WHY A MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

COURSE IS VALUABLE TO YOUR CAREER

5 POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING AT PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS

continuinged@sandiego.edu Data Analytics & Data Visualization Career Guide 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Introduction

4 What is Medical Terminology?

6 Medical Terminology in Practice

9 Who Should Take a Medical Terminology Course?

10 Benefits of Medical Terminology in Healthcare

11 Why a Medical Terminology Course is Valuable to You

Data Analytics & Data Visualization Career Guide 2

 INTRODUCTION

When it comes to job growth, earning potential, and

career opportunities, there is no better industry than
healthcare. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), healthcare employment is projected
to grow 16% from 2020 to 2030, adding about 2.6
million new jobs, the largest increase amongst the
major occupational groups.

The other major upside of a healthcare is the diverse

career opportunities that exists in a number of
settings and roles. BUT, no matter what area of
the healthcare field you wish to work in, there is
one skillset that you must have to be successful —
medical terminology.

While you may assume that every healthcare worker

has a comprehensive understanding of all medical
terminology, that is not always the case. Brushing up
on, or even diversifying your medical terminology
knowledge can not only make your current job
easier, it can set you up for new career opportunities
within the field. And one of the best ways to do that
is with a medical terminology course.

Want to learn more? Here are the most important

reasons to study up on medical terminology.

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 WHAT IS MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY?

Prefix — appears at the beginning of a term

1
Medical terminology is the “language used to describe
anatomical structures, procedures, conditions, and indicates a location, direction, type,
processes and treatments in the medical field.” In quality or quantity.
simpler terms, it is the language used in health and
medical settings. Root — can appear at the beginning of

While memorizing terms across that many disciplines

2 the word if a prefix is absent, but the root
indicates the primary meaning of the medical
might seem impossible, medical language can be term.
simplified when you understand that nearly all medical
terms can be broken down into three parts: Suffix — appears at the end of the word and

3 indicates a specialty, test, procedure, function,

disorder or status.

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WHY IS MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY 3 Use of medical terminology has been shown to
improve overall hospital operations and improve

IMPORTANT?
the usage of medical information in things like
research, public health and case studies.

Medical terminology is the linguistic foundation on

which the entire healthcare system is built. Because
physicians are trained at varying universities and
complete their training across different hospitals
and disciplines and geographies, having a singular
medical terminology system ensures that effective
care is delivered while reducing the potential
for miscommunication.

More specifically, medical terminology is important

for a few reasons, both for medical professionals and
the field itself.

1 Medical terminology courses or certificates are

usually a prerequisite for most graduate degree or
certificate programs in the healthcare field.

2 For those already working in the medical field

— such as medical records specialists, radiology
techs and even physicians — a refresher on traditional
and new medical terminology can be helpful and may
even be required for license renewal.

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 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY IN PRACTICE

At a high level, medical terminology can be thought of as a series of puzzle pieces that fit together to create many
different words. By understanding the elements that go into each word, the easier it is us to understand — at first
glance — what the term means.

Here is a quick breakdown of some of the most common and widely used prefixes and root words in medical
terminology, as seen in the online medical dictionary, OpenMd.

FUNCTION OR QUALITY PREFIX NUMBER PREFIX

Against anti-, contra- Half semi-

Bad mal- Half (One Side) hemi-

Cause eti- One mono-, uni-

Self auto- Two | Three | Four bi- | tri- | qua-

Without a-, de- Equal equi-

Not Working Correctly dys- Many poly-

SIZE PREFIX LEVEL PREFIX

Above Normal hyper-

Large macro-, mega(lo)-

Below Normal hypo-

Small micro-
Normal/Good eu-

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BONES & MUSCLES PREFIX DIGESTIVE SYSTEM PREFIX

Arm brachi Appendix append

Back dorsa
Colon col

Bones oste
Esophagus esophag

Foot pod, ped

Intestine (Small) inter

Muscles myo

Kidney ren, neph

Rib cost

Liver hepat
Shoulder scapul

Wrist carp Stomach gastr

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LOCATION OR RELATIONSHIP PREFIX TIME OR SPEED PREFIX

Away From ab- After post-

Above supra- Again re-

Around peri- Backward retro-

Across trans- Before pro-, pre-, ante-

Between inter- Fast tachy-

Outside ex-, ec(t)- New neo-

Self auto- Time chron-

Through dia- Slow brady-

Together con-

Toward ad- HEAD PREFIX

Inside endo- Brain enceph

Ear ot, aur

HEART & CIRCULATORY PREFIX Eardrum tympan, myring

Aorta aort Eye ophthalm, ocul

Arteries arteri Face faci

Blood hem, sangu Nose rhin

Blood Vessels angi Skull crani

Heart cardi Tongue lingu

Veins ven, phleb Tooth odont, dent

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 WHO SHOULD TAKE A MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY COURSE?
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY COURSES ARE IDEAL
Medical terminology courses can benefit nearly anyone
who aspires to, or currently works in healthcare. For FOR PEOPLE IN POSITIONS SUCH AS:
those looking to break into the field, students who
require a medical terminology course as a program
prerequisite for the following programs should enroll Physicians &
in such a course. Physician Assistants

• Pre-nursing
• Pre-medical
• Pre-health professional tracks
Nurses &
Nurse Practitionsers

Medical Coders &

Medical Secretaries

Laboratory Technicians

Surgical Technicians

Occupational Therapists

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 BENEFITS OF MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY IN HEALTHCARE

Medical terminology, and having healthcare workers who are well educated in medical terminology, benefits nearly
all areas of the American healthcare system in the following ways:

Ensures consistent documentation of Ensures everyone is educated across a

clinical information:
When everyone is speaking and writing the
same language, documentation is seamless,
no matter what facility or hospital you visit.
This leads to improved patient care and
safety, research and evidence based medicine,
and better overall communication between
healthcare providers, patients and other
involved parties.
universal standard:
Patients expect a universal standard of care no
matter where they receive treatment. Medical
terminology is key in upholding that standard.
Nurses, medical assistants, doctors, surgeons,
and even admins will be part of a person’s
care, so ensuring that all relevant parties
understand what’s happening is critical.

Creates a streamlined system for

electronic medical records data:
Electronic medical records are the standard
in the healthcare industry, as they make
collaboration between doctors easier and
ensure patient records are shared amongst
all their providers. With medical terminology
knowledge, all parties who access, enter
or retrieve data from these systems will
use consistent phraseology to ensure a
streamlined patient experience.

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 5 REASONS WHY A MEDICAL
TERMINOLOGY COURSE IS
VALUABLE TO YOU
1 3
Learn the Standardized Language of Medicine
To look like you belong in any professional
setting, it helps to talk the talk, and that is
certainly the case with medical terminology. In your
healthcare career, you will be speaking with other
medical professionals who are well versed in the
language of medicine, which means you should be
too. It will help you more effectively discuss everything
from care plans to insurance billing, and will help you
fulfill your role to the best of your ability.
2
Improve Patient Safety
Learning medical terminology has a ripple effect
— once you know it, you speak the language,
you operate effectively, which in turn improves patient
safety. In certain life and death situations, efficiency
is of the utmost importance, which means having
everyone effectively using medical terms should be
priority number one. An ER doctor doesn’t have time to
explain what they mean to a trauma nurse, nor is there
room for error or misunderstanding. When everyone is
using the correct terminology, patient outcomes and
safety are improved.
Improved Patient Experiences
While patients trust that their healthcare
providers have extensive expertise when it
comes to their care, they also want to be able to
understand their diagnosis, care and treatments. This
is another benefit of learning medical terminology
— you’ll be able to converse with patients to help
them understand what you and the entire medical
team are doing for them. Medical terminology, albeit
a simplified version, is part of patient education, and
ensures patients also have a universal level
of understanding.
4
Go Further in Your Career
Medical terminology courses or certificates are
a prerequisite for most graduate degree and/
or certificate programs in the healthcare field. This
is especially true for students whose undergraduate
degrees are in a non-science field of study. For those
already working in the medical field — such as medical
records specialists, radiology techs and even physicians
— a refresher on traditional and new medical
terminology can be helpful and may even be required
for license renewal.
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 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
5
Take Your Career to New Heights
Medical terminology knowledge is required EDUCATION RESOURCES
in all medical professions. However, if you’re Expanding your vocabulary and learning
looking to advance or diversify your healthcare career, or relearning medical terminology will take
there are a few roles that are particularly focused on lots of study and practice. To begin your
education, start by exploring free online
these terms and phrases. Here are a few popular and
resources and study tools from the following
well-paid medical career areas you could explore with trusted resources.
advanced medical terminology knowledge:
• University of San Diego Medical
Medical Transcription Terminology online course
— Average salary: $57,785
• Merck Medical Terminology Manual
Medical Records and Health Information
• Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary
— Average salary: $43,302
• OpenMD.com Medical Terminology
Surgical Technology
Dictionary
— Average salary: $51,510
• Understanding Medical Words: A Tutorial
Occupational Therapy
from the National Library of Medicine
— Average salary: $86,280
• CMA (AAMA) Practice Exam:
Radiologic Technology
Medical Terminology
— Average salary: $61,370
• Free Online Medical Terminology Course
Paramedic
— Average salary: $46,177 • Medical Terminology Flashcard Sets and
Study Tools
Dental Hygiene
— Average salary: $77,691

Data Analytics & Data Visualization Career Guide 12

 LAUNCH YOUR CAREER

START A CONVERSATION TODAY

Available Online at the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional &
Continuing Education

Continuinged@sandiego.edu
or call 619-260-4585

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