Learning English terms for medical doctors is very important for many doctors around the world. English has become the dominant language in the medical field for several reasons:
- Access to medical resources: A vast majority of the world’s medical and scientific literature or journals are written in English. Mastery of English is, therefore, critical for healthcare professionals to decipher the scientific text and keep abreast of the latest medical news and advances.
- Career development: Fluency in English opens the doors to working in international hospitals and clinics, as well as practicing medicine in different countries. This not only enhances their professional growth but also allows them to bring their unique skills and perspectives to new environments, helping to improve healthcare standards globally.
- Global communication: English is widely used in international medical conferences, research publications, and collaborations. Doctors who are proficient in English can easily communicate with their peers worldwide, gaining access to the latest medical advances and research, ultimately benefiting their patients and medical practice.
- Medical terminology: Many medical terms are derived from English or have become standardized in English. A strong understanding of English helps doctors to use and understand medical terminology accurately and efficiently.
- Patient care: With the increasing number of international patients and medical professionals, having a common language like English lowers language barriers and helps prevent misunderstandings and mistakes. It also fosters efficient patient-doctor interactions and promotes patient-centered care.
Here’s a list of English vocabulary commonly used by doctors, categorized for easier understanding. Please note, that many incidental medical terms are also included in the sentences to help you learn.
General medical terms
- Abnormal: Not normal. Example: The patient has an abnormal heart rate.
- Acute: A condition that comes on suddenly and is severe. Example: The patient has acute pain in the lower back after falling three meters.
- Appointment: A doctor’s appointment is a scheduled meeting with a healthcare professional, such as a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Example: I made an appointment to see the doctor.
- Analgesic: A drug used to relieve pain. Example: Tylenol is an analgesic used for fevers and pain.
- Antibiotic: A medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms. Example: The doctor prescribed an antibiotic for my sinus infection.
- Band-aid (US) / sticking plaster (UK): A small adhesive bandage used to cover minor cuts, scrapes, and blisters. Example: The nurse put a band-aid on the patient after drawing blood.
- Benign: A tumor or growth that is not cancerous and will not spread to other parts of the body. While generally not harmful, a benign tumor can still cause problems if it grows large or presses on nearby organs or tissues. Example: The growth on her lungs was benign.
- Blood pressure: The force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. Example: Her blood pressure has been really high since the accident.
- Systolic pressure: The top number, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.
- Diastolic pressure: The bottom number, which is the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
- Broken / fracture: A broken bone. Example: The child broke his arm falling off a swing.
- Open fracture (compound fracture): The bone breaks through the skin, creating an open wound. This type of fracture carries a higher risk of infection.
- Closed fracture (simple fracture): The bone is broken, but the skin remains intact.
- Transverse fracture: The break is a straight line across the bone.
- Oblique fracture: The break is diagonal across the bone.
- Spiral fracture: The break spirals around the bone, often caused by a twisting injury.
- Comminuted fracture: The bone is broken into three or more pieces.
- Segmental fracture: The same bone is broken in two places, leaving a “floating” piece of bone.
- Avulsion fracture: A tendon or ligament pulls off a small piece of bone.
- Compression fracture: The bone is crushed, often seen in the vertebrae of the spine.
- Greenstick fracture: An incomplete break where the bone bends but doesn’t break all the way through. This is more common in children.
- Hairline fracture (stress fracture): A small crack in the bone, often caused by repetitive stress.
- Bruise (n)/ bruised (adj): A bruise, also known as a contusion, is a discoloration of the skin caused by trauma or injury that ruptures small blood vessels beneath the skin’s surface. Example: I bruised my arm after hitting it on the table.
- Chronic: A condition that lasts for a long time. Example: I have chronic back pain from an accident 10 years ago.
- Diagnosis: The identification of a disease or condition. Example: The patient was diagnosed with HIV. / The patient’s diagnosis was incorrect.
- Emergency: A medical emergency is a situation where an individual’s health is in serious and immediate danger, requiring urgent medical attention to prevent potentially life-threatening consequences or long-term health complications. Example: We had an emergency last night. John started choking on his dinner.
- ER (emergency room; US) / A&E (accident and emergency; UK): An emergency room (ER), also known as an emergency department (ED) or A&E (Accident and Emergency in the UK), is a specialized department within a hospital that provides immediate care to patients with acute illnesses or injuries requiring urgent medical attention.
- Fatal: Causing death or having the potential to cause death. It can also refer to something that leads to ruin or failure. Example: He was in a fatal car crash.
- Follow-up: A medical history is a comprehensive record of a person’s health, including past and present illnesses, treatments, and other relevant health information. It is an essential tool for doctors to understand a patient’s overall health and to provide the best possible care. Example: We need to schedule a follow-up appointment in two weeks.
- Germ: A microorganism that can cause disease. Example: Wash your hands to help prevent the spread of germs.
- Malignant: A tumor that is cancerous and has the potential to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. This spread can happen through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Example: We found out that the lump was malignant. I’ll start radiation therapy and chemo next week.
- Medical history: A medical history is a comprehensive record of a person’s health, including past and present illnesses, treatments, and other relevant health information. It is an essential tool for doctors to understand a patient’s overall health and to provide the best possible care. Example: What is the patient’s medical history?
- Medication: A drug or other substance used to treat a disease or condition. Example: This medication will help you sleep better at night.
- Pharmacy/drugstore (US) / chemist (UK): A place you can get a prescription filled. Example: I had to stop by the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions.
- Pharmacist (US) / chemist (UK): A healthcare professional who is an expert in medications. Example: The pharmacist will counsel a patient on how to take them.
- Prescription: A written order from a doctor for medication or other therapy. Note: Sometimes “medication” and “prescription” are used synonymously. Example: I had to have three prescriptions filled.
- Prognosis: The expected course of a disease or condition. Example: What is the prognosis if it is broken?
- Symptom: A sign or indication of a disease or condition. Example: What are the patient’s signs and symptoms?
- Treatment: The care given to a patient to cure or relieve a disease or condition. Example: The treatment involves a lot of rest and physical therapy.
- Vaccine: A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide an immune response against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.
- Vital signs: Measurements of a patient’s body functions, such as temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure. Example: The patient’s vital signs have stabilized.
Body parts and systems
- Anatomy: The study of the structure of the body.
- Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body. Example: The main artery is the aorta.
- Cardiovascular system: The heart and blood vessels.
- Digestive system: The stomach and intestines.
- Musculoskeletal system: The muscles, bones, and joints.
- Nerve: A bundle of fibers that transmit impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs. Example: The patient has severe nerve damage from the accident.
- Nervous system: The brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Example:
- Organ: A part of an organism that is typically self-contained and has a specific vital function. Example: Her organs are shutting down.
- Physiology: The study of the functions of the body. Example: We learned from the physiology of the cells that they coordinate activities through chemical pathways to do things such as break down food into energy.
- Respiratory system: The lungs and airways.
- Tissue: A group of cells performing a specific function in an organism. Example: The surrounding arm tissues were severely damaged.
- Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood towards the heart. Example: We need to find a good vein to start an IV immediately.
Diseases and conditions
- Allergy (n) / allergic (adj): A damaging immune response by the body to a substance, especially pollen, fur, a particular food, or dust, to which it has become hypersensitive. Example: I am allergic to penicillin. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.
- Arthritis: Arthritis involves inflammation of the joints, which can lead to pain, limited movement, and eventually, joint damage. Example: I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis for three years and the pain in my joints is getting worse.
- Asthma: A chronic respiratory disease that affects the airways in the lungs. It causes inflammation and narrowing of these airways, making it difficult to breathe. Example: A dust storm can make your asthma worse.
- Bacterial infection: An illness caused by bacteria. Example: She has a bacterial infection in her lungs. We’ll start her on a high dosage of antibiotics.
- Cancer: A disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.
- Cardiac arrest: A sudden and life-threatening condition where the heart abruptly stops beating effectively. It’s different from a heart attack, although a heart attack can sometimes lead to cardiac arrest. Example: The patient went into cardiac arrest. We couldn’t find a pulse.
- Cold: A cold, also known as the common cold, is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Example: I have a horrible cold. My head is stuffy and my nose won’t stop running.
- Cough: A cough is a natural reflex that helps to clear your airways of irritants, such as mucus, dust, or smoke. Example: My cough got worse during the night.
- Critical condition: A medical term used to describe a patient’s state when their vital signs are unstable, and their condition is life-threatening. Example: My aunt is in critical condition after a stroke.
- Cyst: A closed, sac-like structure in the body that is filled with fluid, air, pus, or other material. They can occur in various parts of the body, both on the surface and internally. Example: I had a cyst on my face due to an infection in one of my sweat glands.
- Dislocated (adj) / dislocation (noun): A joining becomes dislocated when the bones that come together at a joint are forced out of their normal position. Example: Imagine two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly – a dislocation is like those pieces being pulled apart and no longer aligned. / I dislocated my shoulder.
- Infection: A disease caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses. Example: The patient has a staff infection.
- Dehydration (n) / dehydrated (adj): This occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. This imbalance disrupts your body’s normal functions and can range from mild to severe, even life-threatening. Essentially, your body doesn’t have enough water to carry out its essential processes. Example: I became very dehydrated after running in the heat.
- Diabetes: A disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. We often refer to “Type 1 diabetes” and “Type 2 diabetes“. Example: Mike is on a special low-carb diet because of his diabetes.
- Fever: A temporary increase in body temperature, usually due to an illness. It’s a natural response by the body’s immune system to fight off infections or other conditions. Example: One of the symptoms of COVID-19 is high fever.
- Growth: The process of increasing in size, number, or complexity over time. Example: I have a growth on my kidney.
- Heart attack: A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when blood flow to a section of the heart muscle is suddenly blocked. Example: The patient had a heart attack due to his diet of high fat and sugars.
- Heart disease: A disease that affects the heart and blood vessels. Example: Does your family have a history of heart disease?
- Hives: Hives, also known as urticaria, are raised, itchy welts on the skin that appear as a reaction to various triggers. Example: I often get hives if I eat seafood.
- Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar levels. Example: The patient is hypoglycemic. We need to give her some dextrose.
- Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar levels. Example: The patient is hyperglycemic. If we don’t lower his sugar levels, he could have a stroke.
- Hypertension: High blood pressure. Example: The patient is hypertensive and has a history of hypertension.
- Hypotension: Low blood pressure. Example: We need to give the patient high-flow (bolus) saline to combat his hypotension.
- Infection: The invasion of an organism’s body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce. Example: The infection has moved to her bloodstream.
- Inflammation: A reaction of the body to injury or infection, characterized by redness, swelling, pain, and heat. Example: She has a lot of inflammation around the fracture. / The patient has a severely inflamed colon.
- Stroke: A condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. There are three main types of strokes: ischemic stroke (clots), hemorrhagic stroke (bleeds), and transient ischemic attack (TIA).
- Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Example: The tumor has grown five centimeters.
- Viral infection: An illness caused by a virus. Example: The virus has hijacked the host cells to make more copies of themselves (replicate).
- Virus: Example:
Medical procedures and tests
- Amputate (verb) / amputation (noun): To surgically remove a limb or other body part, such as a finger, toe, arm, or leg. Example: We are going to have to amputate her leg if we can’t get her diabetes under control.
- Biopsy: The removal of tissue from a living body for diagnostic examination. Example: We will perform a biopsy to test the tissue for cancer.
- Blood test: A test that measures the levels of various substances in the blood. It is often also referred to as “labs”. Example: The blood test determined that the white blood cell count was elevated.
- Blood count: Aso known as a complete blood count (CBC), is a common blood test that measures several components of your blood.
- Red blood cells (RBCs): These carry oxygen throughout your body.
- White blood cells (WBCs): These help fight infections.
- Platelets: These help your blood clot.
- Hemoglobin: The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
- Hematocrit: The percentage of red blood cells in your blood.
- Caesarean section (c-section): A surgical procedure where a baby is delivered through incisions in the mother’s abdomen and uterus, rather than through the birth canal (vagina). Example: The baby had to be delivered by an emergency c-section.
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): An emergency procedure that combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to help someone unresponsive and not breathing normally (or only gasping). Example: We need to begin CPR immediately when someone goes into cardiac arrest.
- Cast: A rigid, protective device used to immobilize a broken bone or injured joint to allow it to heal properly usually made from plaster. Example: The patient will have to wear a cast on his leg for a couple of months.
- Chemotherapy (chemo): A type of treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Example: She’ll start chemo in a couple of weeks to hopefully kill the tumor.
- CT Scan (computed tomography): A medical imaging method employing tomography where digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation. Example: We need to do a CT of the back to see if we can determine if there is a fracture.
- IV (intravenous): Medicine or fluids given by the vein. Example: We gave an IV of normal saline. / We will give IV dextrose.
- Life support: Medical treatments and technologies used to maintain essential bodily functions in patients who are critically ill or injured and unable to sustain life on their own.
- Basic life support (BLS): A level of emergency medical care typically provided by first responders, healthcare providers, and public safety professionals to individuals experiencing life-threatening conditions. These conditions often include cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, or an obstructed airway.
- Advanced life support (ALS): A level of care given by emergency personnel (paramedics, nurses, doctors, etc) that may require advanced airway management (intubation), IV access, the administration of medicine, cardiac monitoring, or other advanced skills.
- Pediatric advanced life support (PALS): An advanced level of care focusing on pediatric patients.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A type of imaging that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create pictures of the inside of the body.
- Subcutaneous (Sub-Q): Medication is injected into the fatty tissue layer just below the skin and above the muscle. Example: We gave her a sub-q injection of epinephrine to combat her anaphylactic reaction.
- Surgery: A medical procedure that involves cutting into the body to repair or remove damaged tissue. Example: Your son will need surgery to repair his broken bones.
- Therapy: Treatment that is intended to relieve or cure a disease or condition. Example: You’ll need physical therapy to help walk again.
- X-ray: A type of imaging that uses electromagnetic radiation to create pictures of the inside of the body. Example: Get a portable x-ray in here stat!
Other important terms
- Ambulance: A vehicle specially designed and equipped for transporting sick or injured people to a medical facility, such as a hospital. Example: Call an ambulance! Mike isn’t breathing.
- Anti-depressant: A medication designed to relieve symptoms of depression. Example: The doctor prescribed anti-depressants for her postpartum depression.
- Clinic: A medical facility that provides outpatient care. Example: I have to work at the clinic tomorrow instead of the hospital.
- Crutches: Mobility aids are used to support a person while walking when they have an injury or condition that makes it difficult or impossible to put weight on their legs or feet. Example: After his knee surgery, the patient used crutches for several weeks to keep weight off his leg while it healed.
- Doctor: A licensed medical professional who diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions.
- Hospital: A medical facility that provides care to patients.
- Nurse: A licensed medical professional who provides care to patients. Example: The nurse will come in and check your vitals.
- Patient: A person who is receiving medical care. Example: The patient is flatlining.
This is just a small sample of the many English vocabulary words that doctors use. It is important for doctors to have a strong command of the English language so that they can effectively communicate with their patients and colleagues. Want to learn more? Consider private classes. Use the contact link to inquire about how we can help you learn English.
This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.
