two children, who presented to the clinic with complaints of persistent headaches and dizziness. He reports that symptoms started approximately three weeks ago, coinciding with increased stress at work. ThHepatient is currently under treatment with hypertension and takes medication daily. Further evaluation is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms and to adjust histreatment plan accordingly.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"Just a few small edits were needed here. This is well-written."

The patient is a 45-year-old male, married with two children, who presented to the clinic with complaints of persistent headaches and dizziness. He reports that symptoms started approximately three weeks ago, coinciding with increased stress at work. He is currently under treatment with hypertension and takes medication daily. Further evaluation is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms and to adjust his treatment plan accordingly.

Patient is a 45-year-old male, married with two children, who presented to the clinic with complaints of persistent headaches and dizziness. He reports that symptoms started approximately three weeks ago, coinciding with increased stress at work. The patient is currently under treatment with hypertension and takes medication daily. Further evaluation is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms and to adjust treatment plan accordingly.

Mistake Example #2

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

PThe patient is a male of 45 years who haspresentsed with pain in the stomach sincefor three days. He reports that he hasa fever and feels very tired. The patient mentions that he has a history of gastritis and that he takes medication for the pressure. Further examination is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Just a few small changes were needed to ensure the report is perfect. Well done! "

The patient is a male of 45 years who has presented with pain in the stomach for three days. He reports that he has a fever and feels very tired. The patient mentions that he has a history of gastritis and that he takes medication for the pressure. Further examination is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Patient is a male of 45 years who presents with pain in the stomach since three days. He reports that he has fever and feels very tired. The patient mentions that he has a history of gastritis and that he takes medication for the pressure. Further examination is needed to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of present continuous ('I am going to the school every day' instead of 'I go to school every day')

PThe patient is coming to the clinic because she is feeling dizzy and is having frequentheadachesfrequently. She itold ustelling that she is taking the medication every day, but she is not noticing any improvement. We arerecommending that she isreturning next week for further evaluation and we aresuggesting that she iskeeping a diary of her symptoms.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice work! I needed to make a few adjustments to the verb tense."

The patient is coming to the clinic because she is feeling dizzy and is having frequent headaches. She told us that she is taking the medication every day, but she is not noticing any improvement. We recommend that she return next week for further evaluation and we suggest that she keep a diary of her symptoms.

Patient is coming to the clinic because she is feeling dizzy and is having headaches frequently. She is telling that she is taking the medication every day, but she is not noticing any improvement. We are recommending that she is returning next week for further evaluation and we are suggesting that she is keeping a diary of her symptoms.