Language in Medicine

You must have noticed that half of the MCAT was devoted to language (verbal reasoning and writing samples). Why do you think this is?

When you are reading, do you ever skip over unknown words without looking them up? Do you wonder why things are named the way they are? For example, where does the word “pedal” come from? And where on a patient would you expect to find the dorsalis pedis pulse?

Clear use of language is essential for communication with both colleagues and patients—you cannot succeed as a physician without a good command of language. You are about to start learning a new language, the language of medicine. The more you think about what words mean, the more fluent you can become, and the more effectively you will be able to think in this new language. Your task as a medical student will be much harder if you do not pay close attention to language, both technical and non-technical.

It is almost impossible to try to memorize all the terms thrown at you in medical school without thinking about the underlying meanings of the words. And difficulties arise with “simple” words as often as with “complex” ones.
What, for example, does “bond” mean?
You might say there are many meanings, but we would claim that there is only one underlying meaning which unifies the various uses. 

Any time you encounter a new term, try to break it down and look for parts of the word that may be familiar from everyday language. Things are rarely named randomly. For example, where might the “periodontal ligament" be? (Think perimeter, dentist.)
What do you think “transferrin” does? What about a “transferase”?

Ultimately, if you have a good grasp of language and a broad vocabulary, you will be able to remember what you need to learn more easily. You will also be able to make inferences simply from the definitions of terms, and this in turn will enable you to perform better on medical school examinations and gain a deeper understanding of medicine in general.

It is important to continuously develop your language skills. Here are some recommendations for action between now and your arrival in Dominica.

• Read as much as you can. Choose books that are challenging.  Some suggestions can be found in our General Reading List.
• Work through this course in Medical Terminology, and learn some anatomical terminology.
• Look up new words whenever you encounter them. Think about how these words are related to others you already know, in use and in meaning.