médico de cabecera
/mediko de kabeθeɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "primary doctor" is translated into Spanish as médico de cabecera.
This phrase refers to a doctor who provides general healthcare and serves as the first point of contact for a patient.
Which one should you use?
médico de cabecera is the standard term for a primary care physician, while mi médico de siempre is used to mean "my usual doctor."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
médico de cabecera is a formal and standard way to refer to a primary care physician. In contrast, mi médico de siempre is an informal way to express the same idea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Both médico de cabecera and mi médico de siempre are used in Spain and several Latin American countries, including Mexico.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the doctor is female, you change the masculine médico to the feminine médica to say médica de cabecera.
Did you know?
- The term médico de cabecera literally translates to 'doctor of the headboard'.
- In some Spanish-speaking healthcare systems, the médico de cabecera acts as a strict gatekeeper, meaning patients cannot see a specialist without a referral from them.
- The word médico shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'measure', relating to the idea of proportion or regulation.
Examples in context
- Necesito una consulta con mi médico de cabecera.I need an appointment with my primary doctor.
- Voy a visitar a mi médico de siempre mañana.I'm going to visit my usual doctor tomorrow.
- Tengo una cita con mi médico de cabecera a las 10 de la mañana.I have an appointment with my primary doctor at 10 am.
- Estoy yendo a ver a mi médico de siempre para que chequee mi garganta.I'm going to see my usual doctor to have my throat checked.
- Necesito hablar con mi médico de cabecera.I need to talk to my primary doctor.
- El médico de cabecera me dio una receta.The primary doctor gave me a prescription.
- ¿Quién es tu médico de cabecera?Who is your primary doctor?
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing their healthcare at a cafe.
- MateoElena, ¿ya tienes un médico de cabecera en esta ciudad?Elena, do you already have a primary doctor in this city?
- ElenaSí, mi médico de cabecera es muy profesional.Yes, my primary doctor is very professional.
- MateoQué bueno, yo todavía estoy buscando uno.That's good, I am still looking for one.
- ElenaTe puedo recomendar al mío, Mateo.I can recommend mine to you, Mateo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry médico de cabecera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cabecera, de, médico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
