A 14-week online Medical Spanish course plus a 2–4-week Service Learning Trip in Peru, with supervised community learning alongside Peruvian physicians in Lima and rural Cusco, and afternoon Spanish instruction.
Explore the course, your Spanish level, dates and costs.
Why this program
Building on more than 20 years of community-based service, MEDLIFE created this program to deepen authentic learning shaped by partner-community priorities — helping students grow into capable, culturally responsive providers for low-income communities.
It offers learning opportunities, not a fluency promise. You build the Spanish you can use to ask, listen and understand with respect — and to recognize what you still don't understand. It does not make you clinically fluent or qualified to interpret.
Spanish is the most widely spoken language in U.S. homes after English. In 2024, about 44.9 million U.S. residents age 5 and older — 13.9% — spoke Spanish at home. Learning the language of the patients and communities you hope to serve is an investment in listening, cultural humility and connection.
Language figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2024). Learning Spanish does not establish clinical fluency or interpreter qualification — use qualified interpreters whenever needed.
At a glance
One semester online, one capstone in Peru — here is what the combined program includes.
The 14-week online Medical Spanish semester is part of your program, with no additional course fee — beginner and intermediate learners both start at their level.
Learn alongside MEDLIFE SLT physicians and dentists in Pamplona Alta and rural Cusco, observing and supporting within your training and approved student role.
Small-group conversation and fictional role-play to practice health vocabulary, clarification and respectful questions — while real patient information stays private.
Students are invited to MEDLIFE's evening MedTalks — post-clinical discussion events exploring communication, care and community context.
A one-day trip to Paracas at the end of the first Lima week and a trip to Machu Picchu are part of the combined Peru experience.
MEDLIFE certificates document total completed service hours; language instruction is recorded separately.
Phase 1 · From your screen
Speaking someone's language makes it easier to understand their concerns, build rapport and recognize what matters to them. Fourteen weeks of live online classes take you from foundations to applied, real-world Medical Spanish.
Live online classes build everyday conversation and core healthcare vocabulary, with grammar taught through the conversations you will actually use.
Longer interactions, varied speakers and real-world application — plus preparation for the people, systems and language context of Peru for those who travel.
The full 14 weeks are live and online, so you can join from campus or home. The course stands on its own — you benefit from it even if you do not travel.
Phase 2 · In the field
Put the language to work where it matters: SLT weeks in Lima and Cusco, Medical Spanish instruction every afternoon, and extra activities — Paracas and Machu Picchu — included.
Community-based supervised learning alongside Peruvian physicians in Pamplona Alta, Lima, and rural Cusco communities.
After each field day, afternoon Medical Spanish instruction connects what you heard and saw that morning to the language you are learning.
A one-day trip to Paracas at the end of the first week in Lima, and a trip to Machu Picchu as part of the combined Peru experience.
Pre-dental learners can also observe dentists within approved activities. Small-group practice uses fictional role-play, keeping real patient information private — and after clinic days, evening MedTalks open up questions about communication, care and community context.
These experiences take place in communities, not hospitals or private clinics. Students volunteer or shadow only within their qualifications, language ability and locally supervised role; participation does not authorize independent patient care. MEDLIFE provides certificates documenting completed service hours.
Current Peru options
The domestic flight from Lima to Cusco and back is included on this option.
A one-day trip to Paracas is included at the end of the first week in Lima.
A trip to Machu Picchu is included in the combined Peru experience.
A week in the field
A sample week — fieldwork in the mornings, Medical Spanish in the afternoons, and a cultural excursion on Saturday.
Reality Tour — walk the community with local leaders and see MEDLIFE's work firsthand
Medical Spanish class
Mobile Clinic — triage, general medicine and education stations
Medical Spanish class
Mobile Clinic — dental, pharmacy and toothbrushing stations
Medical Spanish class
Mobile Clinic — final clinic day of the week
Medical Spanish class
Development Project — build alongside the community
Medical Spanish class & weekly reflection
Cultural excursion — Paracas day trip (Lima weeks) or Machu Picchu (Cusco weeks)
Free time
Rest day — explore the city, markets and cafés
Rest & prepare for the week ahead
Travel to Cusco to continue your experience
This is a sample week for illustration. Exact dates, daily schedules and travel arrangements remain to be confirmed — check back soon or book a call with an advisor for the latest updates.
The destination
From the Pacific coast to the high Andes, Peru pairs MEDLIFE's longest-running community partnerships with some of the most remarkable places on earth.
Weeks on the coast
Peru's capital and MEDLIFE's birthplace. Clinics take place in Pamplona Alta, one of Lima's hillside communities, and the week ends with a day trip to the Paracas coast.
Weeks in the Andes
The former Inca capital at 3,400 m, gateway to the Sacred Valley. Clinics reach rural highland communities, and the combined Peru experience includes Machu Picchu.
City figures come from Peru's statistics institute (INEI) and public health sources. Health notes describe conditions that are common in each region — MEDLIFE's clinics respond to whatever families present with on the day.
Questions & answers
The things students most often ask before deciding — including what is still being confirmed.
It is one program in two phases. Phase 1 is the 14-week live online Medical Spanish course, taken from campus or home. Phase 2 is a 2–4-week Service Learning Trip in Peru — fieldwork in the mornings and Medical Spanish instruction every afternoon — where you put the language to work in Lima and rural Cusco.
None. The course is built so beginner and intermediate learners both start at their level — weeks 1–7 build everyday conversation and core healthcare vocabulary, and weeks 8–14 move to longer, applied interactions. The program offers learning opportunities, not a fluency promise.
The classes are live and online across 14 weeks, designed to fit alongside a normal semester. Weekly session times and the exact live schedule are still being confirmed — an advisor can share the latest details on a call.
Exact start dates for the online semester and the Peru SLT weeks remain to be confirmed. Book a call with a MEDLIFE advisor to hear the latest timeline and register your interest early.
Pricing and full inclusions are still being confirmed. What we can already tell you: the 14-week online semester is part of the program with no additional course fee, and the Peru weeks include the Paracas day trip and the Machu Picchu trip.
Yes — the course stands on its own, so you benefit from it even if you do not travel. The conditions for enrolling in the online semester separately from the Peru weeks are being finalized; an advisor can confirm what is possible for your situation.
Yes. A separate one-week Medical Spanish add-on remains an alternative for regular Classic SLT participants. Location, timing and inclusions for the add-on are still being confirmed — talk to an advisor to register your interest.
Still deciding?
Talk with a Medical Spanish coachPreparing
A short checklist so you arrive confident, covered and connected. The Peru weeks follow the same preparation standards as our other Service Learning Trips.
Be sure to confirm any required visas or fees involved in your flight layover based on airport as well.
Attendees are responsible for buying their own airfare. Our team can help by providing a flight quote for your group — request one by emailing info@medlifemovement.org. Once your flight is booked, add your arrival and departure information to your booking.
First week: arrive in Lima — Jorge Chávez International Airport in Callao. Later weeks continue to Cusco, and your final week returns to Lima if you chose the four-week option.
Airport transfers
Transfer times for your cohort are confirmed with your program dates. Arrivals outside the set timeframes are at your own cost — email info@medlifemovement.org if your flight lands outside them.
We highly recommend purchasing trip cancellation insurance, which allows you to cancel for any reason. It must be bought within a short number of days of your initial registration and cannot be added in the days leading up to departure — reach out as soon as possible to access it.
Exact dates, daily schedules and travel arrangements for this program remain to be confirmed.
Pricing and the full inclusions list for this program are still being confirmed — an advisor can tell you exactly what applies to your cohort.
The standard MEDLIFE Service Learning Trip packing list applies — layers for cold mornings and warm days, closed-toe shoes for clinic stations, and a passport valid for at least seven months.
Many families travel hours to reach our clinics. Donations are handed directly to community members and stations — bring what you can, packed in your checked luggage.
About 3–4 weeks before your trip, MEDLIFE adds you to a WhatsApp group with your Trip Leader and fellow students. It's where we share daily logistics, meeting points, weather notes, and reminders.
If you have not received a WhatsApp invitation at least 2 weeks before your departure, email info@medlifemovement.org with your name and trip dates so we can add you right away.
info@medlifemovement.orgAlready booked on a Classic SLT?
A separate one-week Medical Spanish add-on remains an alternative for regular Classic SLT participants. Location, timing and inclusions are still being confirmed — talk to an advisor to register your interest.
Talk with a Medical Spanish coachFull days & extensions
The Paracas and Machu Picchu full days are already part of your program — their prices are shown for reference. The Amazon extension is optional and priced separately, and can run before or after your SLT weeks with your friends, chapter or family.
Located 4 hours from Lima, this full day we will visit the Ballestas Islands by boat, then the Huacachina Oasis for an adventure in the desert, and finish with a visit to its incredible vineyards. Lunch is included.
$199.00Included
Spend a full day learning about the historic ruins of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been astonishing archeologists and travelers for years.
$399.00Included
Discover diverse wildlife, including jaguars and giant otters, in their habitat. Visit panoramic Lake Apu Victor, the biodiverse Lost Cocha and primate-rich Monkey Island, learn Amazonian culture and stay in a rustic lodge.
Minimum 10 participants. Flight to Puerto Maldonado not included.
Starts at$720.00
Interested? Email us at info@medlifemovement.org to add a MED+ experience to your SLT!
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