Naturally, in order to benefit in the healthcare fields, it is almost a necessity to have a working knowledge of medical terminology.  However, before you think that you’re going to need to go to medical school in order to understand what the course deals with, you can relax--anyone with a basic high school knowledge can be quite successful in this course.

Did you know that most of the medical terms are composed of interchangeable word parts that are used in different combinations?  Once you know the various word roots, prefixes and suffixes, you'll be able to actually define a medical term that you're not familiar with simply by recognizing its individual parts.  More importantly, you’ll be able to apply the knowledge that you can in this course when you apply for a job. 

There’s never been a better time to begin the next phase of your life – one in the medical profession.  Forget about being intimidated by what you perceive to be words that are impossible to understand.  You’ll be guided through them, step by step, and at the end of the course, you’ll find yourself fluent in medical terminology – and on the road to entering a field in the medical profession.

This course is designed for the student to go at their own pace and to deal with both an online instructor as well as with online forums with fellow students.  It does not require any previous medical background and it is composed of easy-to-read lessons which can be completed in as little as one to two weeks.

The student will gradually gain an understanding of the medical terms to the point in which they are comfortable with hearing a word, as well as saying it and knowing what the word means.  This is a course that will be most beneficial to anyone who is thinking about expanding their horizons into working with the medical community – either as a professional or even as a volunteer.  In addition, the knowledge gained in this course will be useful in the student’s dealings with medical matters – whether it be a routine check-up or an in-depth discussion about various medical diseases.

By the end of this course, the student will be able to:

-      Name the various body systems and identify their basic components and functions

-      Recognize basic medical terms

-      Define vital signs and learn the difference between strong and weak vital signs

-      Learn the difference between signs and symptoms of a disease

-      Determine the care needed by identifying the meaning of the word root

Students will also learn and understand medical terms by examining their component parts, and will also learn to construct medical terms from their component parts.  In addition, students will also learn how to pronounce, spell, and define commonly used prefixes and suffixes.  By carefully pacing the material, students will also be defining anatomy and physiology at a comfortable and informative information rate.

As the course progresses, the student's knowledge base will expand to include:

-      Recognizing anatomic position and identifying bodily directions

-      Recognizing and define terms related to the abdominal cavity and peritoneum

-      Becoming familiar with planes of the body

-      Recognizing divisions and regions of the abdomen, thorax and peritoneum

-      Describing a location on the body based on descriptive orientation terms

For anyone who has ever been intimidated by medical terms and has believed themselves incapable of being comfortable in a medical environment, this is the course for you.  Great care has been taken to "demystify" the medical terminology so that the student can quickly pick up on word meanings and components. 

It’s a financial fact that those in the medical community have an annual income higher than most other professions--and it's a field that is only expanding.  Medical Terminology 101 has been designed to help anyone who wants to get ahead in the medical profession--even those starting in entry-level jobs--to have the upper hand.