Learn Spanish (Spain): ¡Ojalá la médica descubra el tratamiento! - I hope the doctor discovers the treatment!

Descubra is in the present subjunctive mood. The sentence starts with ojalá (meaning 'I hope' or 'if only'), which expresses a strong wish. In Spanish, expressing a hope or wish with ojalá always triggers the subjunctive mood for the following verb.

How do we form this subjunctive word, descubra?

It comes from the regular -ir verb descubrir (to discover). To make the present subjunctive, you take the present tense 'I' form (descubro), remove the -o, and add the 'opposite' vowel endings. Since it is an -ir verb, it takes -ar endings. For a 'she' subject like la médica, we add an -a, giving us descubra.

Do I need to put que after ojalá?

No, adding que is completely optional here. You will often hear native speakers say ¡Ojalá que la médica descubra el tratamiento!, which means the exact same thing. Both versions always require the subjunctive.

I usually see the word for doctor as el médico. Is la médica the normal way to say 'the female doctor'?

Yes, it is. While you might occasionally see older texts or speakers use la médico, la médica is the standard, grammatically correct noun to use for a female doctor today.