It is impossible to begin certain careers in healthcare without a strong understanding of medical terms.
Accurate use of basic medical terminology makes all the difference when it comes to patient care, medical coding, and connecting medical providers across specialties. In fact, the medical terminology list you are about to review will contribute to the foundation of your future in healthcare.
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Take some time to familiarize yourself with the medical abbreviations and terms below, and learn about the next step to advancing your career from home.
These key terms and medical abbreviations were compiled from a variety of sources, including leading medical institutions and dictionaries.
Taking a medical terminology course is a great first step to equip you with the skills and knowledge you’ll need to be successful.
Become a master of medical terms from home by taking advantage of the University of San Diego’s online medical terminology course. This self-paced offering is designed with current and prospective healthcare workers in mind, and includes updated lecture content, assignments, and access to the DavisPlus learning lab.
Upon completion, you will be able to:
The course is also ideal for students who need medical terminology credit as a prerequisite for nursing and medical-specific programs.
Medical abbreviations are not fully standardized, and the same abbreviation can carry different meanings depending on context or specialty. For example, “MS” can refer to multiple sclerosis in a neurology setting or morphine sulfate in a pharmacy order, creating legitimate potential for confusion if the context isn’t clear.
Yes. The Joint Commission maintains an official “Do Not Use” list of abbreviations that accredited hospitals must prohibit in handwritten and free-text medical orders, created in 2004 as part of a National Patient Safety Goal. Commonly confused entries include “U” for units, which can be misread as a zero, and “QD” for once daily, which has historically been linked to a significant share of documented medication errors.
Not every term carries equal weight for every healthcare role. A medical coder or biller benefits most from terms tied to diagnoses and procedures, like “biopsy” or “myocardial infarction,” while someone in patient-facing care may lean more on terms related to symptoms and conditions they’ll discuss directly with patients. Building fluency with the most common terms in your specific field first, then expanding from there, is generally more useful than memorizing the full list at once.
Become Versed in Medical Language and Terminology
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Units: 2
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