Medical Terminology is a key skill for a variety of jobs within the industry. Whether you are interested in medical transcription, billing and coding, medical administration, or clinical roles, knowing the terms will be essential for your success.

There are a variety of ways and tips to learn medical terminology, but taking online courses can give you many added benefits, including the ability to learn in your own way and at your own pace. But how do you ensure that you retain this information? Here are some tips on how to learn medical terminology.

What Are The Best Ways to Study Medical Terminology?

1. Make flashcards: It’s true, this old-fashioned elementary school method really works. Why? Because the human brain learns by visual cues, looking at the word to recall the definition can help train your brain for memorization. You can purchase medical terminology flashcards, but making them yourself will also help you learn the words and their definitions and retain them for the long term.

2. Record yourself: Simply speaking and hearing medical terminology out loud can also help you learn. One simple trick is to record yourself saying these medical terms and their definitions. The act of recording them will create aural flashcards. Listening to your recording will help you remember the words when you come across them in your reading.

3. Make it a game: Medical educators are learning about the benefits of gamification to aid in learning difficult concepts. Games can offer an enjoyable alternative for engaging your brain. These games are most effective when they are developed with task oriented learning in mind and a scoring system to keep track of advancement. Many online medical terminology crash courses offer games an interactive activity to make the learning process more enjoyable for the student. You may also find apps for your smart phone or tablet that can help add gamification to your study program.

4. Memorize root words: Medical terminology is based on Latin and Greek root words. Understanding the word parts will help you understand complex medical terms. Often knowing part of a word will help you figure out the meaning of the entire word. For instance, knowing that “bronch” is the root for terms related to the respiratory system, makes it easier to understand that “bronchial” or “bronchitis” is also related to the lungs or breathing.

Have you considered learning medical terminology to advance your career? There are many exciting jobs that require medical terminology as a prerequisite.

Begin Learning Medical Terminology Today

Corexcel offers a fully accredited, self-paced online medical terminology course that includes interactive study experiences, audio pronunciations and video animations.

Ask anyone that has taken medical terminology and they’ll tell you it is like learning a second language. The method for constructing words is similar and some of the terminology can be confusing. The good news is that there is some logic to how medical terms are constructed and many of the terms will be familiar. If you know the meaning of arthritis or pneumonia, then you already know two medical terms. The use of everyday terms makes medical terminology much easier to learn than a second language.

What do you learn in a Medical Terminology course?

Medical terminology courses teach the basic building blocks of medical terms: prefixes, suffixes and word roots. Regardless of the length or complexity of the term, once you can identify the parts of a term, you can decipher the meaning.

In our classes we teach medical terminology using a unique combination of anatomy and physiology, word building principles, and phonetic “sounds like” pronunciations. Since each term describes a different part of the body, a disease process or condition, you need to understand basic anatomy and learn the terms used to describe the major body parts.

However, it’s not practical to memorize every term. That’s why courses teach you how to break down complex words into parts you know. This process saves time and will save you many trips to the medical dictionary. Once you master the word building principles you’ll be able to decipher any medical term.

What careers do you need Medical Terminology for?

Medical terminology courses are required for many careers in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industries. Depending on your career path, you may need the course as a prerequisite for college admission or it may be a part of your curriculum.

Students who complete a medical terminology find that it gives them a competitive advantage in the workplace. If you’re considering pharmaceutical sales, medical billing, medical transcription, court reporting or healthcare-related customer service then a course in medical terminology is a great place to start.

Learning the terminology can also open up new possibilities. Whether you are looking for a career change and want to improve your current job performance, learning the medical language is a great place to start. New careers many students pursue include:

• Medical technologist
• Medical transcription
• Medical billing and coding
• Medical engineering
• Surgical assistant
• Court reporter
• Medical sciences
• Physician’s assistant
• Clinical research professional
• Pharmaceutical sales
• Healthcare related customer service

What things should I consider when choosing a Medical Terminology course?

Searching for the right course can be a daunting task, but here are a couple things to consider:

The Type of Course to Take

Choices include instructor-led courses, online courses or a mixture of the two which is considered a blended approach. Typically instructor-led courses are only offered to the public by community colleges or universities. Often location and times can be barriers for people who wish to enroll. Organizations teach courses for their employees but this option assumes you already have a job in a company that provides this kind of benefit. If neither of these options fit your lifestyle an online medical terminology course might be your best option.

Credentials of the Organization Offering the Course

Typically these organizations are accredited and provide both instructor-led and online versions of the course. Accreditation is important because it demonstrates that the organization has taken the time to apply for accreditation and has typically been through a lengthy review process. Accredited organizations submit to frequent site visits from their accrediting bodies to review their educational design processes. These organizations are also required to keep records for a number of years. This is important in case you need a transcript or a duplicate certificate for proof of completion.

Learning medical terminology can be an extremely valuable experience. Mastering word building principles will make the process easier and help you to retain the knowledge for a long time to come. Keep in mind to use a reputable accredited company and pick a course delivery option that’s right for you.