Medical Terminology DNSG 1201

Course description:

The study of medical terminology introduces students to the language of medicine. Students will gain an understanding of basic elements, rules of building and analyzing medical words, and medical terms, regardingprefixes, roots and suffixes, associated with the body as a whole. Utilizing a systems-approach, the student will define, interpret, and pronounce medical terms relating to structure and function, anatomical terminology, pathology, diagnosis, clinical procedures, oncology, and pharmacology. In addition to medical terms, common abbreviations applicable to each system will be interpreted.

Course Aims:

The goal of this course is to enable the students to analyze the terms to its basic elements, understand the meaning of the term, and understand the structure and formation of different terms. In addition, enable the students to understand the meaning of different medical abbreviations and acronyms.

Course outcomes:

After completing this course, the students will be able to:
  • Identify the basic structure of medical words, including prefixes, suffixes, roots, combining forms, and plurals. 
  • Identify medical terminology as it relates to the anatomy and physiology of the human body. 
  • Identify the rules of building medical terms and a connection between the term and its relationship to anatomy and physiology. 
  • Describe the terms utilized for the major disease processes including symptoms, diagnosis, diagnostic testing, surgeries, and therapies. 
  • Use common terms and abbreviations in documenting medical records related to the major systems of the body.