Learning medical terminology

[foreverLaur]

I'd really like to learn some medical terminology, but cramming a 4 year major into 2 years doesn't allow me extra time to take a course in it.

I'm looking to buy a book to study myself and learn medical terminology.

What do you guys recommend as some of the best books (or whatever) to learn medical terminology when you don't know much at all?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[prmdbeach17]

Watch House or Grey's Anatomy I guess you could get like a medical terms dictionary, or there's the Case Files series. They have like Case Files: Internal Medicine, Surgery, etc. My mom got me the pediatrics one, and though it's really for med students for the USMLE, it's really cool because it presents clinical cases & tables & has definitions of medical terms. I think it's interesting.

 

[silverchola]

Talk to your friendly neighborhood Paramedic or talk to a nurse...

 

[prmdbeach17]

That too..my mom's a nurse and you pick up some things after listening about their work for awhile

 

[foreverLaur]

yeah my mom works in allergy & immunology and i've picked up most of that terminology. i work a free clinic with med students in Philadelphia and I don't get half of what they say because they use all their terminology. I'd like to be able to both carry on a converastion and sound somewhat knowledgeable and also understand what they are saying.... kinda

 

[smq123]

yeah my mom works in allergy & immunology and i've picked up most of that terminology. i work a free clinic with med students in Philadelphia and I don't get half of what they say because they use all their terminology. I'd like to be able to both carry on a converastion and sound somewhat knowledgeable and also understand what they are saying.... kinda

Actually, I'm not sure how much a medical terminology course would help. A lot of the terminology is just stuff that you learn in med school because you have to.

If there's something that you don't understand, you can always write it down and look it up in Stedman's. Unless the students that you work with are REALLY mean, there's no reason why you can't ask them. They'll probably enjoy feeling like they actually know something - it's probably a new feeling for most of them!

 

[neopentanol]

I'd really like to learn some medical terminology, but cramming a 4 year major into 2 years doesn't allow me extra time to take a course in it.

I'm looking to buy a book to study myself and learn medical terminology.

What do you guys recommend as some of the best books (or whatever) to learn medical terminology when you don't know much at all?

Thanks!

I would recommend "The Language Of Medicine" by Davi-Ellen Chabner.

Really easy to follow book that teaches you the roots and structures for medical terminology to demystify medical terms.

 

[souslepont]

I took a medical technology class in high school, and I've still got the book. It's called Quick Medical Terminology and it's by Shirley Soltesz Steiner (wow, what a mouthful). It's pretty good because it teaches you the roots and it has little quizzes and stuff. I recommend it!

 

[ryandote]

We might as well help you get started right now:


Manual Disimpaction


Anybody want to look it up?

 

[GujuMD]

if there's a medical terminology course taught at your college, get the book that they use.

 

[proclivity]

We might as well help you get started right now:


Manual Disimpaction


Anybody want to look it up?

You couldn't start with something else. Nasty.

 

[foreverLaur]

Ha nice. Thanks guys for the book ideas.

Another thought - would it be useful to look over anatomy color books or terminology books before taking the course?

The course I am taking is pretty indepth. It is taught my Ohio State's med school anatomy department. It is designed to prepare you for anatomy in medical school and uses human cadevers (just parts, we don't do the cutting ourselves).

I hear it is real tough and they throw a lot around. Perhaps I'd be more successful having some knowledge going in. Anyone think that is a good idea and knows of a book to help?

I appreciate all the help!

 

[GreenMudPhud]

The Language of Medicine by Gabner

 

[trevagandalf]

Ha nice. Thanks guys for the book ideas.

Another thought - would it be useful to look over anatomy color books or terminology books before taking the course?

The course I am taking is pretty indepth. It is taught my Ohio State's med school anatomy department. It is designed to prepare you for anatomy in medical school and uses human cadevers (just parts, we don't do the cutting ourselves).

I hear it is real tough and they throw a lot around. Perhaps I'd be more successful having some knowledge going in. Anyone think that is a good idea and knows of a book to help?

I appreciate all the help!

They had a similar course in my undergrad and they did have a little "review" of common medical roots in the beginning of the class that really didn't help that much. Most times just go through netter's flashcards and memorize the name of the parts. Btw, make sure to wear scrubs even if it is undergrad anatomy...

 

[foreverLaur]

Anyone have a suggestion for a book to learn human anatomy before I dig into my super hard, taught by med school professors, undergrad human anatomy course? I'd like to go into the course having some basic knowledge first.

 

[KifsterDDS]

I'd really like to learn some medical terminology, but cramming a 4 year major into 2 years doesn't allow me extra time to take a course in it.

I'm looking to buy a book to study myself and learn medical terminology.

What do you guys recommend as some of the best books (or whatever) to learn medical terminology when you don't know much at all?

Thanks!

A lot of medical terminology comes from Latin and consists of words related to the subject at hand fand attached to suffixes.

For example, the suffix "tomy" means (as I understand it) "cut". Hence, an osteotomy means "bone cut". A craniotomy means a cut into the cranium.

Another example is "osis", which means (again, as I understand it) "an excess of". Hence, acidosis is an excess of acid. Ketosis, alkalosis, and so on and so forth. Although, "anastamosis" isn't really an excess of anything, heheheh.

All of these things you'll learn as you get into it. Why bother with it now?

 

[Jack_Adam]

Took Classical Origins of Medical Terminology in undergrad. It's all based on Latin and Greek. Learning med terms is one thing, understanding the context of their origins is another. If you just want to study words and their definitions, pick up a Taber's. But honestly, there's no real reason to study that material now because you'll learn it in med school.