Medical Terminology

Medical terminology is the basis of all medical careers. Whether you go into a hands-on career such as nursing or want to start your career as a medical transcriptionist, you need a thorough understanding of medical terminology to succeed. It’s the starting point for a career in the medical field.

Medical terminology can be defined as an industry-specific vocabulary for accurately describing the human body and associated conditions, procedures and diagnoses. It involves three basic parts: root words, prefixes, and suffixes. The root word is a term derived from a source language, such as Greek or Latin, and usually describes a body part. It is the main, or middle, part of the word. The prefix is an affix that is added to the front of the root word. It is used to modify the word’s meaning and give additional information about the medical term, such as location, number or time. The suffix is an affix that is added to the end of a word. It is also used to add meaning to the word, such as condition, process, or procedure. Put together, the root word, prefix and suffix create a specific medical term.

It is important to note that in medical terminology, the root word usually doesn’t make sense alone – it wouldn’t be used as a standalone word in a sentence. This is because medical root words are derived from foreign languages. The prefix and suffix is added to make the term make sense.

In a medical transcription or other medical-related career, the deciphering process is a vital part of understanding the medical term. It usually requires practice on your part to effectively and accurately form and decipher medical terms. To understand a medical term, you need to break down the word and look at its component parts: root word, prefix and suffix. By evaluating them one-by-one, you can learn each meaning and then put them together for full comprehension.

Understanding medical terminology is fundamental to accurately performing medical careers such as medical transcription. Without a complete understanding, you would not be able to accurately spell or use medical terminology in your transcriptions. All medical professionals consult their medical dictionaries on a regular basis – add a handy medical dictionary to your reference library. It’s the perfect way to learn and verify medical terminology.

Medical terminology is the basis of all medical-related careers. Think of it as a stepping stone to reach your ultimate career goal. You will get the foundation you need to do your job in an accurate manner. Your thorough knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes will lead to success in your career.