One of my favorites was the common introductory description of a patient in a case presentation as "well developed and well nourished". This was quickly introduced into our everyday speech such as "I met a well developed well nourished female at the party last night".
My wife and I are both physicians and we frequently insert medical jargon into our conversations around the house. Our kids grew up hearing us and they are in on the joke. None of us do this outside our home.
Nice use of medicalese to tell a story many of us are familiar with. It is something that I talk to my medical students, residents and APPs about the significant vocabulary we have acquired in our training. Last I remember we have 70,000 extra words to throw out there. The lesson is that while it is necessary to learn them (and the spelling hopefully) we need not to drown our patients with these too often or at all in some cases or we all know the results. thanks for a nice Sunday morning read
I have told many young people anticipating their start to medical school (or other healthcare professions) that 'learning the language' is the core of their studies. And I also find myself using 'medical' terms in conversations where others would not...
Spelling - BTW - is a talent I also lack. Thus, computer spell checking has been crucial to me, and since I carry a dictionary (ie - a smart phone) on my belt most of the time, I do rather better now than I did when I was young.
When I was a third-year resident in general surgery, Erenie, my senior resident wrote a hysterical, laugh out loud, play on words story of a playboy, Rolando, who drove a Giardia Lamblia and was trying desparately to get into his girlfriend, Sylvia's, fissure. He was eventually successful, with Sylvia encouraging him by crying out, "putamen!" What I wouldn't give to have a copy of that today. I remember in our week of orientation for med school being told that we were going to learn 10,000 new words in the next four years. 47 years later, I still find myself talking in "medicalese." My wife likes it so you know I won't stop!
"She was usually exhausted on Thursday evening because it was the day she worked at a poorly functioning off-site clinic, but tonight she was buoyed by the promised diastole of their upcoming vacation."
Didn't think it was possible to work systole or diastole into everyday conversations.
I think doctors use exacerbation and bifurcation more commonly than other folk.
I and a colleague used to brainstorm ways to teach medical language to prospective medical transcriptionists and nursing students. Obviously, spelling was important, and we taught them they couldn’t just transcribe sound; they had to be conscious of meaning and context. We and they had lots of fun with etymologies, soundalikes, and eponyms. Sadly, medical transcription is a dying art, if anyone still uses more than a scribe, template, or, God help us, AI. And spelling and accuracy hardly seem to matter based on my recent reports from the patient portal. Wish I had had you as a student.
I loved this. I had a similar conversation about this with my PCP at last visit. He said it's not east to get back in "normal" mode. I did have to look up iatrogenic, so that's a plus for my day.
In my career, I would have to query doctors on occasion about something they had written on a death certificate. One doctor had written something I couldn't find anyplace. When I called his office I actually got to talk to him and he laughed and said, I knew you would call.. I kinda just made that up because I didn't know what to say,, I don't even remember the term, but let it go on to the very learned ones at the state department of health who didn't question him.
I used to typeset medical publications — iatrogenic is one of my favorite medical terms, in everyday usage I've learned after an ER visit that those purple spots aren't bruises, they are effusions. And I've always wondered in reading my follow-up visit notes at the patient portal how do they describe non "pleasant" individuals.
One of my former partners, now retired used to say of unusual, or difficult individuals, “(s)he’s a real atypical lymphocyte.”
Perhaps the most erudite description of a flake, or a**hole I’ve ever heard.
BTW: ‘Debulking’ a book collection? That, sir is an outrageous outrage! Get a sturdier desk or build a bigger house. Reducing a book collection is Simply Not Done, old boy…🙂
One of my favorites was the common introductory description of a patient in a case presentation as "well developed and well nourished". This was quickly introduced into our everyday speech such as "I met a well developed well nourished female at the party last night".
My wife and I are both physicians and we frequently insert medical jargon into our conversations around the house. Our kids grew up hearing us and they are in on the joke. None of us do this outside our home.
Nice use of medicalese to tell a story many of us are familiar with. It is something that I talk to my medical students, residents and APPs about the significant vocabulary we have acquired in our training. Last I remember we have 70,000 extra words to throw out there. The lesson is that while it is necessary to learn them (and the spelling hopefully) we need not to drown our patients with these too often or at all in some cases or we all know the results. thanks for a nice Sunday morning read
I have told many young people anticipating their start to medical school (or other healthcare professions) that 'learning the language' is the core of their studies. And I also find myself using 'medical' terms in conversations where others would not...
Spelling - BTW - is a talent I also lack. Thus, computer spell checking has been crucial to me, and since I carry a dictionary (ie - a smart phone) on my belt most of the time, I do rather better now than I did when I was young.
Had a few of these conversations when my kids were little. Many eye rolls resulted…
Perhaps you can start writing an "Enjoyable Short Stories for Medical Professionals" series!
When I was a third-year resident in general surgery, Erenie, my senior resident wrote a hysterical, laugh out loud, play on words story of a playboy, Rolando, who drove a Giardia Lamblia and was trying desparately to get into his girlfriend, Sylvia's, fissure. He was eventually successful, with Sylvia encouraging him by crying out, "putamen!" What I wouldn't give to have a copy of that today. I remember in our week of orientation for med school being told that we were going to learn 10,000 new words in the next four years. 47 years later, I still find myself talking in "medicalese." My wife likes it so you know I won't stop!
Medicalese is The True Language.
All other variants are mere Neanderthal grunting.😊
Love this...
"She was usually exhausted on Thursday evening because it was the day she worked at a poorly functioning off-site clinic, but tonight she was buoyed by the promised diastole of their upcoming vacation."
Didn't think it was possible to work systole or diastole into everyday conversations.
I think doctors use exacerbation and bifurcation more commonly than other folk.
I and a colleague used to brainstorm ways to teach medical language to prospective medical transcriptionists and nursing students. Obviously, spelling was important, and we taught them they couldn’t just transcribe sound; they had to be conscious of meaning and context. We and they had lots of fun with etymologies, soundalikes, and eponyms. Sadly, medical transcription is a dying art, if anyone still uses more than a scribe, template, or, God help us, AI. And spelling and accuracy hardly seem to matter based on my recent reports from the patient portal. Wish I had had you as a student.
I loved this. I had a similar conversation about this with my PCP at last visit. He said it's not east to get back in "normal" mode. I did have to look up iatrogenic, so that's a plus for my day.
In my career, I would have to query doctors on occasion about something they had written on a death certificate. One doctor had written something I couldn't find anyplace. When I called his office I actually got to talk to him and he laughed and said, I knew you would call.. I kinda just made that up because I didn't know what to say,, I don't even remember the term, but let it go on to the very learned ones at the state department of health who didn't question him.
I used to typeset medical publications — iatrogenic is one of my favorite medical terms, in everyday usage I've learned after an ER visit that those purple spots aren't bruises, they are effusions. And I've always wondered in reading my follow-up visit notes at the patient portal how do they describe non "pleasant" individuals.
One of my former partners, now retired used to say of unusual, or difficult individuals, “(s)he’s a real atypical lymphocyte.”
Perhaps the most erudite description of a flake, or a**hole I’ve ever heard.
BTW: ‘Debulking’ a book collection? That, sir is an outrageous outrage! Get a sturdier desk or build a bigger house. Reducing a book collection is Simply Not Done, old boy…🙂
Bruises = ecchymoses ( I presume that's what you meant rather than effusions)
Rectocranial inversion.
Disuse atrophy of the brain.