"El doctor García le atenderá en cinco minutos."

Hola J. R.

Thank you for your excellent question 😊

Both "en cinco minutos" and "dentro de cinco minutos" are correct expressions in Spanish, and both mean that something will happen in five minutes. However, there's a slight difference in nuance between them.

"Dentro de cinco minutos" is a bit more precise and formal, and it’s the structure usually taught in Spanish lessons or used in more formal contexts. It’s especially appropriate in writing or when a more neutral, polished tone is desired. That’s why it appears in the B1 lesson you mentioned about "Using dentro de for in/within/among in Spanish (time/place)".

On the other hand, "en cinco minutos" is also completely correct and very common in everyday spoken Spanish. Native speakers frequently use it in casual situations. For example: "Vuelvo en cinco minutos." ("I’ll be back in five minutes.") — it's natural and widely accepted in conversation.

So in your sentence:
"El doctor García le atenderá en cinco minutos."
there’s absolutely nothing wrong. It’s perfectly valid and sounds natural. That said, if you're aiming for a slightly more formal or instructional tone, "dentro de cinco minutos" might be a better fit.

We hope this helps clarify things!

Un saludo

Silvia