Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): La médica escucha a la paciente con calma en la consulta. - The doctor listens to the patient calmly at the doctor’s office.

médico is the general/masculine form: el médico (the doctor, male or unspecified).
médica is the feminine form: la médica (the doctor, specifically female).

In Spain, it’s now very common and natural to say la médica when the doctor is a woman.

Could you say El médico escucha a la paciente if the doctor is a man?

Yes.

La médica escucha a la paciente… = The (female) doctor listens to the patient…
El médico escucha a la paciente… = The (male) doctor listens to the patient…

Everything else in the sentence can stay the same; only the gender of médico/médica and the article el/la changes with the doctor’s gender.

Why is it la paciente and not el paciente?

Because paciente changes gender with the person it describes, even though it always ends in -e:

el paciente = the male patient
la paciente = the female patient

The noun’s ending doesn’t tell you the gender here; the article (el / la) does. In the sentence, la paciente tells us the patient is female.

Why is there an a before la paciente: escucha a la paciente?

That a is the personal a, which Spanish uses before direct objects that are:

people
pets (often)
or personified beings

Since la paciente is a person and the direct object of escucha, Spanish requires a:

La médica escucha a la paciente. (correct)
La médica escucha la paciente. (incorrect in standard Spanish)

Can you ever drop the a and say La médica escucha la paciente?

No, not in standard, correct Spanish.

Because la paciente is a person and a direct object, you must use the personal a:

✅ La médica escucha a la paciente.
❌ La médica escucha la paciente.

Without a, it sounds wrong to native speakers and can cause confusion with who is doing what to whom.

What is the difference between escuchar and oír?

Roughly:

oír = to hear (the physical act, often involuntary)
- Oigo un ruido. = I hear a noise.
escuchar = to listen (intentional, paying attention)
- Escucho a la paciente. = I listen to the patient / I’m listening to the patient.

In your sentence, escucha shows that the doctor is paying attention to what the patient says, not just hearing sounds.

Why does it say con calma and not an adverb like calmamente?

Con calma is the most natural, common way to say “calmly” here. Using con + noun is very frequent in Spanish:

con calma = calmly
con cuidado = carefully
con paciencia = patiently

You could say calmadamente or calmamente, but they sound quite formal, unusual, or even a bit odd in everyday speech. Con calma is what native speakers normally use.

Could the word order change, for example: La médica escucha con calma a la paciente en la consulta?

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible as long as you keep the meaning clear.

All of these are grammatical and natural:

La médica escucha a la paciente con calma en la consulta.
La médica escucha con calma a la paciente en la consulta.
En la consulta, la médica escucha a la paciente con calma.

The basic information doesn’t change; you just shift the focus or rhythm slightly.

What exactly does consulta mean here? Is it the visit or the room?

In this context, la consulta usually means the doctor’s office / consulting room (the physical place):

La médica escucha a la paciente… en la consulta.
→ in the doctor’s office / in the consulting room.

But consulta can also mean a consultation / appointment as an event, depending on context:

Tengo consulta a las cinco. = I have a doctor’s appointment at five.

Here, because of en la consulta, it’s understood as the place.

What is the difference between consulta, consultorio, and cita?

consulta
- place: the doctor’s office / consulting room
  La médica está en la consulta.
- event: the act of seeing the doctor
  Mañana tengo consulta.
consultorio
- place: the medical practice / surgery (often the whole premises)
  Voy al consultorio del médico.
cita
- the appointment time itself
  Tengo cita con la médica a las 10.

In Spain, consulta and cita are very common; consultorio is heard but a bit less everyday.

Why is it en la consulta and not something like a la consulta?

Because the idea is “in the office”, not “to the office”.

en = in, at
- en la consulta = in the consulting room
a = to (direction)
- Voy a la consulta. = I’m going to the consulting room.

In your sentence, the action happens inside the office, so en la consulta is correct.

What tense is escucha, and how do I say “is listening” in Spanish?

escucha is the present indicative (3rd person singular of escuchar).

In Spanish, this tense can mean:

she listens (habitually)
she is listening (right now)

So:

La médica escucha a la paciente…
= The doctor listens to the patient / The doctor is listening to the patient.

You can also use the progressive:

La médica está escuchando a la paciente.

Both are correct; Spanish uses the simple present a lot more than English does for “right now” actions.

Why is there no ella (she) at the beginning? Could I say Ella la médica escucha…?

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who the subject is:

Escucha already tells us it’s ella (she), he, or usted from context.
La médica clarifies it’s “the (female) doctor”.

You could say:

Ella escucha a la paciente… = She listens to the patient…

But Ella la médica escucha… is wrong: you don’t combine ella with a noun like la médica in that way. You either use the pronoun or the noun (or both, but not stacked like that):

✅ Ella escucha a la paciente.
✅ La médica escucha a la paciente.
❌ Ella la médica escucha a la paciente.

How would the sentence change in the plural (several doctors and several patients)?

Everything that can agree in gender and number changes:

Las médicas escuchan a las pacientes con calma en la consulta.

Changes:

La → Las (plural feminine)
médica → médicas
escucha → escuchan (they listen)
la paciente → las pacientes

If you wanted several doctors and one patient, or vice versa, only the relevant parts would change.