Mastering the Medical Vocabulary
Medical is a broad term that encompasses the science and art of healing. It can also refer to a patient’s condition or a medical journal article about one.
The science of medicine is constantly evolving. Throughout the centuries, physicians have improved upon or disproved the theories of their predecessors in order to improve patient care and advance medical knowledge. This reexamination of traditional authority, which is reflected in the titles of Materia Medica and Pharmacopeia, has helped create the modern healthcare system we know today.
There are 30,000 medical journals published worldwide. Some, like The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, are household names. The National Library of Medicine maintains an online database called PubMed that allows people to search for medical research studies on a variety of diseases, illnesses, injuries, and treatments. The primary audience for medical journals are doctors, scientists, and medical students. However, anyone with an interest in the subject matter can read a medical journal if they have access to a library with subscriptions to these publications or through a paid subscription to a service such as Medline Plus.
Mastering the vocabulary of the medical field can be a daunting task for future healthcare workers, especially those who plan to work in the clinical side of the industry, such as a medical sonographer or magnetic resonance imaging technologist. There are thousands of medical terms related to anatomy, conditions, diseases, and surgical procedures. Some, such as osteochondrodysplasia, are practically unpronounceable. But understanding how to break down and pronounce medical terminology will help future healthcare professionals understand this specialized language better.
Medical terms are derived from ancient Greek and Latin roots. Those roots can be broken down into recognizable components, making it easier to remember and understand the words. For instance, the word integumentary system can be broken down to its components: skin, musculoskeletal, and urinary. The combining vowel in each of these word parts is important because it distinguishes these types of terms from others, such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems.
Medical journal articles can be categorized into several different departments, each with its own style and audience. Some articles are clinical vignettes, describing specific patient cases and outcomes. Other articles are more research-based and include randomized controlled trials. Still others are systematic reviews, which use an organized method to find, bring together, and evaluate a set of research studies on a particular topic. Other article types are editorials and commentary pieces. The key is to match your manuscript to the correct department to maximize its potential for publication.
Medical is a broad term that encompasses the science and art of healing. It can also refer to a patient’s condition or a medical journal article about one. The science of medicine is constantly evolving. Throughout the centuries, physicians have improved upon or disproved the theories of their predecessors in order to improve patient care and advance medical knowledge. This reexamination of traditional authority, which is reflected in the titles of Materia Medica and Pharmacopeia, has helped create the modern healthcare system we know today. There are 30,000 medical journals published worldwide. Some, like The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, are household names. The National Library of Medicine maintains an online database called PubMed that allows people to search for medical research studies on a variety of diseases, illnesses, injuries, and treatments. The primary audience for medical journals are doctors, scientists, and medical students. However, anyone with an interest in the subject matter can read a medical journal if they have access to a library with subscriptions to these publications or through a paid subscription to a service such as Medline Plus. Mastering the vocabulary of the medical field can be a daunting task for future healthcare workers, especially those who plan to work in the clinical side of the industry, such as a medical sonographer or magnetic resonance imaging technologist. There are thousands of medical terms related to anatomy, conditions, diseases, and surgical procedures. Some, such as osteochondrodysplasia, are practically unpronounceable. But understanding how to break down and pronounce medical terminology will help future healthcare professionals understand this specialized language better. Medical terms are derived from ancient Greek and Latin roots. Those roots can be broken down into recognizable components, making it easier to remember and understand the words. For instance, the word integumentary system can be broken down to its components: skin, musculoskeletal, and urinary. The combining vowel in each of these word parts is important because it distinguishes these types of terms from others, such as the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems. Medical journal articles can be categorized into several different departments, each with its own style and audience. Some articles are clinical vignettes, describing specific patient cases and outcomes. Other articles are more research-based and include randomized controlled trials. Still others are systematic reviews, which use an organized method to find, bring together, and evaluate a set of research studies on a particular topic. Other article types are editorials and commentary pieces. The key is to match your manuscript to the correct department to maximize its potential for publication.