Today, many healthcare professionals are learning medical English: some want to train or work abroad, others dream of traveling to international conferences, and still others want to be the first to read publications about discoveries in medicine. Whatever the goal, you need to take steps to achieve it, and we want to help you with this. In this article, we will present you with a concise dictionary of medical terms in English, phrases for communicating with a patient, as well as a list of 42 best resources for learning English for doctors.
Of course, we will not be able to put all the medical terms in English in this article, but nevertheless we decided to give you the basic concepts. Want to significantly increase your vocabulary on this topic? In the third part of our article, we will tell you which tutorials and sites will help you do this. In the meantime, let's get acquainted with the basic terminology.
Let's start with the names of the different types of hospital, as well as the rooms that can be located in them.
Word/Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
a hospital | a large hospital in which there is a hospital, that is, patients are in it |
an infirmary /ɪnˈfɜː(r)məri/ | first-aid post, e.g. at a school or university |
a clinic | a small clinic without a hospital, often referred to as small private clinics |
a care home | nursing home - an institution that cares for those who are unable to take care of themselves |
a day center | assistance center for the elderly and disabled, which provides assistance only during the daytime |
an asylum /əˈsaɪləm/, a psychiatric hospital | mental hospital |
a halfway house | a rehabilitation center for those who have been in a psychiatric clinic or prison for a long time and are now adapting to normal life |
a hospice /ˈhɒspɪs/ | hospice |
a sanatorium | sanatorium |
a unit | ward (in a hospital) |
a ward /wɔː(r)d/, a sickroom | ward |
a consulting room | a doctor's office where he examines a patient |
a surgery (BrE) a doctor's office (AmE) | doctor's office |
A&E (accident and emergency department), casualty (BrE) ER (emergency room) (AmE) | emergency department |
an ICU /ˌaɪ siː ˈjuː/ (intensive care unit) | intensive care unit |
a high dependency unit | intensive care unit |
an operating theatre/room; surgery | operating room |
a delivery room | delivery room |
a dispensary | medicine dispensing room |
a maternity ward | ward in the maternity ward for pregnant women and childbirth |
a nursery | room for newborns |
a day room | common room in the hospital where patients can read, watch TV, chat, etc. |
Now let's move on to the hospital staff. Let's study the specialties of the doctors who work there. This will not be difficult to do, since English words are very similar to Russian ones.
Let's move on to the names of the areas of medicine, they also practically coincide with Russian terms.
Word/Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
anesthesiology /æn.əsˌθiː.ziˈɒl.ə.dʒi/ | anesthesiology |
cardiology | cardiology |
dentistry | dentistry |
dermatology | dermatology |
emergency /ɪˈmɜː(r)dʒ(ə)nsi/ | urgent care |
endocrinology | endocrinology |
gastroenterology | gastroenterology |
gynecology | gynecology |
internal medicine, general practice | therapy |
nephrology /nɪˈfrɒl.ə.dʒi/ | nephrology |
obstetrics /əbˈstetrɪks/ | obstetrics |
oncology | oncology |
ophthalmology /ˌɒf.θælˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/ | ophthalmology |
orthodontics /ˌɔː.θəˈdɒn.tɪks/ | orthodontics |
orthopedics/orthopedics | orthopedics |
otolaryngology, otorhinolaryngology /ˌəʊ.təʊ.raɪ.nəʊ.lær.ɪŋˈɡɒl.ə.dʒi/ | otolaryngology, otorhinolaryngology |
palliative medicine | palliative care |
pediatrics | pediatrics |
psychiatry /saɪˈkaɪətri/ | psychiatry |
rheumatology /ˌruːməˈtɒlədʒi/ | rheumatology |
surgery | surgery |
urology | urology |
You will find even more names of specialties and areas of medicine in English on this page.
In addition to doctors, other medical workers do a huge job for us in the hospital. Abroad they are called differently, let's look at the most commonly used terms.
Word/Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
charge nurse | a nurse who works in a hospital and cares for patients |
a district nurse | visiting nurse (helps people in their homes) |
a midwife | midwife |
a nurse practitioner | a nurse who has the right to conduct an independent practice, that is, to treat simple diseases (almost similar to our paramedic) |
an attendant | nurse |
a care assistant, a care worker (BrE) | a person who cares for the elderly or people with serious illnesses in institutions |
a carer (BrE) a caregiver, a caretaker (AmE) | a person who works with people who are unable to take care of themselves |
Be sure to check out our article "". In it you will find the names of diseases and their symptoms, as well as medicines in English.
Now that we've built up your vocabulary, let's learn some basic phrases that you may find useful when communicating with a patient. Here again, we only provide a small selection of common phrases, and the tutorials and resources that we will tell you about a little later will help you to delve deeper into this topic.
So, to interview a patient, you can use the following phrases:
Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
How are you feeling today? | How do you feel today? |
How long have you been feeling like this? | How long do you feel like this? |
Can you tell me what the problem is? | Please tell me what are you complaining about? |
Have you got any other symptoms? | Do you have any other symptoms? |
When did you notice the symptoms? When did the symptoms start? | When did you notice the symptoms? When did the symptoms first appear? |
When do you have the symptoms? | When do you have symptoms? |
How long did the symptoms last? For how long have you been feeling ill? | How long did the symptoms last? How long have you been sick? |
Do you have any problems walking/breathing? | Do you have any walking/breathing problems? |
Do you have any pain when you breathe in? | Do you feel pain when you take a breath? |
Is this the first time this has happened? | Is this the first time with you? |
How long have you had the cough? | How long have you been coughing? |
What have you eaten/drunk? | What did you eat/drink? |
Have you taken your temperature? | Did you take your temperature? |
Did you take any medicine? | Have you taken any medications? |
Does anything make your pain worse/better? | Does anything worsen/relieve the pain? |
What is your hearing/appetite like? | How is your hearing/appetite? |
Is your sight normal? | Do you have normal vision? |
Is your weight stable? | Are you at a stable weight? |
Do you smoke? | Do you smoke? |
What infectious diseases have you had? | What infectious diseases did you suffer from? |
When examining a patient, the following phrases may be useful to you:
Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
Where does it hurt? / Where's the pain? Show me where it hurts. | Where does it hurt? Show me where it hurts. |
Can you describe the pain? | Can you describe the pain? |
When does it start? | When did it start? |
How long does it last? | How long does it last? |
Can I have a look? | May I have a look? |
Could you just lie on the couch? | Can you lie down on the couch? |
Does it hurt when I press here? | Does it hurt when I click here? |
Could you roll up your sleeve? | Could you roll up your sleeve? |
I'm going to take your blood pressure/temperature/pulse. | I'm going to take your blood pressure/temperature/pulse. |
Your blood pressure is low / normal / rather high / very high. | Your blood pressure is low/normal/fairly high/very high. |
Your temperature is normal / a little high / very high. | Your temperature is normal / elevated / very high. |
You may ask the patient to do the following:
Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
take a deep breath | take a deep breath |
breathe in | take a breath |
breathe out | exhale |
don't breathe | don't breathe |
open your mouth | open your mouth |
close your eyes | close your eyes |
lie down over here | lie down here |
lie on your back/side | lie on your back/side |
look straight ahead | look straight ahead |
stand up | stand up |
slip off your shirt | take off your shirt |
take your clothes off | undress |
If you need to perform some manipulations with a patient or send him for an additional examination, you can use the following phrases:
Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
You need to have a blood test. | You need to do a blood test. |
We need to take a blood/urine sample. | We need to take a blood/urine test. |
I want you to see a specialist. | I want you to see a specialist. |
You need a few stitches. | You need stitches. |
I want to send you for an X-ray. | I want to send you for an x-ray. |
I want to send you for an ultrasound. | I want to send you for an ultrasound. |
I'm going to give you an injection. | I'm going to give you an injection. |
I'm going to prescribe you some antibiotics. | I will prescribe antibiotics for you. |
You've got to be vaccinated against the flu. | You need to get a flu shot. |
At the end of the appointment, you can communicate the diagnosis and recommendations with the following phrases:
Phrase | Translation |
---|---|
You're suffering from... = You have... | You... |
You should try to give up smoking. | You should try to quit smoking. |
You need to try and lose some weight. | You need to try to lose weight. |
You need to rest and you shouldn't worry. | You need to rest and don't worry. |
I'll give you a prescription. Take this medicine two times a day / before meals / an hour after meal. | I will give you the recipe. Take this medicine twice a day / before meals / one hour after meals. |
I'd like to keep you here overnight for observation. | I would like to leave you here (at the hospital) for observation. |
You'll have to stay in hospital for two weeks. | You will have to stay in the hospital for two weeks. |
Do you have any questions? | Do you have any questions? |
If you aren't feeling better in 5 to 7 days, you must come back and see me again. | If you do not feel better in 5-7 days, you should come back to me. |
And to inform relatives about the patient's condition, you can use one of the following phrases:
Is our vocabulary and phrases not enough for you? Then we move on to the most important part of our article, in which we will talk about useful resources for learning medical English.
We want to start with medical English textbooks. There are quite a lot of them, both Russian and foreign authors. We always recommend using authentic manuals to get the most up-to-date information. If you are a healthcare worker, we suggest you choose one of the following textbooks:
note: we have given only English-English dictionaries, in which the term and explanation are not translated into Russian. If it is still difficult for you to perceive such information, you can translate incomprehensible words in the dictionaries of Multitran or
Videos are a great source of new words and phrases that are easier to remember thanks to the image. We suggest you pay attention to the following video resources:
As you understand, the Internet can not only entertain, but also educate. And the best solution for professional development will be special learning platforms. We suggest you pay attention to the following sites:
note: almost all learning platforms provide an opportunity to get a certificate from the university providing the training. Such certificates are valued by employers, so you can use them to advance your career or find work abroad.
In the article "" we talked about the most famous sites offering online education in English.
We know that many medical professionals are very skeptical about serials and films about doctors. But in the name of the science of learning English, it's still worth putting aside these beliefs and watching helpful videos. Why are they useful? Actors use medical terms in English in their speech, conduct dialogues with patients, etc. - all this can be learned from them. We recommend doctors such series:
Now you have everything you need to learn Medical English productively. If it is difficult for you to do this on your own and you want to get the help of an experienced mentor, we invite you to our school. Our experienced teachers will help you master the necessary topics in the right time.
We have compiled a document for you, which contains all the words and expressions on this topic. You can download it from the link below.
Collection of words used in medicine. There are three main medical dictionaries in English: Stedman, Tabers and Dorland. Many dictionaries have several versions/target readers: for doctors, students, popular. Medical Dictionary ... ... Wikipedia
Medical calculator- This term has other meanings, see Calculator (meanings). A medical calculator is a tool that simplifies the actions of medical personnel by providing access to a specialized medical information system and ... ... Wikipedia
Medical- 1. Related to medicine, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various diseases. 2. Therapeutic. This term is used to describe diseases that respond well to conservative treatment without the use of ... ... medical terms
medical- to provide medical care. Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. merciful medical, medical, medical Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary
MEDICAL- Pertaining to medicine or medical science; healing. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Mikhelson A.D., 1865. MEDICAL related to healing or to medical science; ... ...
MEDICAL ADVICE- an institution that issues medical records, not from the side of managing them, like the Medical Department, but only from the side of study, examination and censorship. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907. MEDICAL COUNCIL ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
MEDICAL STAFF- MEDICAL STAFF, honey. health care workers. dignity. institutions. M. p. higher doctors, dentists; M. p. average honey. nurses, feldshers, paramedics, midwives, dental technicians, X-ray technicians, prosector and laboratory preparators,… … Big Medical Encyclopedia
MEDICAL- MEDICAL, medical, medical. adj. to medicine. Faculty of Medicine. || Medical, medical. Health care. Medical facilities. ❖ Nurse see nurse. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
MEDICAL WEIGHT- Pharmaceutical weight. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. MEDICAL WEIGHT Pharmaceutical weight. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Michelson A.D., 1865 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
medical control- see Medical control. Edwart. Glossary of terms of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 2010 ...
medical squad- see Medical detachment. Edwart. Glossary of terms of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 2010 ... Emergencies Dictionary
) + own specific vocabulary for a specific purpose.
And today we are starting a section for those who learn English for work. In this series of articles, we will find out where to find the very professional vocabulary. We decided to dedicate the first issue to medical English (especially since today is International Dentist Day).
The use of English in medicine is very extensive: doctors communicate with each other at international conferences (and if you don’t know the language, you won’t go), a doctor can get a foreign patient, many devices and devices are of foreign origin (with an English description) and, of course, English allows you to read professional literature, research and world scientific news, translations of which you can not wait for.
P.S. the article is suitable for those who already have a sufficient level of language proficiency, since you first need to master General English, and only professional English should be “imposed” on it.
I think the medical reader will agree that the professional vocabulary for his field has a fairly wide range: these are the organs of the human body, and the symptoms, and the names of diseases, and the terms of chemistry, biology ... The fact that scientific terms are largely based on Latin, but still the vocabulary is quite complex. Where to take it?
Textbooks are ideal for those who decide to learn the language on their own. After all, the teacher would build a program for the student, and the textbook can partially replace this program.
English in Medicine– a course for medical professionals who communicate with patients and colleagues in English. Through various tasks, he develops all 4 skills.
Professional English in Use Medicine- another medical course from Cambridge. Covers a wide range of medical vocabulary and is great for self-study.
Check Your English Vocabulary for Medicine– a workbook that will help you master basic medical terminology. Includes crosswords, puzzles, games, tests, etc.
Oxford English for Careers: Medicine and Nursing- These are 2 courses designed for medical professionals and nurses. Includes exercises, situational grammar reference, dictionary, audio recordings.
L.G. Kozyrev. English for Medical Colleges- a Russian-language textbook that is suitable for those whose English is just gaining momentum. Includes the necessary vocabulary and grammar.
M. S. Muraveyskaya. English for doctors- a course that is also suitable for beginners. It is mainly aimed at ensuring that the student can read professional literature in English.
good practices- A complete course for mastering spoken English. Includes audio and DVD with dialogues between the doctor and the patient + worksheets for working with these recordings.
And this is not all textbooks and training courses that are intended for medical professionals. But we are moving to special websites and online English courses for doctors.
I found another great source of body part vocabulary: the interactive anatomy site innerbody.com.
You read a book / news / article about medicine in English and write out unfamiliar words from there that you will study later. So the words will be for you in a good memorable context, and you will learn them much stronger.
Yes, our service is famous for the richest collection of materials in English. What is not there: books, and scientific articles, and conference recordings ... The main charm is that you can 1. click on an unfamiliar word ⇒ 2. see the translation ⇒ 3. add this word to study in Lingualeo ⇒ 4. and master him through . And the context from which the word is taken will always be with you.
We also have thematic materials for physicians. For example, a collection with interactive subtitles, or an entire collection of . Also take a look at our collection and select Health & Society or Biology & Life Science tags on the right.
How to search: you go to the section and enter a query in English into the search box (for example, Medicine). The materials that appeared on request can be filtered by the level of complexity, format (Video, audio, text), etc. Detailed instructions.
Reading foreign professional blogs and news resources means being aware of the most advanced. Reading them in English means improving your language along the way. As I said, you can not be afraid of unfamiliar words on English-language resources: help. With it, you can also add words to study from absolutely any site (as well as from our materials).
You can also “drive” an article that interests you on Lingualeo and study it in your free minutes through. How to add materials - read the link.
I will list a few links to medical journals in English.
More sites you will find in special collections: Health & Medical Magazines/Journals and 10 Physician-Authored Blogs Worth Reading.
Language proficiency is built on 4 skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. If you follow a training course (or with a teacher), then you will be given exercises to develop all sides.
But if you are self-taught and use the online materials and scientific articles on medicine in English (listed above), then you will need resources to develop listening and speaking practice (speaking and writing).
For the full development of the language, speech practice is needed. If you do not yet have real situations of communication in English, you can take advantage of communication in social networks with English-speaking people. Doctors have their own professional social networks!
We have a huge amount of materials about medicine, as well as courses, vocabulary and grammar training. There are already 17 million of us, but with you there will be even more! 🙂
The dictionary contains about 70 thousand terms. The dictionary contains terms denoting the main groups of concepts, processes and morphological structures characteristic of the human body in normal and pathological conditions at various stages of its development; diseases and pathological conditions of a person; pathogens and carriers of diseases; methods of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases; group names of medicines, names of medicinal plants; devices, instruments, instruments, etc. Abbreviations are given at the end of the dictionary. The dictionary is intended for medical specialists, translators of teachers and students of medical universities.
BUT.
abacterial sterile, bacteria-free, aseptic
mental disorder
abapical abapical, directed from the apex; inferior pole
abaptiston honey. those. conical trephine
abarognosis abarognosis (loss of the ability to feel the weight of an object)
abarthrosis joint, diarthrosis, synovial joint
abarticular 1. extra-articular 2. dislocated
abarticulation 1. dislocation 2. joint, diarthrosis, synovial junction
abasement omission; prolapse (of an organ)
abasia abasia (inability to walk, eg paralysis, muscle spasms)
choreic ~ choreic abasia
trembling ~ trembling abasia
abate to reduce, weaken, alleviate (eg pain); subside, weaken (for example, about the manifestations of the disease)
abatement reduction, weakening, alleviation (e.g. pain)
abaxial; lying off axis; located at the opposite end of the axis
abbreviated 1. abbreviated (eg about a course of treatment) 2. weakened (eg about an infection); abortive (about the course of the disease)
abdomen stomach
obsti-purn deformity of the abdomen due to shortening of the rectus muscles
acute ~ acute abdomen
boat-shaped ~ navicular belly
burst ~ sharp belly
carinate ~ navicular belly
distended ~ stretched belly.
Free download e-book in a convenient format, watch and read:
Download the book English-Russian Medical Dictionary, About 70,000 terms, Akzhigitov G.N., Benyumovich M.S., Chikorin A.K., 1992 - fileskachat.com, fast and free download.
The following tutorials and books:
Previous articles:
The words presented in this article will be useful, rather, not to doctors, but to ordinary people who are familiar with medicine at the household level. There are no complicated medical terms here, I have selected common medical words in English that I hope you will never need!
medical insurance | medical insurance |
health | health |
diagnosis | diagnosis |
pulse | pulse |
doctor | |
hygiene | hygiene |
illness (disease) | disease |
recovery | recovery |
injury | trauma, injury |
cough | cough |
cold | cold |
dose | dose |
crutch | crutch |
wheel chair | wheelchair |
pain killer | painkiller |
patient | a patient |
dropper | dropper |
patch (plaster) | patch |
side effect | side effect |
sleeping pills | hypnotic |
thermometer | thermometer |
surgery | operation (surgery) |
syringe | syringe |
medical examination | body check |
blood pressure | blood pressure |
urine test | Analysis of urine |
drug test | drug testing |
X-ray | x-ray |
treatment | treatment |
therapy | therapy |
prescription | recipe |
medicine (drug) | medicine |
injection (shot) | injection |
pharmacy (drug store) | pharmacy |
pills | tablets |
ointment | ointment |
ambulance | Ambulance |
bandage | bandage, bandage |
first aid | first aid |
In English, pain can be called three terms: pain, ache, hurt.
All three words can be used to refer to heartache.
- My behavior caused my parents a lot of heartache. - My behavior caused my parents a lot of emotional distress.
- It took her years to move past the pain of her divorce. It took her years to overcome the pain caused by the divorce.
- Sally was extremely hurt that Molly didn't invite her to her wedding. Sally was hurt that Molly didn't invite her to her wedding.
abscess | abscess, abscess |
ache (pain, hurt) | pain |
allergy | allergy |
asthma | asthma |
bronchitis | bronchitis |
cruise | bruise |
burn | burn |
cancer | crayfish |
cold | cold |
cold (in the head) | runny nose |
cut | a cut |
diabetes | diabetes |
diarrhea | diarrhea |
fever | fever |
flu (influenza) | flu |
fracture | fracture |
giddiness (dizziness) | dizziness |
headache | headache |
heart attacks | heart attack |
pus | pus |
rash | rash |
sickness | nausea (also: sickness) |
stroke | stroke |
sunstroke | sunstroke |
symptoms | symptom |
toothache | toothache |
wound | wound |
gunshot wound | gunshot wound |
Pay attention to the word therapist– sometimes misunderstood as a “therapist”, but this is a physiotherapist or sometimes a psychotherapist. The word “therapist” in our understanding is closer to English family doctor(family doctor, general practitioner) or physician.
doctor, physician | |
nurse | nurse |
physician | doctor (physician, therapist) |
veterinarian | veterinarian |
family doctor | family doctor (attending physician) |
dentist | dentist |
surgeon | surgeon |
anesthesiologist | anesthetist |
cardiologist | cardiologist |
traumatologist | traumatologist |
orthopedist | orthopedist |
gastroenterologist | gastroenterologist |
dermatologist | dermatologist |
gynecologist | gynecologist |
urologist | urologist |
ophthalmologist | oculist, ophthalmologist |
therapist | physiotherapist |
pediatrician | pediatrician |
healer | healer |
The words on the topic “Human Body” were already in, but it was about the body from an athletic point of view: biceps, quadriceps, etc. I redesigned this collection to be more medically relevant. With these words, you can explain what hurts. And if it doesn't help, point your finger 🙂
height | growth |
weight | the weight |
body | body |
head | head |
neck | neck |
shoulder | shoulder |
arm | hand (full) |
hand | arm hand) |
wrist | wrist |
forearm | forearm |
chest | breast |
back | back |
lower back | small of the back |
leg | leg |
foot | sole |
knee | knee |
joints | joints | this wonderful site - there are native (and non-native) teachers 👅 for all occasions and for every pocket 🙂 I myself went through more than 80 lessons with teachers that I found there! I advise you to try it too!