5 Commonly Confused Medical Terms You Need to Get Right (Part 2)
Getting ready for OET? Don’t forget to build up and refine your healthcare vocabulary during your OET review online period.
Why It’s Crucial That You Get Every Medical Term Right Medical terms and expressions are often confusing. There are words that sound alike and words that seem interchangeable. Most people can get away with misusing, mispronouncing, or misspelling an expression or two in most situations. You, however, do not have that privilege.
As a healthcare professional, it is crucial that you have a good grasp of medical terminology. A single mistake can put your patient’s life in danger. It’s one of the many reasons why OET is strict when it comes to the application of healthcare vocabulary. So, expand your medical vocabulary. If you’re preparing with an OET online course review, ask your instructor for a list of words and expressions that may come up in the exam. But, don’t rely solely on the list. Maximize whatever available resources you have. Ask your colleagues (if you’re currently working at a health facility) or your professors (if you’re still studying) to explain confusing terminologies.
5 Commonly Confused Medical Terms Build up your medical vocabulary. Here are five tricky medical terms that often get mixed up by patients and healthcare professionals alike.
1. Diastasis and Diathesis Diastasis refers to the dislocation or separation of two bones that are normally connected despite the absence of a true joint. It also sometimes refers to the separation of muscles. Diathesis, on the other hand, refers to the body’s constitution that predisposes it to certain conditions.
2. Prostate and Prostrate Prostate is a noun and an adjective, as in “prostate gland.” Prostrate, emphasis on the “r,” is an adjective that describes someone or something that is lying stretched out on the ground, usually with their/its face facing downwards. Never confuse these two terms.
3. Apparent and Aberrant Most people misspell or mix up these two adjectives when writing due to their similar spelling. Apparent describes something that is visible or evident. Aberrant, meanwhile, describes something that deviated from the norm. A great way to make sure that you used the right adjective is to read the sentence it belongs to out loud. Their distinct pronunciation will help you set them apart.
4. Viscous and Viscus Viscous describes something that has a thick and sticky consistency. Viscus, on the other hand, refers to an internal organ. It’s also the singular form of the term “viscera.”
5. Enuresis and Anuresis Like in the case of prostate and prostrate, a single letter makes a huge difference between enuresis and anuresis. Enuresis refers to bedwetting or involuntary urination. Anuresis, meanwhile, refers to the total lack of urine or the inability to urinate. Med students often confuse these two terms.
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