medical jargon essay

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Medical jargon | making language more accessible.

• accessibility , language , medicine , mental health

When reading medical notes or letters, or searching for information online, do you often find yourself trying to cryptically decode a series of letters, or frequently Googling the meaning of words to find out what they mean?

Medical jargon is commonly used throughout the healthcare industry, and whilst this may be understood between clinicians and healthcare staff, it can be difficult for people outside of the profession to understand.

In this article, we look at what medical jargon is, why it is important, and how we can work to make medical language more accessible for all!

What is medical jargon?

Medical jargon is a term to describe the language used that is specific to the medical industry.

Examples of medical jargon include descriptive words such as cardi/o for things relating to the heart, or oste/o for things relating to bones. In addition, medically correct terms are also examples of medical jargon, for example, what we know as a bruise is medically known as a contusion.

Abbreviations and acronyms also form part of medical jargon – for example C-spine, an abbreviation for cervical spine; CPN, an acronym for Community Psychiatric Nurse; Dx, an abbreviation often used to mean diagnosis.

Whilst it may be frustrating as a non-medical professional to have to decipher jumbles of letters and attempt to pronounce long and complicated-sounding words, there is a place for this terminology in the medical profession.

Why is medical jargon important?

Medical terminology allows medical professionals to communicate effectively and helps to avoid misinterpretation or confusion. This terminology avoids vagueness and leaves little room for uncertainty, which can improve patient or resident safety and experiences.

Additionally, abbreviations and acronyms can help to save time when making notes, which frees up more time for physical care and means that care can be more efficient.

However, there is a time when this medical terminology becomes jargon, and in these scenarios, it is important that healthcare professionals work to make the language more accessible.

The importance of the setting

Whilst medical terminology has its place within healthcare settings, research into the use of language when communicating with patients or residents has shown that using medical terminology leads to confusion and misunderstanding.

A study conducted by Renda Soylemez Wiener et al. in 2012 featured 22 participants with a pulmonary nodule (an abnormal growth in the lungs, most of which are usually benign and not cancerous.

Transcripts of patient descriptions of conversations with their clinicians were analysed. The researchers found that in instances where the discovery of the nodule was described using jargon, or was poorly explained, patients were left feeling worried, frustrated, and distressed, while in instances where the discovery of the nodule was described in simple terms, patients were more satisfied and found it helpful.

Furthermore, as described in an article published in the BMJ in 2014 , the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) called for doctors to avoid using jargon when talking to patients. A 2014 report from an RCGP-led health literacy workshop, authored by Gill Rowlands et al., identified that doctors often used words that patients were unfamiliar with.

An example provided in the report identifies a patient referred for a chest X-ray who could not find the correct department, as the sign was labelled “Radiology” and he was too embarrassed to ask for directions.

This research suggests that there are still improvements to be made in making language more accessible to everyone, so how can we help to achieve this?

How can we make language more accessible?

In this video from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust , The New Yorker cartoonist Ben Schwartz offers an interesting perspective on medical jargon and how healthcare professionals could use storytelling techniques to consider the perspective of the patient, resident, or loved one when communicating:

As a healthcare professional, it is important to think about your patient or resident and their family members when communicating important medical information. Consider that they may not know much of the terminology used and try to simplify your language as much as possible.

It is important to ask your doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional any questions you have and ask for clarification on anything that you are unsure about.

If your healthcare professional is using terms that you don’t understand, you could ask them to explain things in non-medical terms or in a different way to allow you to gain a better understanding.

Further reading

Why the language surrounding mental health matters.

Find out more about Northern Healthcare and the support we offer here.

British Medical Journal, 2014. Doctors must avoid jargon when talking to patients, royal college says. BMJ 2014;348:g4131

Gill Rowlands, Joanne Protheroe, Hannah Price, Bob Gann, Imran Raf (2014). Health Literacy: Report from an RCGP-led health literacy workshop.

Renda Soylemez Wiener, Michael K. Gould, Steven Woloshin, Lisa M. Schwartz, Jack A. Clark (2012). What Do You Mean, a Spot?

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash.

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The Concept of Medical Terminology Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction, medical terminology for all health care workers, the importance of medical terminology to support staff, works cited.

Medical terminology can be described as a language used by the medical professionals in the course of their work. It refers to terms used to define the human body. Medical terminology is widely used in the medical profession.

In most cases, the medical terminology uses words created using prefixes and suffixes in Latin and Ancient Greek. In medicine, the meaning and the etymology are informed of the source or the language of origin. The method is completely dissimilar to the Standard English. In this case, the root of the word can be independent in a sentence. For instance, the word nose is a word root in English that can be used without being modified (Ehrlich and Schroeder, 2).

Medical terminology is a prerequisite for all health care workers. It is the jargon of the health care industry. The health care workers need it because the appropriate or accurate terminology effects or instrument quality patient care and fewer or no errors. Health care workers should know that medical terminology is medicine’s language and prolongs care for patients.

Medical terminology makes it easier for the health care providers describe the patient’s conditions accurately. In this case, by sharing precise medical language, they can share accurate information without much wastage of time. Medical terminology is the universal language of medicine (Chabner, 45).

Thus, it facilitates the movement of patients from one medical institution to another without a lapse in care. This works efficiently when the medical information is correctly coded. The medical terminology helps the health care professionals to communicate effectively while handling patients. Medical terminology helps the health workers to understand words and their meanings hence helps them to identify locations of critical organs and functions of the body (Simmers, Simmers-Nartker and Simmers, 139).

The medical support staff includes office, clerical, and custodial staff. The support staff too requires to be conversant with the medical terminologies. In this case, without this knowledge, they may end up loosing their career. After being employed in the healthcare organizations, they are trained under medical support programs that prepare them to work in medical offices. In many cases, they collect patients’ notes and make sure that the patients’ important records go to the required or correct health care professional.

It eases their work when they use medical terminologies. For instance, one can effectively put down something before checking the spelling later. In this case, the medical terminologies become effective as a medical officer can quickly write down what is said by the patient. In this case, clerks or office administrators may write NPO instead of nothing by mouth, DX instead of diagnosis, and STD instead of sexually transmitted diseases.

Consequently, the terminology is critical in cases where patients talk a lot. Therefore, using the terminology, they are able to capture what is being said. The support staff is part of health services Frontline staff hence cannot be excluded from using the medical terminology.

Any person working in any medical field requires use medical terminology while communicating. In the medical field, there can be no excuse of not knowing medical terminologies. All people involved in the medical profession and curious patients should be conversant with the medical terminologies to be efficient. Medical terminologies clear all doubts and confusions in the medical field, which is characterized by health care providers, support staff, and patients.

Chabner, Davi-Ellen. The Language of Medicine . Saint Louis, Mo: Saunders/Elsevier, 2011. Print.

Ehrlich, Ann, and C.L. Schroeder. Medical Terminology for Health Professions . Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.

Simmers, Louise, K. Simmers-Nartker, and S. Simmers-Kobelak. Diversified Health Occupations . Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

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As a dedicated nursing professional, getting a firm grasp of medical jargon is essential for optimum patient care . Explore this comprehensive guide providing insights into the complexities of medical jargon in intensive care nursing . Unearth the definition, basic examples and the critical role of medical jargon in this crucial field. Delve into common and complex terms, the importance of clinical language, and the practical applications of medical jargon. Also, discover strategies to overcome potential challenges in understanding these technical terminologies and their impact on nursing education .

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Understanding Medical Jargon in Intensive Care Nursing

You're probably already aware of how important understanding medical jargon is in nursing , especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). This specialized terminology acts as a common language that healthcare professionals use to communicate clearly and accurately about patient care .

Medical Jargon refers to the specific set of terms and phrases that healthcare professionals use to describe medical conditions, procedures, medications, equipment, and more. It allows medical practitioners to communicate complex health concepts succinctly and precisely.

Defining Medical Jargon

Defining medical jargon can help you in comprehending the intricate concepts of patient care and treatment plans. These jargon terms play a significant role in patient care and effective communication among the healthcare team .

For instance, consider the medical term 'tachycardia'. In simplified terms, it refers to a condition where a patient's heart rate is higher than 100 beats per minute. Being familiar with such terminology can significantly enhance your efficiency as a nurse.

Some Common Medical Terms in ICU

• Pneumothorax: A lung condition occurring due to the accumulation of air in the space outside the lungs , causing lung collapse.
• Hemorrhage: A rapid loss of blood, which can be life-threatening.
• Intubation: The procedure of inserting a tube through the mouth into the airway to assist with breathing .

Did you know that medical jargon does not only include terminologies related to diseases or conditions? It also encompasses abbreviations such as 'BP' for blood pressure , 'RBC' for red blood cells and 'WBC' for white blood cells .

Basic Examples of Medical Jargon

Getting comfortable with medical jargon takes time and practice. Here, we'll delve into some basic examples commonly encountered in nursing practice.

The Role of Medical Jargon in Intensive Care Nursing

Understanding medical jargon is essential in intensive care nursing . It facilitates efficient communication and helps in assessing, diagnosing and treating patients more effectively.

For example, if a patient is described as "febrile", it means he or she has a fever. Recognizing this term immediately allows you to take swift action, apply appropriate care measures, and monitor the patient for further complications.

Intensive Care Nursing is a nursing specialty focused on providing care to patients with severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries. They often work in ICUs and are competent in handling the complex needs of critically ill patients.

Exploring Medical Jargon Terms

Medical jargon, brimming with complex terminologies and abbreviations, forms the backbone of clear and accurate communication in the healthcare field. As an aspiring or practising nurse, understanding these terms can make a world of difference in patient care.

Medical Jargon encapsulates specific terminologies and phrases that are integral to the healthcare field. From pathologies, procedures to medications, these terms enable healthcare professionals to express intricate medical concepts succinctly.

Common Medical Jargon Terms in Intensive Care Nursing

In this section, you'll delve deep into some common medical terms that are frequently used in intensive care nursing. Familiarising yourself with these terms can enhance your clinical judgement and help foster more effective communication among the healthcare team .

For example, if a patient is noted as experiencing dyspnoea, it means they're having trouble breathing. Identifying this term would enable you to provide prompt and relevant assistance, improving the care you can provide.

Decoding Complex Medical Jargon Terms

Certain medical terms often seem formidable due to their inherent complexity and connotations. However, understanding these complex terms is requisite for any healthcare professional, especially nurses working in critical care units.

An example of such complex terminology is 'Hypercholesterolaemia'. It refers to the condition of having high levels of cholesterol in the blood. A combination of words, 'Hyper' signifies 'high', 'cholesterol' is self-explanatory and '-aemia' is a suffix that indicates a condition of the blood.

Interesting, isn't it? Even the most daunting terms can be broken down into simpler parts to assist in understanding. So, the next time you come across 'Hypokalaemia', remember that it's not as intimidating as it sounds! It simply represents a lower-than-normal level of potassium in your bloodstream. 'Hypo' stands for 'low', 'kal-' refers to 'potassium' and '-aemia' indicates a condition of the blood.

• Myocardial Infarction : Often referred to as a heart attack, this term literally means 'death of heart muscle' due to a lack of blood supply.
• Glycosuria: This medical term is used when a person has an unusually high amount of sugar in their urine. It might be an indication of uncontrolled diabetes.
• Pulmonary Oedema: This refers to an excess collection of watery fluid in the lungs , which can cause breathing difficulties.

Another example is 'Ischaemia', which sounds intricate but can be broken down for better understanding. 'Isch-' denotes a restriction, and '-aemia' refers to something in the blood. Thus, it refers to a situation where the blood supply to a part of the body is constrained, potentially leading to cell damage.

Clinical Language in Nursing Context

As a nurse, you will be engaged in multidimensional tasks from patient care, documentation , to communicating with various healthcare professionals. Clinical language is an integral part of these interactions. It encompasses a range of terminologies and jargons that, when understood and used correctly, can lead to effective communication, improved patient care, and positive health outcomes.

Importance of Clinical Language in Nursing

Understanding clinical language has a far-reaching impact on your efficiency as a nurse. It allows for a clear and crisp transfer of information, minimising any chances of misunderstandings or errors, which could potentially lead to detrimental consequences in a healthcare setup.

Clinical Language refers to the specific set of terms and phrases related to the healthcare field, including medical diagnoses, procedures, and symptoms. It is crucial for efficient communication and precision in information exchange between healthcare providers.

Moreover, a sound grasp of clinical language enhances your ability to understand and execute medical orders meticulously and to document patient records accurately. Additionally, when it comes to patient care, effective communication that includes explaining medical conditions and treatment plans to patients and their families demands a good command over this important facet of nursing practice.

Here's an illustrative example: Suppose a doctor orders 'NPO after midnight', and you're not familiar with the term 'NPO' (which stands for nil per os or nothing by mouth), it could lead to serious implications for the patient. Hence, command over clinical language is vital to avoid such pitfalls.

Differences between Clinical Language and Medical Jargon

Often, the terms 'clinical language' and 'medical jargon' are used interchangeably. While broadly they do have overlapping meanings, there exist subtle differences.

Medical Jargon primarily comprises terminologies used among healthcare professionals, often incorporating complex medical terms and abbreviations, while Clinical Language is a more comprehensive term. It not only includes the medical jargon but also the simplified language used to communicate the medical terms to patients and laypeople.

Did you know that a core skill for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, is the ability to translate complex medical jargon into simple, understandable language for patients and their families? This ability improves patient understanding, promotes involvement in their own health, and fosters informed decision-making!

Understanding the differences between these two facets can help streamline your communication strategy. There might be situations where usage of medical jargon is suitable, like during healthcare team discussions. On the other hand, engaging with patients would call for a more simplified communication approach, where complex terms are translated into understandable language.

A clear distinction would be how you explain a medical condition to a fellow nurse versus a patient. For instance, 'your patient has a myocardial infarction ' would be apt while discussing a case with your healthcare team. Yet, when communicating with a patient or their family, using 'your family member had a heart attack' makes it easier to understand.

As a final point, it is important to remember that whether it's using clinical language or medical jargon, the aim is to ensure precision and clarity in communication, contributing towards providing high-quality patient care and collaborating effectively within the healthcare team.

Medical Jargon Applications in Nursing Practice

Medical jargon plays a pivotal role in the nursing vocation, providing a common platform for communication among healthcare professionals. It’s much like a coded language that facilitates the accurate and expedient exchange of essential medical information, aiding in crucial activities such as diagnosing conditions, devising treatment plans, and reporting patient progress.

Practical Uses of Medical Jargon in Clinical Setting

Whether you are penning down records, discussing a case with your colleagues, or comprehending a physician's orders, medical jargon surfaces as an integral tool in every layer of a healthcare setup. It is of supreme importance in your everyday nursing practice, carrying several practical applications.

One of the significant benefits of medical jargon is the 'clarity' it offers. Each term is precise in meaning and leaves no room for misunderstanding. For example, if a patient is described as having 'anuria', it unambiguously means the patient isn't urinating, which could signify potential kidney issues.

Anuria refers to a condition categories by the failure of the kidneys to produce urine. It is a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention and can herald conditions such as acute kidney injury.

Consider a critical patient suffering from 'tachypnoea' and 'hyperthermia'. Without a doubt, as a healthcare provider , you understand these terms denote a high respiratory rate and elevated body temperature, respectively. Recognising and responding to these conditions could be life-saving.

Medical jargon also primes you for effective communication with other healthcare professionals. As these terms are accepted and understood globally, they remove the barriers of languages, cultures, and disciplines, making international collaboration possible.

• Hypertension : Known in common language as high blood pressure .
• Myalgia: This refers to muscle aches or pains.
• Osteoporosis : The condition where the bones become weak and brittle.

One intriguing aspect of medical terminology is its consistent structure. Most terms are formed from Greek or Latin roots and can be broken down into individual components. So, when you come across 'hepato-', 'cardio-', or 'neuro-', you know it's relating to the liver , heart, or nerves, respectively!

How Medical Jargon Enhances Communication in Intensive Care Unit

Communication is paramount in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – an environment where patients have serious, often life-threatening health problems. Medical jargon, in this regard, becomes an essential communication vehicle, ensuring all healthcare providers are on the same page about patient conditions and treatments.

In an ICU setting, where patients are in critical condition and any delay in appropriate care can lead to severe consequences, the clear and concise nature of medical jargon becomes a liberating feature. It speeds up communication by encapsulating complex medical information in terms that are universally understood among healthcare professionals.

For instance, 'haematemesis', a term commonly used in ICUs, denotes the vomiting of blood. Its understanding becomes crucial in a critical care setting where it can present as a symptom of severe internal issues such as ulcers or liver disease.

Imagine a situation where a fellow ICU nurse hands over a patient to you and reports that the patient has 'dysphagia'. If you are familiar with the term, you would know that the patient has difficulty swallowing , which can impact their nutrition intake as well as present a risk for choking or aspiration.

Medical jargon also helps in making accurate and detailed documentation , an integral and legally required part of ICU care. It allows you to create concise yet informative notes and read and understand other professionals' notes, ensuring a continual and seamless care provision.

In conclusion, mastering medical jargon contributes to clear and precise communication, efficient patient care, and the overall smooth functioning of an ICU setup. Therefore, investing your time in understanding these medical terms will enable you to upskill your nursing competencies significantly.

Overcoming Challenges in Understanding Medical Jargon

While medical jargon serves an essential role in healthcare communication, it can also present challenges, especially for nursing students and newly qualified nurses. The influx of unfamiliar terms and abbreviations can be overwhelming. However, don't let this daunt you. There are multiple strategies that can aid in understanding and mastering medical jargon, positions you to excel in your nursing career.

Strategies to Decode and Learn Medical Jargon in Nursing

Decoding medical jargon might seem like learning a new language. Nevertheless, with the right approach, you can ease the process and turn this daunting task into an enriching learning journey.

One of the most effective strategies is breaking down complex terms. Most medical terms are composed of multiple parts including a root word, prefix, and/or suffix. Understanding the meaning of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes can assist in figuring out the meaning of new medical terms.

For instance, the term 'neurology' can be split into 'neuro-' and '-logy'. 'Neuro' refers to nerves, and '-logy' denotes study. Thus, 'neurology' is the study of the nerves or, more generally, the medical branch dealing with disorders of the nervous system.

Another useful strategy is to make use of flashcards. On one side, write the medical term and on the other side, note down its definition. Reviewing these flashcards regularly can aid in memorisation and recall.

Furthermore, practical application of these terms can reinforce your learnings. Try to use medical jargon in your professional communications or even in your day-to-day discussions about health and wellness. For more complex terms, creating relatable analogies can be beneficial

As an example, the term 'arrhythmia' refers to irregular heart rhythms. Imagine a musical band playing out of sync. In the same way, when your heart has an arrhythmia, it tends to beat out of sync, too.

The following are some practical tips to decode medical jargon:

• Make use of reliable online medical dictionaries or glossaries.
• Stay updated with healthcare literature.
• Participate or initiate discussions with peers and mentors.
• Brush up on Latin and Greek roots, as these form the basis of many medical terms.

Did you know? According to research, regular and systematic review plays a significant role in memorisation. This effect, known as the Spacing Effect, supports the idea of revising flashcards regularly to retain medical jargon!

Impact of Medical Jargon on Nursing Education

Medical jargon substantially influences nursing education . It forms the very core of medical literature, classroom instruction, and practical training. Having a solid foundation in medical jargon can improve the learning curve of students, facilitating their transition from the classroom to the clinical setting.

Medical jargon assists in developing critical thinking skills, a crucial aspect of nursing education. For instance, if a student nurse comes across the term 'oliguria' during their clinical practice, they need to know it refers to diminished urine output. This not only requires comprehension of the term but also necessitates an understanding of its underlying causes and appropriate nursing interventions .

Furthermore, nursing students are often required to participate in case presentations and simulated patient scenarios. Here, the right usage of medical jargon can aid in accurate case analysis and improve communication with other healthcare professionals. The familiarity with medical jargon can also aid in comprehending medical literature and research studies, enhancing evidence-based practice—a cornerstone of modern healthcare.

Imagine a nursing student preparing a case presentation on a patient with 'pneumothorax', which refers to the presence of air in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall. The student will need to elaborate on the possible causes such as a chest injury or a lung disease , discuss the symptoms, which could include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, and prescribe a suitable nursing intervention like chest tube insertion for larger pneumothoraxes.

In line with the significance of medical jargon in nursing education, various nursing schools integrate comprehensive medical terminology courses in their curriculum. While this adds yet another layer to the rigorous nursing study regiment, the benefits—enhanced communication skills , improved clinical reasoning, and delivering high-quality patient care—make it all worthwhile!

The table below introduces you to a few common medical terms that every nursing student should be familiar with:

Medical Jargon - Key takeaways

• Medical Jargon: Specific terminologies and phrases integral to the healthcare field, allowing healthcare professionals to express complex medical concepts succinctly.
• Clinical Language in Nursing: A set of terms and phrases related to healthcare, crucial for efficient communication and precision in information exchange between healthcare providers.
• Differences between Clinical Language and Medical Jargon: While they overlap, Medical Jargon primarily includes terminologies used among healthcare professionals. In contrast, Clinical Language also includes simplified language used to communicate medical terms to patients and laypeople.
• Medical Jargon Applications: Provides a common platform for communication among healthcare professionals, facilitating the accurate and expedient exchange of medical information, crucial in diagnosing conditions, devising treatment plans, and reporting patient progress.
• Overcoming Challenges in Understanding Medical Jargon: Strategies to decode and learn Medical Jargon can involve breaking down complex terms into their constituent parts, understanding the meaning of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Medical Jargon

--> what does specific medical jargon mean that i might encounter in a nursing setting, --> can i access a list of common medical jargon used in the nursing profession in the uk, --> how can i improve my understanding of medical jargon as a nursing student, --> what resources can support my understanding of medical jargon in a nursing environment, --> what are some tips for nurses to effectively communicate medical jargon to patients and their families, test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards.

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Medical Jargon refers to the specific set of terms and phrases that healthcare professionals use to describe medical conditions, procedures, medications, and equipment, enabling them to communicate complex health concepts succinctly and precisely.

Some common terms include 'Pneumothorax,' which is a lung condition due to air accumulation outside the lungs, 'Hemorrhage,' a rapid loss of blood, and 'Intubation,' the procedure of inserting a tube into the airway for breathing assistance.

Understanding medical jargon is essential because it facilitates efficient communication and helps in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients more effectively in the intensive care unit.

What does the medical jargon term 'Hypoxia' refer to?

Hypoxia refers to a condition where the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level.

What is the meaning of the complex medical term 'Hypercholesterolaemia'?

Hypercholesterolaemia refers to the condition of having high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

How can the medical term 'Ischaemia' be decoded?

'Ischaemia' refers to a situation where the blood supply to a part of the body is constrained, potentially leading to cell damage.

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Doctors must avoid jargon when talking to patients, royal college says

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Doctors should speak slowly and avoid using jargon with their patients, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has said. 1

A report by the college said that doctors often used words that were unfamiliar to patients or that patients did not fully understand. “Doctors may use familiar words in unfamiliar ways,” it said. “For example, when health practitioners use the term ‘chronic’ they frequently mean ‘persistent,’ whereas a common alternative understanding of the word is to mean ‘severe.’”

The report said, “Doctors can unintentionally use words that are unfamiliar to their patients, without realising that the meaning is not clear. Some concepts familiar and obvious to doctors may be alien to patients.” The RCGP said that doctors should speak slowly, avoid jargon, and repeat points to help improve patients’ understanding. “Doctors should first establish what the patient knows and understands before launching into a discussion that begins at a level either too complex or too simple for the patient,” the report added.

Research led by Gillian Rowlands of Kings College London that was highlighted in the RCGP report found that 43% of England’s working age population struggled to understand health information that contained only text. The patients who faced the most difficulties were “older people, black and ethnic minority groups, those with low qualifications, those without English as a first language, those with low job status and those in the poverty trap,” the research found.

The report said that poor skills in understanding and using health information could leave patients at a higher risk of emergency admission to hospital and of serious health conditions. One GP, the report noted, said that a patient who had been referred for a chest x ray did not have it done, having failed to find the department because its sign read “Radiology” and he was too embarrassed to ask for help.

Commenting on the report, Maureen Baker, chairwoman of the RCGP, said, “Too often, our healthcare environments fail to recognise the needs of people with different levels of understanding about their health, meaning that patients are failing to receive the right care at the right time.”

She added, “We know that low health literacy affects all areas of health and healthcare, which is why we want to encourage GPs and the wider NHS to ensure that they are communicating complex information in a clear and manageable way. We look forward to working with NHS England to help shape a health system that is truly accessible to all.”

• ↵ Royal College of General Practitioners. Health literacy: report from an RCGP led health literacy workshop. June 2014. www.rcgp.org.uk/news/2014/june/~/media/Files/Policy/RCGP-Health-Literacy-2014.ashx .

Medical Jargon in Practice: A Real-World Guide to Mastering and Applying Medical Language

• By Jennifer Woodruff, MHA

Medical Jargon for Health Advocacy News – The healthcare industry, often perceived as a labyrinth of complex systems, surprisingly prides itself on the clarity and precision of its language . Medical professionals understand the critical importance of clear communication , where even a slight misstep can have significant consequences . In this light, medical language stands out as a beacon of simplicity and directness, contrary to common misconceptions .

However, the simplicity of medical language does not always translate into straightforward patient-provider interactions . These encounters , often brief and under time constraints , can inadvertently become the breeding ground for misunderstandings – a situation where medical jargon, though increasingly less prevalent, might still surface.

Consider a scenario where a patient, who is also an experienced engineer, is in a healthcare setting and overhears the phrase ‘hit the ground running.’ In engineering, this might be a colloquial way to describe the start of a project with great enthusiasm and no delays. However, in the healthcare context, the same phrase could be used by medical staff to describe initiating a new treatment plan or approach aggressively and immediately. This illustrates how the same phrase, a form of jargon common in various industries, can take on different nuances depending on the context. Such instances highlight the importance of healthcare professionals being mindful of their language to avoid potential confusion and ensure clear communication with patients of diverse backgrounds.

This article aims not to perpetuate the complexities of medical language but to untangle them. We acknowledge that while medical language is inherently clear to those trained in its nuances, it can appear daunting to the uninitiated. Patient Better recognizes this gap and offers resources to bridge it, ensuring that patients and caregivers are not lost in translation.

As we dive into this discussion, it’s crucial to remember that the role of medical jargon in provider-patient interactions has diminished over time, reflecting a shift towards more patient-centric communication. This change is a testament to the healthcare industry’s commitment to clarity and understanding, affirming that effective communication remains at the heart of quality care.

Understanding the Role of Medical Jargon Plays in Healthcare

The purpose of this section is to demystify medical jargon and distinguish it from the structured and precise medical language used in healthcare . We recognize that while medical language is clear and specific, medical jargon can be ambiguous, especially to those unfamiliar with healthcare settings. By clarifying these differences, we aim to enhance the understanding of patients and caregivers, ensuring they can navigate the healthcare environment more effectively, without being misled or confused by misinterpreted jargon.

Defining Medical Jargon

Medical jargon, in the context of healthcare, encompasses phrases or terms that can be used across various industries but are employed with specific nuances in medical settings. However, these “terms” are not unique to healthcare and have been recognized to cause confusion if not properly contextualized. For example, “running on fumes” might describe a vehicle low on fuel in the automotive world, but in healthcare, it could metaphorically refer to a patient’s or caregiver’s state of exhaustion, which could be interpreted completely differently by someone unfamiliar with the healthcare setting. (Click here to get access to 100s of commonly used terms.)

Explaining Medical Language

Medical language is a precise, clear form of communication used by healthcare professionals. It is often based on Latin or Greek roots and includes terms universally understood within the medical community, ensuring accurate and unambiguous communication. Although medical jargon may have been used in the past, it has been slowly phased out since the implementation of digital records and the decrease in face-to-face interactions.

Understanding Medical Terms and Terminology

Medical terminology is the specialized language used to precisely describe the human body, its components and processes, as well as medical procedures, diseases, disorders, and pharmacology. This terminology forms a fundamental component of the broader medical language, which is intricately woven through multiple sectors within the medical community.

Medical terms play a crucial role not only in clinical settings but also in medical billing , communication with insurers, and coordination among ancillary care providers , such as diagnostic centers, physical and occupational therapy facilities, and home health or transitional care services. This extensive application of medical terms ensures consistent and accurate communication across all areas of healthcare.

Jargon in Written Documentation

Rarely used in written medical documentation, medical jargon is intentionally avoided to maintain clarity and prevent misunderstandings. Today, medical records and educational materials use precise medical terms to ensure information is clear and accurate for both healthcare professionals and consumers .

Jargon in Provider-Patient Interactions

The use of medical jargon in interactions between healthcare providers and patients is also decreasing, reflecting a trend towards more patient-centered communication. This change underscores the healthcare industry’s commitment to clear, understandable language, essential for building strong provider-patient relationships and empowering patients in their healthcare journey.

Jargon Across Industries & Application in a Healthcare Setting

This section focuses on understanding how certain terms and phrases, while part of medical language, can also function as jargon with different meanings in healthcare and other industries. The following examples are provided to help you develop an ear for applying jargon in real-world scenarios and to distinguish between formal medical terms that are sometimes used informally (and may appear in documentation) and informal phrases that are characteristic of jargon and less likely to be found in formal reports.

• Code : Formally, this term refers to emergency situations in healthcare, such as “code blue” for cardiac arrest. Informally, it can be used more loosely in healthcare settings. In IT, it denotes computer programming.
• Discharge : In healthcare, this term refers to a patient being released from a hospital or medical care. Conversely, in the military, it might mean the release of a service member from duty. In electrical engineering, it refers to the release of electricity from a source.
• Crash : In the medical field, “crash” often implies a sudden decline in a patient’s condition, as in “crash cart” used for emergencies. In the automotive industry, it refers to a collision. In technology, it describes a system failure or software malfunction.
• Terminal : In healthcare, “terminal” typically describes a disease or condition that is likely to lead to death. In transportation, it refers to a major station or endpoint, like an airport terminal. In computing, it means a device or program for entering data into a computer system.
• Virus : In medicine, a “virus” is a pathogen that causes diseases. In technology, it refers to malicious software that can infect computers and spread to other systems.
• Resistance : In healthcare, “resistance” often relates to the body’s or a pathogen’s resistance to medication, like antibiotic resistance. In physics and engineering, it refers to the opposition to the flow of electric current.

Informal Phrases as Healthcare Jargon

As we shift our focus to phrases more commonly used in healthcare, it’s important to identify how these might be perceived by patients and caregivers.

• Taking it day by day : Healthcare professionals might use this phrase to indicate a cautious approach to treatment, acknowledging the ongoing evaluation of the patient’s condition.
• Bouncing back : This term is often used to describe a patient’s recovery or improvement after an illness or medical procedure, emphasizing their return to health.
• Playing it safe : This phrase is commonly used by healthcare providers to emphasize conservative approaches to treatment or interventions, focusing on patient safety.
• Feeling under the weather : Often used by patients, this phrase describes a general sense of not feeling well or being slightly unwell, without specifying a particular illness or diagnosis.
• Cutting to the chase : Healthcare professionals might use this phrase to transition directly to the most important or relevant information during a discussion, especially in time-sensitive situations.

Understanding the dual nature of some medical terms and the informal usage of certain phrases is helpful for patients and caregivers. While the trend in healthcare is moving towards more precise language in both formal documentation and informal interactions, being aware of these terms and their varied uses can aid in clearer communication and understanding within healthcare settings. This knowledge is particularly useful for navigating informal conversations, where such jargon may still be encountered.

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Empowering Patients through Understanding Jargon

The knowledge gained from understanding medical jargon extends far beyond simple clarity of communication. It represents a crucial stepping stone towards a more profound comprehension of the complexities inherent in the medical landscape. This section aims to elucidate the unique and significant benefits that patients and caregivers can derive from this understanding.

• Enhanced Independence in Healthcare : Understanding medical jargon equips individuals to be more independent in their healthcare journey. By demystifying the language used in medical settings, patients and caregivers can navigate the healthcare system more confidently, reducing reliance on intermediaries for interpretation.
• Informed Medical Decision-Making : With a better grasp of medical jargon, individuals are in a stronger position to make informed decisions about their care. This knowledge enables them to understand the implications of different treatment options, ask pertinent questions, and actively participate in discussions about their health care plan.
• Improved Choices in Care : Awareness and understanding of medical language can lead to improved choices in care. Patients who understand the nuances of medical communication are better equipped to evaluate the quality of care they receive, seek second opinions when necessary, and choose healthcare providers and facilities that align best with their needs.
• Proactive Role in Personal Health : Armed with the knowledge of medical jargon and its implications, patients can play a more proactive role in their personal health. This proactive approach includes being vigilant about symptoms, understanding potential risks and benefits of treatments, and actively engaging in preventative healthcare practices.

This comprehension of medical jargon does not just facilitate smoother interactions with healthcare professionals; it opens the door to a deeper, more empowered involvement in one’s health journey. It fosters a partnership model of care, where patients are not passive recipients but active, informed participants. By understanding the language of healthcare, individuals are better prepared to navigate its complexities, take control of their health decisions, and ultimately enhance their quality of life.

Conclusion: Navigating the Healthcare Landscape with Confidence

As we reach the conclusion of our exploration into medical jargon, it’s clear that the journey towards understanding these elements is more than an academic exercise; it’s a vital step in becoming an empowered participant in one’s own healthcare.

• Confidently Asking the Right Questions – Patients are at the heart of their own care journey, and their questions play a pivotal role in shaping their understanding. When faced with medical jargon that feels unfamiliar, patients should feel empowered to ask for explanations in simpler terms. A genuine partnership between patients and healthcare providers hinges on open dialogue, where no question is too small or insignificant.
• Empowerment Through Understanding : This article has illuminated the often-misunderstood world of medical language, clarifying not just the terms themselves, but their significance in the broader context of healthcare. By demystifying the language used in medical settings, we equip ourselves with the tools needed to navigate the healthcare landscape with greater confidence and autonomy.
• A Proactive Approach to Health : Understanding medical jargon is not just about interpreting words; it’s about embracing a more proactive role in our health and wellbeing. It’s about transforming from passive recipients of care into active, informed collaborators in our health journey. This shift is crucial in an era where patient engagement and informed decision-making are increasingly recognized as key components of effective healthcare.
• The Bigger Picture : The knowledge of medical jargon is a stepping stone to a larger, more comprehensive understanding of healthcare. It enables patients and caregivers to make informed medical decisions, advocate for themselves or their loved ones, and choose care that aligns with their needs and values. In essence, it contributes to a more personalized and effective healthcare experience.
• A Call to Continued Learning : As the medical field continues to evolve, so too will the language it uses. We encourage our readers to view this article not as an endpoint, but as the beginning of an ongoing journey in healthcare education and advocacy. The more we understand, the better equipped we are to face the challenges and opportunities that arise in our healthcare journeys.

In conclusion, the journey to understanding medical jargon is an integral part of becoming an empowered healthcare consumer. It’s a journey that fosters better communication with healthcare providers, enhances our ability to navigate the medical system, and ultimately leads to better health outcomes. We hope this article serves as a valuable resource in your ongoing pursuit of health literacy and empowerment.

The information provided here is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Recommended Reads

If you found this article insightful, enhance your health advocacy journey with these carefully selected reads, chosen to deepen your understanding and empower your healthcare decisions.

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Jargon Be Gone – Patient Preference in Doctor Communication

Katherine a allen.

1 Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Medicine Division, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Victoria Charpentier

2 School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Marissa A Hendrickson

3 Department of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine Division, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Molly Kessler

4 Department of Writing Studies, College of Liberal Arts University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Rachael Gotlieb

Jordan marmet, emily hause.

5 Department of Pediatrics, Rheumatology Division, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Corinne Praska

Scott lunos.

6 Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science, Institute University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Michael B Pitt

Associated data.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jpx-10.1177_23743735231158942 for Jargon Be Gone – Patient Preference in Doctor Communication by Katherine A Allen, Victoria Charpentier, Marissa A Hendrickson, Molly Kessler, Rachael Gotlieb, Jordan Marmet, Emily Hause, Corinne Praska, Scott Lunos and Michael B Pitt in Journal of Patient Experience

While it has been shown that healthcare providers often use medical jargon, less is known about how patients prefer their clinicians communicate. This mixed-methods study aimed to better understand the general public's preference in healthcare communication. A volunteer cohort of 205 adult attendees at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair was presented a survey with two scenarios at a doctor's office sharing the same information: one using medical terminology and one using simpler, jargon-free language. Survey participants were asked which doctor they preferred, to describe each doctor, and to explain why they believe that doctors may use medical terminology. Common descriptive themes for the jargon-using doctor included that this doctor caused confusion, was too technical, and was uncaring, while the doctor who spoke without jargon was perceived as a good communicator, caring/empathetic, and approachable. Respondents perceived a range of reasons why doctors use jargon, from not recognizing they are using words that are not understood to trying to make themselves feel more important. Overall, 91% of survey respondents preferred the doctor who communicated without medical jargon.

Key Findings

• When given two example clinical encounters – one where the doctor speaks with medical terminology and one where they speak plainly – 9 of 10 adults surveyed preferred the doctor who did not use medical jargon.
• Patients perceived the doctor who used less jargon as more caring, empathetic, and approachable.
• There were a variety of reasons people felt doctors use jargon ranging from simply not realizing they are using confusing terminology to using jargon to make themselves feel more important.

Despite clinicians acknowledging the importance of avoiding medical jargon when communicating with their patients, its use in clinical scenarios remains common ( 1 – 5 ). Studies on jargon often address this mismatch through surveys assessing which commonly used terms and phrases are misunderstood by patients ( 6 – 10 ), or via observational studies quantifying the use of jargon in clinical settings ( 1 – 5 ). In this study, we aimed to further explore the patient perspective of jargon usage by looking at their preferences for whether the information is presented with or without jargon as well as their perceptions of the clinician in both scenarios. Additionally, we wished to gather information about why patients feel clinicians use jargon. With an improved understanding of the public, we aim to educate healthcare practitioners about more effective communication. A secondary aim was to better understand how to study jargon in the future, as existing studies of patient understanding typically rely on the patient reading a prompt and then reacting to it ( 6 , 10 – 13 ); yet much of the jargon that patients are exposed to in clinical practice is spoken aloud.

This study was an IRB-approved, cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey of adults conducted at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair which draws a large cross-section of the state's population. The University of Minnesota operates a Driven to Discover research building which typically enrolls about 20,000 fairgoer volunteers per year into various research projects ( 14 ). We developed a four-question survey that presented two fictional scenarios at a doctor's office, asking participants to imagine their doctor was sharing information with them related to a chief complaint of chest pain. Both scenarios consisted of a doctor sharing the same information: one using extensive medical jargon and one utilizing simpler, jargon-free language ( Supplement ). We asked participants to identify which doctor they would prefer to provide their care, to describe how they felt about each doctor, and to write why they believe doctors use language that may confuse patients.

Participants were eligible if they were at least 18 years old, English-speaking, and had no prior medical experience or training. Upon agreeing to participate in the study, volunteers were randomized to receive the written or audio survey by roll of a die. In the written survey arm, participants read a written version of the doctor's statement in the study scenario on an iPad. In the audio version, participants clicked on a sound file to hear the clinical scenario read aloud by a voice actor.

We used descriptive statistics to summarize demographics and question responses, using Fisher's exact test to compare doctor preference between written and audio groups. SAS V9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) was used for the analysis.

For the qualitative analysis, we analyzed the responses to the free-text questions using a modified-grounded theory approach ( 15 ) with two independent researchers doing the initial thematic coding of free-text responses and using a third coder to resolve discrepancies.

There were 205 respondents to the survey (102 written version/103 audio version). Demographics were similar by survey type ( Table 1 ). The average age was 44 years, with 56% female and 61% with a bachelor's degree or higher. Overall, 91% ( n  = 183) of the participants preferred the doctor who spoke without jargon. There was no difference in preference between the written and audio versions of the survey (93% vs 88% p  = .34).

Summary of Demographics by Group.

†Two group t-test for age and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.

Full results of the thematic analysis are in Table 2 . The three most common themes identified in the participant descriptions of the doctor who spoke with jargon were that the doctor caused confusion (45%), was too technical (31%), and was uncaring (19%). The three most common themes describing the doctor who spoke without jargon included that the doctor was a good communicator (56%), was caring or empathetic (20%), and was approachable (19%).

Most Common Themes of Description of Each Doctor and for why Patients Feel Doctors use Medical Jargon.

Participants most commonly (40%) explained that they felt clinicians become highly accustomed to “doctor talk” and therefore have difficulty switching out of that mode when talking to patients. Many respondents felt doctors use jargon because they are unaware that their patients do not understand what they are saying (29%). Other participants gave more negative responses to why doctors use jargon, including that they are poor communicators (13%), wish to feel important (10%), or lack empathy (9%).

While most studies on medical jargon focus on patients’ understanding of terminology ( 6 – 12 ) and quantify the use of jargon in clinical settings ( 1 – 3 ), this study looks at people's preferences on how clinicians communicate and why patients think they use jargon. Our findings revealed that in a large sample of the general public, over 90% of respondents preferred the doctor who used jargon-free language. The themes used to describe the doctor who spoke with jargon were predominantly negative: participants commented that the doctor caused confusion, was too technical, was uncaring, and was condescending.

It is worth noting that even in this highly educated sample population (>60% with a bachelor's degree or higher compared to the national average of 35%) ( 16 ) greater than 40% of our participants indicated that they found the jargon-using doctor to be confusing. This supports results of two other studies we performed at the state fair (with different participants) on jargon understanding, where education was not consistently related to accurate understanding of medical terminology ( 17 , 18 ).

Study participants generally felt positively about the doctor who used simpler, jargon-free language, with the most common themes describing the doctor as a good communicator, caring, approachable, thorough and taking the problem seriously. However, even though the jargon-free doctor was overall well-received, some felt a bit of unease with the way in which the doctor was communicating; The fifth most common theme (6%) when describing the jargon-free doctor was that the doctor was too vague.

A similar percentage of respondents who indicated the jargon-free doctor was vague (6%) indicated that the doctor who used jargon was competent; 8% of the responses coded to this theme, making it the fifth most common theme for describing the jargon-using doctor. This implies that, to some degree, patients may see jargon as a measure of their clinician's knowledge, meaning that eschewing it entirely may cause patients to question a provider's competency.

Respondents listed many different reasons why they thought healthcare practitioners use jargon. The two most common themes mapped to our previous concept of “jargon oblivion,” where the clinician either forgets to codeswitch from doctor-talk to patient-talk (40%) or believes their patients understand terms they actually do not (29%) ( 19 , 20 ). However, more than a third of respondents offered negative explanations of jargon use, with common themes that clinicians do it because they are poor communicators (13%), aim to make themselves feel important (10%), or because they lack empathy (9%). Understanding the assumptions patients make when their clinicians use jargon may be a valuable tool in helping healthcare practitioners optimize their communication behaviors.

Lastly, we did not find differences in doctor preference or overall themes based on how the survey was administered, in written versus audio format. This mirrored a lack of consistent difference in results based on audio or written methodology in other surveys we performed at the fair ( 17 , 18 ). This lack of difference in responses by survey type supports using the less time-intensive written survey approach in future studies.

Limitations

Our study had several limitations. Although our goal was to recruit a sample that represented a cross-section of the general public, our study population was noted to be highly educated, with respondents reporting bachelor's degrees or higher at nearly double the national average ( 16 ). In addition, fairgoers who opted to visit the University's research building in 2021 were required to wear facemasks, adding a possible selection bias.

The choice of a male voiceover actor may have affected study findings in unmeasured ways. Further specific studies of the effects of clinician gender and other demographic characteristics would be beneficial to better understand this issue.

Finally, while we intended to replicate a real-life scenario in which a doctor is speaking to their patient, we recognize that reading a prompt or even listening to a recording of a doctor is an artificial experience and does not fully capture the feelings evoked in real-life situations and this may alter communication preferences. Furthermore, we only tested a single pair of prompts, designed to demonstrate extremes of jargon usage, and these two examples may not reflect the nuanced middle ground of communication. Future studies would be helpful to see if these themes hold up over a broader sampling of clinical scenarios.

More than 9 out of 10 survey respondents in a large sample preferred the clinician who communicated without medical jargon. Participants perceived the jargon-using doctor more negatively, describing them as cold, condescending, and difficult to understand, while the doctor who communicated without medical jargon was more positively received, described as empathetic, approachable and a good communicator. By better understanding patient preferences and perspectives regarding how their clinicians share information, healthcare practitioners can continue to improve their communication with their patients and families.

Supplemental Material

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, University of Minnesota Driven to Discover Grant, (grant number UL1TR002494).

Ethical Approval: Ethical approval to report this case was obtained from the University of Minnesota's Institutional Review Board STUDY00012955.

Statement of Human and Animal Rights: All procedures in this study were conducted in accordance with the University of Minnesota's Institutional Review Board STUDY00012955 approved protocols.

Statement of Informed Consent: We obtained verbal consent from all participants of this study using language approved by the IRB. We also provided a handout outlining the study risks and benefits.

ORCID iD: Katherine A Allen, MD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8481-2724

Supplemental Material: Supplemental material for this article is available online.

Health Literacy for Interprofessional Education (IPE) eToolkit

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• Definition: Health Literacy
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MedSpeak - Medical Jargon Explained

Videos - illustrating complexity of medical jargon.

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Medical jargon has been described as a second language used by healthcare professionals to shorten and ease communication. In patient care, this "medical shorthand" can cause confusion and diminish understanding between healthcare professional and patient.

It can also cause confusion and misunderstanding between healthcare professionals because each healthcare specialty has its own set of unique medical terminology and acronyms. To promote health literacy, the use of medical terminology and acronyms in patient encounters is discouraged. For interprofessional teams, avoiding the use of unfamiliar medical terms and acronyms as well as making sure all team members, including patients and their family members, understand any medical terms and acronyms used to support collaborative practice and sound patient care.

• MedSpeak This list of medical words decoded into plain language was developed by the Medical Library Association to help patients understand their healthcare provider. Healthcare professionals can use it to help translate medical terminology into simple language in order to improve patient communication.
• Roter, D. L. (2011, APRIL). Oral literacy demand of health care communication: Challenges and solutions. Nursing Outlook, 59(2), 79-84. 10.1016/j.outlook.2010.11.005. The demands of communicating verbally with patients are explored with an emphasis on the impact of medical jargon on patient understanding. Tips to improve patient communication for healthcare professionals are offered.
• Improving Oral Communication to Promote Health Literacy The Center for Health Care Strategies offers this brief fact sheet containing 4 quick tips for improving communication with patients.

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Jargon alert: How doctors speak could cause 'harm' for patients

The words some doctors use are often misunderstood by patients and their families, leaving them feeling confused and vulnerable, according to researchers.

In a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open , University of Minnesota researchers found that the language doctors often use tends not to translate easily into everyday English.

A positive test result, for example, generally suggests something negative: A disease like Covid , for example, has been detected.

The disconnect in terms has long bothered Dr. Michael Pitt, associate residency program director in the department of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He teaches medical students how to communicate effectively with their patients and their families.

"You could be the smartest doctor in the world, yet you're useless if your patients don't understand what you are saying," Pitt said. "It's always driven me nuts."

Pitt and his research team tested how well people understood medical jargon by going to one of the largest gatherings in Middle America: the 2021 Minnesota State Fair.

They surveyed 215 fairgoers on their knowledge of potentially confusing health terms. None of the participants had medical training, but all spoke and read English.

While nearly all, 96%, of the respondents understood that a negative result on a cancer screening was actually a good thing, the medical meaning of other common words and phrases was often misinterpreted.

An 'impressive' chest X-ray

Take the word "impressive." To most of us, getting straight-A's in school, making a half-court shot in basketball or running a marathon are all "impressive" accomplishments.

But when doctors say a patient's chest X-ray is "impressive," they really mean, "This worries me."

That translation was lost on 79% of survey respondents.

The word "impressive" is a particular pet peeve for Dr. Giridhar Mallya, a former family physician and current senior policy director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"It borders on disrespectful because we're describing something as impressive that is causing real harm for patients," Mallya said.

What's more, 21% of survey respondents did not understand that the phrase, "Your tumor is progressing," meant that cancer was getting worse.

"If our patients don't understand what we think is going on, what our treatment plan is, what we're asking them to do to get cured, better, healthy," Pitt said, "we actually could be causing physical harm."

"They might be less inclined to actually follow up on the actual steps necessary, which could delay care," he said.

"It is so clearly obvious why people can misunderstand" such language when "our typical terminology is the direct opposite meaning of the medical terminology," said Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Neither Andersen nor Mallya were involved in the new research.

"We as a profession have jargon oblivion," Pitt said. "We forget that there was a time when we learned these words, and didn't know them."

Is it a hidden infection or witchcraft?

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, is frequently called upon in the media for his ability to help translate complicated science in terms that anyone can understand. He said the new research is "very important."

"It's a message to medical professionals that they need to speak very clearly with their patients, rather than to them," Schaffner said.

By far, the most misunderstood medical term in the study was the word "occult," a word that conjures up an idea of witchcraft in most people.

"People thought it meant demonic or that we thought you were possessed," Pitt said. In medicine, "occult" simply means that a problem was hidden, or not immediately apparent to health care providers.

'We're gonna put you to sleep'

Pitt, a pediatrician, takes the lessons in effective communication to heart when treating children.

"A phrase that could be heard very differently by a kid would be 'we're gonna put you to sleep' before a procedure," Pitt said. "Think about ways that they may have heard that before. It probably means their dog was killed."

Patients should feel empowered to ask doctors, nurses and any other health care personnel to explain themselves clearly, even if it feels uncomfortable, Schaffner said.

"Don't hesitate," he said. "If somebody is using medical jargon, a phrase that you don't understand, feel free to say, 'Excuse me, I don't understand what you're trying to say. Could you be a little more clear about that?'"

Follow  NBC HEALTH  on  Twitter  &  Facebook .

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."

10 Successful Medical School Essays

Sponsored by.

-- Accepted to: Harvard Medical School GPA: 4.0 MCAT: 522

Sponsored by A ccepted.com : Great stats don’t assure acceptance to elite medical schools. The personal statement, most meaningful activities, activity descriptions, secondaries and interviews can determine acceptance or rejection. Since 1994, Accepted.com has guided medical applicants just like you to present compelling medical school applications. Get Accepted !

I started writing in 8th grade when a friend showed me her poetry about self-discovery and finding a voice. I was captivated by the way she used language to bring her experiences to life. We began writing together in our free time, trying to better understand ourselves by putting a pen to paper and attempting to paint a picture with words. I felt my style shift over time as I grappled with challenges that seemed to defy language. My poems became unstructured narratives, where I would use stories of events happening around me to convey my thoughts and emotions. In one of my earliest pieces, I wrote about a local boy’s suicide to try to better understand my visceral response. I discussed my frustration with the teenage social hierarchy, reflecting upon my social interactions while exploring the harms of peer pressure.

In college, as I continued to experiment with this narrative form, I discovered medical narratives. I have read everything from Manheimer’s Bellevue to Gawande’s Checklist and from Nuland’s observations about the way we die, to Kalanithi’s struggle with his own decline. I even experimented with this approach recently, writing a piece about my grandfather’s emphysema. Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love. I have augmented these narrative excursions with a clinical bioethics internship. In working with an interdisciplinary team of ethics consultants, I have learned by doing by participating in care team meetings, synthesizing discussions and paths forward in patient charts, and contributing to an ongoing legislative debate addressing the challenges of end of life care. I have also seen the ways ineffective intra-team communication and inter-personal conflicts of beliefs can compromise patient care.

Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love.

By assessing these difficult situations from all relevant perspectives and working to integrate the knowledge I’ve gained from exploring narratives, I have begun to reflect upon the impact the humanities can have on medical care. In a world that has become increasingly data driven, where patients can so easily devolve into lists of numbers and be forced into algorithmic boxes in search of an exact diagnosis, my synergistic narrative and bioethical backgrounds have taught me the importance of considering the many dimensions of the human condition. I am driven to become a physician who deeply considers a patient’s goal of care and goals of life. I want to learn to build and lead patient care teams that are oriented toward fulfilling these goals, creating an environment where family and clinician conflict can be addressed efficiently and respectfully. Above all, I look forward to using these approaches to keep the person beneath my patients in focus at each stage of my medical training, as I begin the task of translating complex basic science into excellent clinical care.

In her essay for medical school, Morgan pitches herself as a future physician with an interdisciplinary approach, given her appreciation of how the humanities can enable her to better understand her patients. Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient’s humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

This narrative distinguishes Morgan as a candidate for medical school effectively, as she provides specific examples of how her passions intersect with medicine. She first discusses how she used poetry to process her emotional response to a local boy’s suicide and ties in concern about teenage mental health. Then, she discusses more philosophical questions she encountered through reading medical narratives, which demonstrates her direct interest in applying writing and the humanities to medicine. By making the connection from this larger theme to her own reflections on her grandfather, Morgan provides a personal insight that will give an admissions officer a window into her character. This demonstrates her empathy for her future patients and commitment to their care.

Her narrative takes the form of an origin story, showing how a childhood interest in poetry grew into a larger mindset to keep a patient's humanity at the center of her approach to clinical care.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Morgan’s essay does not repeat anything in-depth that would otherwise be on her resume. She makes a reference to her work in care team meetings through a clinical bioethics internship, but does not focus on this because there are other places on her application where this internship can be discussed. Instead, she offers a more reflection-based perspective on the internship that goes more in-depth than a resume or CV could. This enables her to explain the reasons for interdisciplinary approach to medicine with tangible examples that range from personal to professional experiences — an approach that presents her as a well-rounded candidate for medical school.

Disclaimer: With exception of the removal of identifying details, essays are reproduced as originally submitted in applications; any errors in submissions are maintained to preserve the integrity of the piece. The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.

-- Accepted To: A medical school in New Jersey with a 3% acceptance rate. GPA: 3.80 MCAT: 502 and 504

Sponsored by E fiie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The tribulations I've overcome in my life have manifested in the compassion, curiosity, and courage that is embedded in my personality. Even a horrific mishap in my life has not changed my core beliefs and has only added fuel to my intense desire to become a doctor. My extensive service at an animal hospital, a harrowing personal experience, and volunteering as an EMT have increased my appreciation and admiration for the medical field.

At thirteen, I accompanied my father to the Park Home Animal Hospital with our eleven-year-old dog, Brendan. He was experiencing severe pain due to an osteosarcoma, which ultimately led to the difficult decision to put him to sleep. That experience brought to light many questions regarding the idea of what constitutes a "quality of life" for an animal and what importance "dignity" plays to an animal and how that differs from owner to owner and pet to pet. Noting my curiosity and my relative maturity in the matter, the owner of the animal hospital invited me to shadow the professional staff. Ten years later, I am still part of the team, having made the transition from volunteer to veterinarian technician. Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

As my appreciation for medical professionals continued to grow, a horrible accident created an indelible moment in my life. It was a warm summer day as I jumped onto a small boat captained by my grandfather. He was on his way to refill the boat's gas tank at the local marina, and as he pulled into the dock, I proceeded to make a dire mistake. As the line was thrown from the dock, I attempted to cleat the bowline prematurely, and some of the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life ensued.

Saving a life, relieving pain, sharing in the euphoria of animal and owner reuniting after a procedure, to understanding the emotions of losing a loved one – my life was forever altered from the moment I stepped into that animal hospital.

"Call 911!" I screamed, half-dazed as I witnessed blood gushing out of my open wounds, splashing onto the white fiberglass deck of the boat, forming a small puddle beneath my feet. I was instructed to raise my hand to reduce the bleeding, while someone wrapped an icy towel around the wound. The EMTs arrived shortly after and quickly drove me to an open field a short distance away, where a helicopter seemed to instantaneously appear.

The medevac landed on the roof of Stony Brook Hospital before I was expeditiously wheeled into the operating room for a seven-hour surgery to reattach my severed fingers. The distal phalanges of my 3rd and 4th fingers on my left hand had been torn off by the rope tightening on the cleat. I distinctly remember the chill from the cold metal table, the bright lights of the OR, and multiple doctors and nurses scurrying around. The skill and knowledge required to execute multiple skin graft surgeries were impressive and eye-opening. My shortened fingers often raise questions by others; however, they do not impair my self-confidence or physical abilities. The positive outcome of this trial was the realization of my intense desire to become a medical professional.

Despite being the patient, I was extremely impressed with the dedication, competence, and cohesiveness of the medical team. I felt proud to be a critical member of such a skilled group. To this day, I still cannot explain the dichotomy of experiencing being the patient, and concurrently one on the professional team, committed to saving the patient. Certainly, this experience was a defining part of my life and one of the key contributors to why I became an EMT and a volunteer member of the Sample Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The startling ring of the pager, whether it is to respond to an inebriated alcoholic who is emotionally distraught or to help bring breath to a pulseless person who has been pulled from the family swimming pool, I am committed to EMS. All of these events engender the same call to action and must be reacted to with the same seriousness, intensity, and magnanimity. It may be some routine matter or a dire emergency; this is a role filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, but that is how I choose to spend my days. My motives to become a physician are deeply seeded. They permeate my personality and emanate from my desire to respond to the needs of others. Through a traumatic personal event and my experiences as both a professional and volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the power to heal the wounded and offer hope. Each person defines success in different ways. To know even one life has been improved by my actions affords me immense gratification and meaning. That is success to me and why I want to be a doctor.

This review is provided by EFIIE Consulting Group’s Pre-Health Senior Consultant Jude Chan

This student was a joy to work with — she was also the lowest MCAT profile I ever accepted onto my roster. At 504 on the second attempt (502 on her first) it would seem impossible and unlikely to most that she would be accepted into an allopathic medical school. Even for an osteopathic medical school this score could be too low. Additionally, the student’s GPA was considered competitive at 3.80, but it was from a lower ranked, less known college, so naturally most advisors would tell this student to go on and complete a master’s or postbaccalaureate program to show that she could manage upper level science classes. Further, she needed to retake the MCAT a third time.

However, I saw many other facets to this student’s history and life that spoke volumes about the type of student she was, and this was the positioning strategy I used for her file. Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA. Although many students have greater MCAT scores than 504 and higher GPAs than 3.80, I have helped students with lower scores and still maintained our 100% match rate. You are competing with thousands of candidates. Not every student out there requires our services and we are actually grateful that we can focus on a limited amount out of the tens of thousands that do. We are also here for the students who wish to focus on learning well the organic chemistry courses and physics courses and who want to focus on their research and shadowing opportunities rather than waste time deciphering the next step in this complex process. We tailor a pathway for each student dependent on their health care career goals, and our partnerships with non-profit organizations, hospitals, physicians and research labs allow our students to focus on what matters most — the building up of their basic science knowledge and their exposure to patients and patient care.

Students who read her personal statement should know that acceptance is contingent on so much more than just an essay and MCAT score or GPA.

Even students who believe that their struggle somehow disqualifies them from their dream career in health care can be redeemed if they are willing to work for it, just like this student with 502 and 504 MCAT scores. After our first consult, I saw a way to position her to still be accepted into an MD school in the US — I would not have recommended she register to our roster if I did not believe we could make a difference. Our rosters have a waitlist each semester, and it is in our best interest to be transparent with our students and protect our 100% record — something I consider a win-win. It is unethical to ever guarantee acceptance in admissions as we simply do not control these decisions. However, we respect it, play by the rules, and help our students stay one step ahead by creating an applicant profile that would be hard for the schools to ignore.

This may be the doctor I go to one day. Or the nurse or dentist my children or my grandchildren goes to one day. That is why it is much more than gaining acceptance — it is about properly matching the student to the best options for their education. Gaining an acceptance and being incapable of getting through the next 4 or 8 years (for my MD/PhD-MSTP students) is nonsensical.

-- Accepted To: Imperial College London UCAT Score: 2740 BMAT Score: 3.9, 5.4, 3.5A

My motivation to study Medicine stems from wishing to be a cog in the remarkable machine that is universal healthcare: a system which I saw first-hand when observing surgery in both the UK and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences in sanitation and technology, the universality of compassion became evident. When volunteering at OSCE training days, I spoke to many medical students, who emphasised the importance of a genuine interest in the sciences when studying Medicine. As such, I have kept myself informed of promising developments, such as the use of monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy. After learning about the role of HeLa cells in the development of the polio vaccine in Biology, I read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' to find out more. Furthermore, I read that surface protein CD4 can be added to HeLa cells, allowing them to be infected with HIV, opening the possibility of these cells being used in HIV research to produce more life-changing drugs, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP). Following my BioGrad laboratory experience in HIV testing, and time collating data for research into inflammatory markers in lung cancer, I am also interested in pursuing a career in medical research. However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude. As the surgeon explained that the cancer had metastasised to her liver, I watched him empathetically tailor his language for the patient - he avoided medical jargon and instead gave her time to come to terms with this. I have been developing my communication skills by volunteering weekly at care homes for 3 years, which has improved my ability to read body language and structure conversations to engage with the residents, most of whom have dementia.

However, during a consultation between an ENT surgeon and a thyroid cancer patient, I learnt that practising medicine needs more than a scientific aptitude.

Jude’s essay provides a very matter-of-fact account of their experience as a pre-medical student. However, they deepen this narrative by merging two distinct cultures through some common ground: a universality of compassion. Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

From their OSCE training days to their school’s Science society, Jude connects their analytical perspective — learning about HeLa cells — to something that is relatable and human, such as a poor farmer’s notable contribution to science. This approach provides a gateway into their moral compass without having to explicitly state it, highlighting their fervent desire to learn how to interact and communicate with others when in a position of authority.

Using clear, concise language and a logical succession of events — much like a doctor must follow when speaking to patients — Jude shows their motivation to go into the medical field.

Jude’s closing paragraph reminds the reader of the similarities between two countries like the UK and Sri Lanka, and the importance of having a universal healthcare system that centers around the just and “world-class” treatment of patients. Overall, this essay showcases Jude’s personal initiative to continue to learn more and do better for the people they serve.

While the essay could have benefited from better transitions to weave Jude’s experiences into a personal story, its strong grounding in Jude’s motivation makes for a compelling application essay.

-- Accepted to: Weill Cornell Medical College GPA: 3.98 MCAT: 521

Sponsored by E fie Consulting Group : “ EFIIE ” boasts 100% match rate for all premedical and predental registered students. Not all students are accepted unto their pre-health student roster. Considered the most elite in the industry and assists from start to end – premed to residency. EFIIE is a one-stop-full-service education firm.

Following the physician’s unexpected request, we waited outside, anxiously waiting to hear the latest update on my father’s condition. It was early on in my father’s cancer progression – a change that had shaken our entire way of life overnight. During those 18 months, while my mother spent countless nights at the hospital, I took on the responsibility of caring for my brother. My social life became of minimal concern, and the majority of my studying for upcoming 12th- grade exams was done at the hospital. We were allowed back into the room as the physician walked out, and my parents updated us on the situation. Though we were a tight-knit family and my father wanted us to be present throughout his treatment, what this physician did was give my father a choice. Without making assumptions about who my father wanted in the room, he empowered him to make that choice independently in private. It was this respect directed towards my father, the subsequent efforts at caring for him, and the personal relationship of understanding they formed, that made the largest impact on him. Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

It was during this period that I became curious about the human body, as we began to learn physiology in more depth at school. In previous years, the problem-based approach I could take while learning math and chemistry were primarily what sparked my interest. However, I became intrigued by how molecular interactions translated into large-scale organ function, and how these organ systems integrated together to generate the extraordinary physiological functions we tend to under-appreciate. I began my undergraduate studies with the goal of pursuing these interests, whilst leaning towards a career in medicine. While I was surprised to find that there were upwards of 40 programs within the life sciences that I could pursue, it broadened my perspective and challenged me to explore my options within science and healthcare. I chose to study pathobiology and explore my interests through hospital volunteering and research at the end of my first year.

Though my decision to pursue medicine came more than a year later, I deeply valued what these physicians were doing for my father, and I aspired to make a similar impact on people in the future.

While conducting research at St. Michael’s Hospital, I began to understand methods of data collection and analysis, and the thought process of scientific inquiry. I became acquainted with the scientific literature, and the experience transformed how I thought about the concepts I was learning in lecture. However, what stood out to me that summer was the time spent shadowing my supervisor in the neurosurgery clinic. It was where I began to fully understand what life would be like as a physician, and where the career began to truly appeal to me. What appealed to me most was the patient-oriented collaboration and discussions between my supervisor and his fellow; the physician-patient relationship that went far beyond diagnoses and treatments; and the problem solving that I experienced first-hand while being questioned on disease cases.

The day spent shadowing in the clinic was also the first time I developed a relationship with a patient. We were instructed to administer the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test to patients as they awaited the neurosurgeon. My task was to convey the instructions as clearly as possible and score each section. I did this as best I could, adapting my explanation to each patient, and paying close attention to their responses to ensure I was understood. The last patient was a challenging case, given a language barrier combined with his severe hydrocephalus. It was an emotional time for his family, seeing their father/husband struggle to complete simple tasks and subsequently give up. I encouraged him to continue trying. But I also knew my words would not remedy the condition underlying his struggles. All I could do was make attempts at lightening the atmosphere as I got to know him and his family better. Hours later, as I saw his remarkable improvement following a lumbar puncture, and the joy on his and his family’s faces at his renewed ability to walk independently, I got a glimpse of how rewarding it would be to have the ability and privilege to care for such patients. By this point, I knew I wanted to commit to a life in medicine. Two years of weekly hospital volunteering have allowed me to make a small difference in patients’ lives by keeping them company through difficult times, and listening to their concerns while striving to help in the limited way that I could. I want to have the ability to provide care and treatment on a daily basis as a physician. Moreover, my hope is that the breadth of medicine will provide me with the opportunity to make an impact on a larger scale. Whilst attending conferences on neuroscience and surgical technology, I became aware of the potential to make a difference through healthcare, and I look forward to developing the skills necessary to do so through a Master’s in Global Health. Whether through research, health innovation, or public health, I hope not only to care for patients with the same compassion with which physicians cared for my father, but to add to the daily impact I can have by tackling large-scale issues in health.

Taylor’s essay offers both a straightforward, in-depth narrative and a deep analysis of his experiences, which effectively reveals his passion and willingness to learn in the medical field. The anecdote of Taylor’s father gives the reader insight into an original instance of learning through experience and clearly articulates Taylor’s motivations for becoming a compassionate and respectful physician.

Taylor strikes an impeccable balance between discussing his accomplishments and his character. All of his life experiences — and the difficult challenges he overcame — introduce the reader to an important aspect of Taylor’s personality: his compassion, care for his family, and power of observation in reflecting on the decisions his father’s doctor makes. His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael’s Hospital is indicative of Taylor’s curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship. Moreover, he shows how his volunteer work enabled him to see how medicine goes “beyond diagnoses and treatments” — an observation that also speaks to his compassion.

His description of his time volunteering at St. Michael's Hospital is indicative of Taylor's curiosity about medical research, but also of his recognition of the importance of the patient-physician relationship.

Finally, Taylor also tells the reader about his ambition and purpose, which is important when thinking about applying to medical school. He discusses his hope of tackling larger scale problems through any means possible in medicine. This notion of using self interest to better the world is imperative to a successful college essay, and it is nicely done here.

-- Accepted to: Washington University

Sponsored by A dmitRx : We are a group of Chicago-based medical students who realize how challenging medical school admissions can be, so we want to provide our future classmates with resources we wish we had. Our mission at AdmitRx is to provide pre-medical students with affordable, personalized, high-quality guidance towards becoming an admitted medical student.

Running has always been one of my greatest passions whether it be with friends or alone with my thoughts. My dad has always been my biggest role model and was the first to introduce me to the world of running. We entered races around the country, and one day he invited me on a run that changed my life forever. The St. Jude Run is an annual event that raises millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My dad has led or our local team for as long as I can remember, and I had the privilege to join when I was 16. From the first step I knew this was the environment for me – people from all walks of life united with one goal of ending childhood cancer. I had an interest in medicine before the run, and with these experiences I began to consider oncology as a career. When this came up in conversations, I would invariably be faced with the question “Do you really think you could get used to working with dying kids?” My 16-year-old self responded with something noble but naïve like “It’s important work, so I’ll have to handle it”. I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

As I transitioned into college my plans for oncology were alive and well. I began working in a biochemistry lab researching new anti-cancer drugs. It was a small start, but I was overjoyed to be a part of the process. I applied to work at a number of places for the summer, but the Pediatric Oncology Education program (POE) at St. Jude was my goal. One afternoon, I had just returned from class and there it was: an email listed as ‘POE Offer’. I was ecstatic and accepted the offer immediately. Finally, I could get a glimpse at what my future holds. My future PI, Dr. Q, specialized in solid tumor translational research and I couldn’t wait to get started.

I was 16 years young with my plan to become an oncologist at St. Jude.

Summer finally came, I moved to Memphis, and I was welcomed by the X lab. I loved translational research because the results are just around the corner from helping patients. We began a pre-clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen and the results were looking terrific. I was also able to accompany Dr. Q whenever she saw patients in the solid tumor division. Things started simple with rounds each morning before focusing on the higher risk cases. I was fortunate enough to get to know some of the patients quite well, and I could sometimes help them pass the time with a game or two on a slow afternoon between treatments. These experiences shined a very human light on a field I had previously seen only through a microscope in a lab.

I arrived one morning as usual, but Dr. Q pulled me aside before rounds. She said one of the patients we had been seeing passed away in the night. I held my composure in the moment, but I felt as though an anvil was crushing down on me. It was tragic but I knew loss was part of the job, so I told myself to push forward. A few days later, I had mostly come to terms with what happened, but then the anvil came crashing back down with the passing of another patient. I could scarcely hold back the tears this time. That moment, it didn’t matter how many miraculous successes were happening a few doors down. Nothing overshadowed the loss, and there was no way I could ‘get used to it’ as my younger self had hoped.

I was still carrying the weight of what had happened and it was showing, so I asked Dr. Q for help. How do you keep smiling each day? How do you get used to it? The questions in my head went on. What I heard next changed my perspective forever. She said you keep smiling because no matter what happened, you’re still hope for the next patient. It’s not about getting used to it. You never get used to it and you shouldn’t. Beating cancer takes lifetimes, and you can’t look passed a life’s worth of hardships. I realized that moving passed the loss of patients would never suffice, but I need to move forward with them. Through the successes and shortcomings, we constantly make progress. I like to imagine that in all our future endeavors, it is the hands of those who have gone before us that guide the way. That is why I want to attend medical school and become a physician. We may never end the sting of loss, but physicians are the bridge between the past and the future. No where else is there the chance to learn from tragedy and use that to shape a better future. If I can learn something from one loss, keep moving forward, and use that knowledge to help even a single person – save one life, bring a moment of joy, avoid a moment of pain—then that is how I want to spend my life.

The change wasn’t overnight. The next loss still brought pain, but I took solace in moving forward so that we might learn something to give hope to a future patient. I returned to campus in a new lab doing cancer research, and my passion for medicine continues to flourish. I still think about all the people I encountered at St. Jude, especially those we lost. It might be a stretch, but during the long hours at the lab bench I still picture their hands moving through mine each step of the way. I could never have foreseen where the first steps of the St. Jude Run would bring me. I’m not sure where the road to becoming a physician may lead, but with helping hands guiding the way, I won’t be running it alone.

This essay, a description of the applicant’s intellectual challenges, displays the hardships of tending to cancer patients as a milestone of experience and realization of what it takes to be a physician. The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional. In this way, the applicant gives the reader some insight into the applicant’s mindset, and their ability to think beyond the surface for ways to become better at what they do.

However, the essay fails to zero in on the applicant’s character, instead elaborating on life events that weakly illustrate the applicant’s growth as a physician. The writer’s mantra (“keep moving forward”) is feebly projected, and seems unoriginal due to the lack of a personalized connection between the experience at St. Jude and how that led to the applicant’s growth and mindset changes.

The writer explores deeper ideas beyond medicine, such as dealing with patient deaths in a way to progress and improve as a professional.

The writer, by only focusing on grief brought from patient deaths at St. Jude, misses out on the opportunity to further describe his or her experience at the hospital and portray an original, well-rounded image of his or her strengths, weaknesses, and work ethic.

The applicant ends the essay by attempting to highlight the things they learned at St. Jude, but fails to organize the ideas into a cohesive, comprehensible section. These ideas are also too abstract, and are vague indicators of the applicant’s character that are difficult to grasp.

-- Accepted to: New York University School of Medicine

Sponsored by MedEdits : MedEdits Medical Admissions has been helping applicants get into medical schools like Harvard for more than ten years. Structured like an academic medical department, MedEdits has experts in admissions, writing, editing, medicine, and interview prep working with you collaboratively so you can earn the best admissions results possible.

“Is this the movie you were talking about Alice?” I said as I showed her the movie poster on my iPhone. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen that poster in over 70 years,” she said with her arms trembling in front of her. Immediately, I sat up straight and started to question further. We were talking for about 40 minutes, and the most exciting thing she brought up in that time was the new flavor of pudding she had for lunch. All of sudden, she’s back in 1940 talking about what it was like to see this movie after school for only 5¢ a ticket! After an engaging discussion about life in the 40’s, I knew I had to indulge her. Armed with a plethora of movie streaming sights, I went to work scouring the web. No luck. The movie, “My Son My Son,” was apparently not in high demand amongst torrenting teens. I had to entreat my older brother for his Amazon Prime account to get a working stream. However, breaking up the monotony and isolation felt at the nursing home with a simple movie was worth the pandering.

While I was glad to help a resident have some fun, I was partly motivated by how much Alice reminded me of my own grandfather. In accordance with custom, my grandfather was to stay in our house once my grandmother passed away. More specifically, he stayed in my room and my bed. Just like grandma’s passing, my sudden roommate was a rough transition. In 8th grade at the time, I considered myself to be a generally good guy. Maybe even good enough to be a doctor one day. I volunteered at the hospital, shadowed regularly, and had a genuine interest for science. However, my interest in medicine was mostly restricted to academia. To be honest, I never had a sustained exposure to the palliative side of medicine until the arrival of my new roommate.

The two years I slept on that creaky wooden bed with him was the first time my metal was tested. Sharing that room, I was the one to take care of him. I was the one to rub ointment on his back, to feed him when I came back from school, and to empty out his spittoon when it got full. It was far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time. With 75 years separating us, and senile dementia setting in, he would often forget who I was or where he was. Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve. Assured by my Syrian Orthodox faith, I even prayed about it; asking God for comfort and firmness on my end. Over time, I grew slow to speak and eager to listen as he started to ramble more and more about bits and pieces of the past. If I was lucky, I would be able to stich together a narrative that may or may have not been true. In any case, my patience started to bud beyond my age group.

Having to remind him that I was his grandson threatened to erode at my resolve.

Although I grew more patient with his disease, my curiosity never really quelled. Conversely, it developed further alongside my rapidly growing interest in the clinical side of medicine. Naturally, I became drawn to a neurology lab in college where I got to study pathologies ranging from atrophy associated with schizophrenia, and necrotic lesions post stroke. However, unlike my intro biology courses, my work at the neurology lab was rooted beyond the academics. Instead, I found myself driven by real people who could potentially benefit from our research. In particular, my shadowing experience with Dr. Dominger in the Veteran’s home made the patient more relevant in our research as I got to encounter geriatric patients with age related diseases, such as Alzhimer’s and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, I had the privilege of of talking to the families of a few of these patients to get an idea of the impact that these diseases had on the family structure. For me, the scut work in the lab meant a lot more with these families in mind than the tritium tracer we were using in the lab.

Despite my achievements in the lab and the classroom, my time with my grandfather still holds a special place in my life story. The more I think about him, the more confident I am in my decision to pursue a career where caring for people is just as important, if not more important, than excelling at academics. Although it was a lot of work, the years spent with him was critical in expanding my horizons both in my personal life and in the context of medicine. While I grew to be more patient around others, I also grew to appreciate medicine beyond the science. This more holistic understanding of medicine had a synergistic effect in my work as I gained a purpose behind the extra hours in the lab, sleepless nights in the library, and longer hours volunteering. I had a reason for what I was doing that may one day help me have long conversations with my own grandchildren about the price of popcorn in the 2000’s.

The most important thing to highlight in Avery’s essay is how he is able to create a duality between his interest in not only the clinical, more academic-based side of medicine, but also the field’s personal side.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather. These two experiences build up the “synergistic” relationship between caring for people and studying the science behind medicine. In this way, he is able to clearly state his passions for medicine and explain his exact motives for entering the field. Furthermore, in his discussion of her grandfather, he effectively employs imagery (“rub ointment on his back,” “feed him when I came back from school,” etc.) to describe the actual work that he does, calling it initially as “far from glamorous, and frustrating most of the time.” By first mentioning his initial impression, then transitioning into how he grew to appreciate the experience, Avery is able to demonstrate a strength of character, sense of enormous responsibility and capability, and open-minded attitude.

He draws personal connections between working with Alice — a patient in a hospital or nursing home — and caring intensely for his grandfather.

Later in the essay, Avery is also able to relate his time caring for his grandfather to his work with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, showcasing the social impact of his work, as the reader is likely already familiar with the biological impact of the work. This takes Avery’s essay full circle, bringing it back to how a discussion with an elderly patient about the movies reminds him of why he chose to pursue medicine.

That said, the essay does feel rushed near the end, as the writer was likely trying to remain within the word count. There could be a more developed transition before Avery introduces the last sentence about “conversations with my own grandchildren,” especially as a strong essay ending is always recommended.

-- Accepted To: Saint Louis University Medical School Direct Admission Medical Program

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The tension in the office was tangible. The entire team sat silently sifting through papers as Dr. L introduced Adam, a 60-year-old morbidly obese man recently admitted for a large open wound along his chest. As Dr. L reviewed the details of the case, his prognosis became even bleaker: hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathy, hyperlipidemia; the list went on and on. As the humdrum of the side-conversations came to a halt, and the shuffle of papers softened, the reality of Adam’s situation became apparent. Adam had a few months to live at best, a few days at worst. To make matters worse, Adam’s insurance would not cover his treatment costs. With no job, family, or friends, he was dying poor and alone.

I followed Dr. L out of the conference room, unsure what would happen next. “Well,” she muttered hesitantly, “We need to make sure that Adam is on the same page as us.” It’s one thing to hear bad news, and another to hear it utterly alone. Dr. L frantically reviewed all of Adam’s paperwork desperately looking for someone to console him, someone to be at his side. As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy. That empathy is exactly what I saw in Dr. L as she went out of her way to comfort a patient she met hardly 20 minutes prior.

Since high school, I’ve been fascinated by technology’s potential to improve healthcare. As a volunteer in [the] Student Ambassador program, I was fortunate enough to watch an open-heart surgery. Intrigued by the confluence of technology and medicine, I chose to study biomedical engineering. At [school], I wanted to help expand this interface, so I became involved with research through Dr. P’s lab by studying the applications of electrospun scaffolds for dermal wound healing. While still in the preliminary stages of research, I learned about the Disability Service Club (DSC) and decided to try something new by volunteering at a bowling outing.

As she began to make calls, I saw that being a physician calls for more than good grades and an aptitude for science: it requires maturity, sacrifice, and most of all, empathy.

The DSC promotes awareness of cognitive disabilities in the community and seeks to alleviate difficulties for the disabled. During one outing, I collaborated with Arc, a local organization with a similar mission. Walking in, I was told that my role was to support the participants by providing encouragement. I decided to help a relatively quiet group of individuals assisted by only one volunteer, Mary. Mary informed me that many individuals with whom I was working were diagnosed with ASD. Suddenly, she started cheering, as one of the members of the group bowled a strike. The group went wild. Everyone was dancing, singing, and rejoicing. Then I noticed one gentleman sitting at our table, solemn-faced. I tried to start a conversation with him, but he remained unresponsive. I sat with him for the rest of the game, trying my hardest to think of questions that would elicit more than a monosyllabic response, but to no avail. As the game ended, I stood up to say bye when he mumbled, “Thanks for talking.” Then he quickly turned his head away. I walked away beaming. Although I was unable to draw out a smile or even sustain a conversation, at the end of the day, the fact that this gentleman appreciated my mere effort completely overshadowed the awkwardness of our time together. Later that day, I realized that as much as I enjoyed the thrill of research and its applications, helping other people was what I was most passionate about.

When it finally came time to tell Adam about his deteriorating condition, I was not sure how he would react. Dr. L gently greeted him and slowly let reality take its toll. He stoically turned towards Dr. L and groaned, “I don’t really care. Just leave me alone.” Dr. L gave him a concerned nod and gradually left the room. We walked to the next room where we met with a pastor from Adam’s church.

“Adam’s always been like that,” remarked the pastor, “he’s never been one to express emotion.” We sat with his pastor for over an hour discussing how we could console Adam. It turned out that Adam was part of a motorcycle club, but recently quit because of his health. So, Dr. L arranged for motorcycle pictures and other small bike trinkets to be brought to his room as a reminder of better times.

Dr. L’s simple gesture reminded me of why I want to pursue medicine. There is something sacred, empowering, about providing support when people need it the most; whether it be simple as starting a conversation, or providing support during the most trying of times. My time spent conducting research kindled my interest in the science of medicine, and my service as a volunteer allowed me to realize how much I valued human interaction. Science and technology form the foundation of medicine, but to me, empathy is the essence. It is my combined interest in science and service that inspires me to pursue medicine. It is that combined interest that makes me aspire to be a physician.

Parker’s essay focuses on one central narrative with a governing theme of compassionate and attentive care for patients, which is the key motivator for her application to medical school. Parker’s story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field. This effectively demonstrates to the reader what kind of doctor Parker wants to be in the future.

Parker’s narrative has a clear beginning, middle, and end, making it easy for the reader to follow. She intersperses the main narrative about Adam with experiences she has with other patients and reflects upon her values as she contemplates pursuing medicine as a career. Her anecdote about bowling with the patients diagnosed with ASD is another instance where she uses a story to tell the reader why she values helping people through medicine and attentive patient care, especially as she focuses on the impact her work made on one man at the event.

Parker's story focuses on her volunteer experience shadowing of Dr. L who went the extra mile for Adam, which sets Dr. L up as a role model for Parker as she enters the medical field.

All throughout the essay, the writing is engaging and Parker incorporates excellent imagery, which goes well with her varied sentence structure. The essay is also strong because it comes back full circle at its conclusion, tying the overall narrative back to the story of Dr. L and Adam, which speaks to Parker’s motives for going to medical school.

-- Accepted To: Emory School of Medicine

Growing up, I enjoyed visiting my grandparents. My grandfather was an established doctor, helping the sick and elderly in rural Taiwan until two weeks before he died at 91 years old. His clinic was located on the first floor of the residency with an exam room, treatment room, X-ray room, and small pharmacy. Curious about his work, I would follow him to see his patients. Grandpa often asked me if I want to be a doctor just like him. I always smiled, but was more interested in how to beat the latest Pokémon game. I was in 8th grade when my grandfather passed away. I flew back to Taiwan to attend his funeral. It was a gloomy day and the only street in the small village became a mourning place for the villagers. Flowers filled the streets and people came to pay their respects. An old man told me a story: 60 years ago, a village woman was in a difficult labor. My grandfather rushed into the house and delivered a baby boy. That boy was the old man and he was forever grateful. Stories of grandpa saving lives and bringing happiness to families were told during the ceremony. At that moment, I realized why my grandfather worked so tirelessly up until his death as a physician. He did it for the reward of knowing that he kept a family together and saved a life. The ability for a doctor to heal and bring happiness is the reason why I want to study medicine. Medical school is the first step on a lifelong journey of learning, but I feel that my journey leading up to now has taught me some things of what it means to be an effective physician.

With a newfound purpose, I began volunteering and shadowing at my local hospital. One situation stood out when I was a volunteer in the cardiac stress lab. As I attached EKG leads onto a patient, suddenly the patient collapsed and started gasping for air. His face turned pale, then slightly blue. The charge nurse triggered “Code Blue” and started CPR. A team of doctors and nurses came, rushing in with a defibrillator to treat and stabilize the patient. What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care. I want to be a leader as well as part of a team that can make a difference in a person’s life. I have refined these lessons about teamwork and leadership to my activities. In high school I was an 8 time varsity letter winner for swimming and tennis and captain of both of those teams. In college I have participated in many activities, but notably serving as assistant principle cellist in my school symphony as well as being a co-founding member of a quartet. From both my athletic experiences and my music experiences I learned what it was like to not only assert my position as a leader and to effectively communicate my views, but equally as important I learned how to compromise and listen to the opinions of others. Many physicians that I have observed show a unique blend of confidence and humility.

What I noticed was that medicine was not only about one individual acting as a superhero to save a life, but that it takes a team of individuals with an effective leader, working together to deliver the best care.

College opened me up to new perspectives on what makes a complete physician. A concept that was preached in the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions in Medicine (GPPA) was that medicine is both an art and a science. The art of medicine deals with a variety of aspects including patient relationships as well as ethics. Besides my strong affinity for the sciences and mathematics, I always have had interest in history. I took courses in both German literature and history, which influenced me to take a class focusing on Nazi neuroscientists. It was the ideology of seeing the disabled and different races as test subjects rather than people that led to devastating lapses in medical ethics. The most surprising fact for me was that doctors who were respected and leaders in their field disregarded the humanity of patient and rather focused on getting results from their research. Speaking with Dr. Zeidman, the professor for this course, influenced me to start my research which deals with the ethical qualms of using data derived from unethical Nazi experimentation such as the brains derived from the adult and child euthanasia programs. Today, science is so result driven, it is important to keep in mind the ethics behind research and clinical practice. Also the development of personalized genomic medicine brings into question about potential privacy violations and on the extreme end discrimination. The study of ethics no matter the time period is paramount in the medical field. The end goal should always be to put the patient first.

Teaching experiences in college inspired me to become a physician educator if I become a doctor. Post-MCAT, I was offered a job by Next Step Test Prep as a tutor to help students one on one for the MCAT. I had a student who stated he was doing well during practice, but couldn’t get the correct answer during practice tests. Working with the student, I pointed out his lack of understanding concepts and this realization helped him and improves his MCAT score. Having the ability to educate the next generation of doctors is not only necessary, but also a rewarding experience.

My experiences volunteering and shadowing doctors in the hospital as well as my understanding of what it means to be a complete physician will make me a good candidate as a medical school student. It is my goal to provide the best care to patients and to put a smile on a family’s face just as my grandfather once had. Achieving this goal does not take a special miracle, but rather hard work, dedication, and an understanding of what it means to be an effective physician.

Through reflecting on various stages of life, Quinn expresses how they found purpose in pursuing medicine. Starting as a child more interested in Pokemon than their grandfather’s patients, Quinn exhibits personal growth through recognizing the importance of their grandfather’s work saving lives and eventually gaining the maturity to work towards this goal as part of a team.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather’s clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman’s difficult labor — which grounds Quinn’s story in their family roots. Yet, the transition from shadowing in hospitals to pursuing leadership positions in high schools is jarring, and the list of athletic and musical accomplishments reads like a laundry list of accomplishments until Quinn neatly wraps them up as evidence of leadership and teamwork skills. Similarly, the section about tutoring, while intended to demonstrate Quinn’s desire to educate future physicians, lacks the emotional resonance necessary to elevate it from another line lifted from their resume.

This essay opens with abundant imagery — of the grandfather's clinic, flowers filling the streets, and the village woman's difficult labor — which grounds Quinn's story in their family roots.

The strongest point of Quinn’s essay is the focus on their unique arts and humanities background. This equips them with a unique perspective necessary to consider issues in medicine in a new light. Through detailing how history and literature coursework informed their unique research, Quinn sets their application apart from the multitude of STEM-focused narratives. Closing the essay with the desire to help others just as their grandfather had, Quinn ties the narrative back to their personal roots.

-- Accepted To: Edinburgh University UCAT Score: 2810 BMAT Score: 4.6, 4.2, 3.5A

Exposure to the medical career from an early age by my father, who would explain diseases of the human body, sparked my interest for Medicine and drove me to seek out work experience. I witnessed the contrast between use of bone saws and drills to gain access to the brain, with subsequent use of delicate instruments and microscopes in neurosurgery. The surgeon's care to remove the tumour, ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy brain and his commitment to achieve the best outcome for the patient was inspiring. The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Whilst shadowing a surgical team in Texas, carrying out laparoscopic bariatric procedures, I appreciated the surgeon's dedication to continual professional development and research. I was inspired to carry out an Extended Project Qualification on whether bariatric surgery should be funded by the NHS. By researching current literature beyond my school curriculum, I learnt to assess papers for bias and use reliable sources to make a conclusion on a difficult ethical situation. I know that doctors are required to carry out research and make ethical decisions and so, I want to continue developing these skills during my time at medical school.

The chance to have such a positive impact on a patient has motivated me to seek out a career in Medicine.

Attending an Oncology multi-disciplinary team meeting showed me the importance of teamwork in medicine. I saw each team member, with specific areas of expertise, contributing to the discussion and actively listening, and together they formed a holistic plan of action for patients. During my Young Enterprise Award, I facilitated a brainstorm where everyone pitched a product idea. Each member offered a different perspective on the idea and then voted on a product to carry forward in the competition. As a result, we came runners up in the Regional Finals. Furthermore, I started developing my leadership skills, which I improved by doing Duke of Edinburgh Silver and attending a St. John Ambulance Leadership course. In one workshop, similar to the bariatric surgeon I shadowed, I communicated instructions and delegated roles to my team to successfully solve a puzzle. These experiences highlighted the crucial need for teamwork and leadership as a doctor.

Observing a GP, I identified the importance of compassion and empathy. During a consultation with a severely depressed patient, the GP came to the patient's eye level and used a calm, non-judgmental tone of voice, easing her anxieties and allowing her to disclose more information. While volunteering at a care home weekly for two years, I adapted my communication for a resident suffering with dementia who was disconnected from others. I would take her to a quiet environment, speak slowly and in a non-threatening manner, as such, she became talkative, engaged and happier. I recognised that communication and compassion allows doctors to build rapport, gain patients' trust and improve compliance. For two weeks, I shadowed a surgeon performing multiple craniotomies a day. I appreciated the challenges facing doctors including time and stress management needed to deliver high quality care. Organisation, by prioritising patients based on urgency and creating a timetable on the ward round, was key to running the theatre effectively. Similarly, I create to-do-lists and prioritise my academics and extra-curricular activities to maintain a good work-life balance: I am currently preparing for my Grade 8 in Singing, alongside my A-level exams. I also play tennis for the 1st team to relax and enable me to refocus. I wish to continue my hobbies at university, as ways to manage stress.

Through my work experiences and voluntary work, I have gained a realistic understanding of Medicine and its challenges. I have begun to display the necessary skills that I witnessed, such as empathy, leadership and teamwork. The combination of these skills with my fascination for the human body drives me to pursue a place at medical school and a career as a doctor.

This essay traces Alex's personal exploration of medicine through different stages of life, taking a fairly traditional path to the medical school application essay. From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

Alex details how experiences conducting research and working with medical teams have confirmed his interest in medicine. Although the breadth of experiences speaks to the applicant’s interest in medicine, the essay verges on being a regurgitation of the Alex's resume, which does not provide the admissions officer with any new insights or information and ultimately takes away from the essay as a whole. As such, the writing’s lack of voice or unique perspective puts the applicant at risk of sounding middle-of-the-road.

From witnessing medical procedures to eventually pursuing leadership positions, this tale of personal progress argues that Alex's life has prepared him to become a doctor.

The essay’s organization, however, is one of its strengths — each paragraph provides an example of personal growth through a new experience in medicine. Further, Alex demonstrates his compassion and diligence through detailed stories, which give a reader a glimpse into his values. Through recognizing important skills necessary to be a doctor, Alex demonstrates that he has the mature perspective necessary to embark upon this journey.

What this essay lacks in a unique voice, it makes up for in professionalism and organization. Alex's earnest desire to attend medical school is what makes this essay shine.

-- Accepted To: University of Toronto MCAT Scores: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems - 128, Critical Analysis and Reading Skills - 127, Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems - 127, Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior - 130, Total - 512

Moment of brilliance.

Revelation.

These are all words one would use to describe their motivation by a higher calling to achieve something great. Such an experience is often cited as the reason for students to become physicians; I was not one of these students. Instead of waiting for an event like this, I chose to get involved in the activities that I found most invigorating. Slowly but surely, my interests, hobbies, and experiences inspired me to pursue medicine.

As a medical student, one must possess a solid academic foundation to facilitate an understanding of physical health and illness. Since high school, I found science courses the most appealing and tended to devote most of my time to their exploration. I also enjoyed learning about the music, food, literature, and language of other cultures through Latin and French class. I chose the Medical Sciences program because it allowed for flexibility in course selection. I have studied several scientific disciplines in depth like physiology and pathology while taking classes in sociology, psychology, and classical studies. Such a diverse academic portfolio has strengthened my ability to consider multiple viewpoints and attack problems from several angles. I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

I was motivated to travel as much as possible by learning about other cultures in school. Exposing myself to different environments offered me perspective on universal traits that render us human. I want to pursue medicine because I believe that this principle of commonality relates to medical practice in providing objective and compassionate care for all. Combined with my love for travel, this realization took me to Nepal with Volunteer Abroad (VA) to build a school for a local orphanage (4). The project’s demands required a group of us to work closely as a team to accomplish the task. Rooted in different backgrounds, we often had conflicting perspectives; even a simple task such as bricklaying could stir up an argument because each person had their own approach. However, we discussed why we came to Nepal and reached the conclusion that all we wanted was to build a place of education for the children. Our unifying goal allowed us to reach compromises and truly appreciate the value of teamwork. These skills are vital in a clinical setting, where physicians and other health care professionals need to collaborate as a multidisciplinary team to tackle patients’ physical, emotional, social, and psychological problems.

I hope to relate to patients from all walks of life as a physician and offer them personalized treatment.

The insight I gained from my Nepal excursion encouraged me to undertake and develop the role of VA campus representative (4). Unfortunately, many students are not equipped with the resources to volunteer abroad; I raised awareness about local initiatives so everyone had a chance to do their part. I tried to avoid pushing solely for international volunteerism for this reason and also because it can undermine the work of local skilled workers and foster dependency. Nevertheless, I took on this position with VA because I felt that the potential benefits were more significant than the disadvantages. Likewise, doctors must constantly weigh out the pros and cons of a situation to help a patient make the best choice. I tried to dispel fears of traveling abroad by sharing first-hand experiences so that students could make an informed decision. When people approached me regarding unfamiliar placements, I researched their questions and provided them with both answers and a sense of security. I found great fulfillment in addressing the concerns of individuals, and I believe that similar processes could prove invaluable in the practice of medicine.

As part of the Sickkids Summer Research Program, I began to appreciate the value of experimental investigation and evidence-based medicine (23). Responsible for initiating an infant nutrition study at a downtown clinic, I was required to explain the project’s implications and daily protocol to physicians, nurses and phlebotomists. I took anthropometric measurements and blood pressure of children aged 1-10 and asked parents about their and their child’s diet, television habits, physical exercise regimen, and sunlight exposure. On a few occasions, I analyzed and presented a small set of data to my superiors through oral presentations and written documents.

With continuous medical developments, physicians must participate in lifelong learning. More importantly, they can engage in research to further improve the lives of their patients. I encountered a young mother one day at the clinic struggling to complete the study’s questionnaires. After I asked her some questions, she began to open up to me as her anxiety subsided; she then told me that her child suffered from low iron. By talking with the physician and reading a few articles, I recommended a few supplements and iron-rich foods to help her child. This experience in particular helped me realize that I enjoy clinical research and strive to address the concerns of people with whom I interact.

Research is often impeded by a lack of government and private funding. My clinical placement motivated me to become more adept in budgeting, culminating in my role as founding Co-President of the UWO Commerce Club (ICCC) (9). Together, fellow club executives and I worked diligently to get the club ratified, a process that made me aware of the bureaucratic challenges facing new organizations. Although we had a small budget, we found ways of minimizing expenditure on advertising so that we were able to host more speakers who lectured about entrepreneurship and overcoming challenges. Considering the limited space available in hospitals and the rising cost of health care, physicians, too, are often forced to prioritize and manage the needs of their patients.

No one needs a grand revelation to pursue medicine. Although passion is vital, it is irrelevant whether this comes suddenly from a life-altering event or builds up progressively through experience. I enjoyed working in Nepal, managing resources, and being a part of clinical and research teams; medicine will allow me to combine all of these aspects into one wholesome career.

I know with certainty that this is the profession for me.

Jimmy opens this essay hinting that his essay will follow a well-worn path, describing the “big moment” that made him realize why he needed to become a physician. But Jimmy quickly turns the reader’s expectation on its head by stating that he did not have one of those moments. By doing this, Jimmy commands attention and has the reader waiting for an explanation. He soon provides the explanation that doubles as the “thesis” of his essay: Jimmy thinks passion can be built progressively, and Jimmy’s life progression has led him to the medical field.

Jimmy did not make the decision to pursue a career in medicine lightly. Instead he displays through anecdotes that his separate passions — helping others, exploring different walks of life, personal responsibility, and learning constantly, among others — helped Jimmy realize that being a physician was the career for him. By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously. The ability to evaluate multiple options and make an informed, well-reasoned decision is one that bodes well for Jimmy’s medical career.

While in some cases this essay does a lot of “telling,” the comprehensive and decisive walkthrough indicates what Jimmy’s idea of a doctor is. To him, a doctor is someone who is genuinely interested in his work, someone who can empathize and related to his patients, someone who can make important decisions with a clear head, and someone who is always trying to learn more. Just like his decision to work at the VA, Jimmy has broken down the “problem” (what his career should be) and reached a sound conclusion.

By talking readers through his thought process, it is made clear that Jimmy is a critical thinker who can balance multiple different perspectives simultaneously.

Additionally, this essay communicates Jimmy’s care for others. While it is not always advisable to list one’s volunteer efforts, each activity Jimmy lists has a direct application to his essay. Further, the sheer amount of philanthropic work that Jimmy does speaks for itself: Jimmy would not have worked at VA, spent a summer with Sickkids, or founded the UWO finance club if he were not passionate about helping others through medicine. Like the VA story, the details of Jimmy’s participation in Sickkids and the UWO continue to show how he has thought about and embodied the principles that a physician needs to be successful.

Jimmy’s essay both breaks common tropes and lives up to them. By framing his “list” of activities with his passion-happens-slowly mindset, Jimmy injects purpose and interest into what could have been a boring and braggadocious essay if it were written differently. Overall, this essay lets the reader know that Jimmy is seriously dedicated to becoming a physician, and both his thoughts and his actions inspire confidence that he will give medical school his all.

The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this content.

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The Biden-Harris Administration Issues New Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy Under HIPAA

The Final Rule strengthens privacy protections for medical records and health information for women, their family members, and doctors who are seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive health care.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a Final Rule, entitled HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy . The Final Rule strengthens the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule by prohibiting the disclosure of protected health information (PHI) related to lawful reproductive health care in certain circumstances. HHS is issuing this Final Rule after hearing from communities that changes were needed to better protect patient confidentiality and prevent medical records from being used against people for providing or obtaining lawful reproductive health care. This Final Rule will bolster patient-provider confidentiality and help promote trust and open communication between individuals and their health care providers or health plans, which is essential for high-quality health care.

“Many Americans are scared their private medical information will be being shared, misused, and disclosed without permission. This has a chilling effect on women visiting a doctor, picking up a prescription from a pharmacy, or taking other necessary actions to support their health,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration is providing stronger protections to people seeking lawful reproductive health care regardless of whether the care is in their home state or if they must cross state lines to get it. With reproductive health under attack by some lawmakers, these protections are more important than ever.”

“Since the fall of Roe v. Wade , providers have shared concerns that when patients travel to their clinics for lawful care, their patients’ records will be sought, including when the patient goes home. Patients and providers are scared, and it impedes their ability to get and to provide accurate information and access safe and legal health care,” said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. “Today’s rule prohibits the use of protected health information for seeking or providing lawful reproductive health care and helps maintain and improve patient-provider trust that will lead to improved health outcomes and protect patient privacy.”

OCR administers and enforces the Privacy Rule, which requires most health care providers, health plans, health care clearinghouses, and business associates (collectively, “regulated entities”) to safeguard the privacy of PHI and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures of such information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule also gives individuals certain rights over their PHI. In April 2023, OCR published proposed modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule to address changes in the legal landscape affecting reproductive health care privacy that make it more likely than before that PHI may be used and disclosed in ways that HIPAA intended to protect. OCR received almost 30,000 comments on the proposed rule from the public. After carefully considering these comments, the Department is issuing a Final Rule that:

• Prohibits the use or disclosure of PHI when it is sought to investigate or impose liability on individuals, health care providers, or others who seek, obtain, provide, or facilitate reproductive health care that is lawful under the circumstances in which such health care is provided, or to identify persons for such activities.
• Requires a regulated health care provider, health plan, clearinghouse, or their business associates, to obtain a signed attestation that certain requests for PHI potentially related to reproductive health care are not for these prohibited purposes.
• Requires regulated health care providers, health plans, and clearinghouses to modify their Notice of Privacy Practices to support reproductive health care privacy.

The Final Rule may be viewed here .

View The Final Rule Fact Sheet here .

The current HIPAA Privacy Rule is in effect until the new rule takes effect. If you believe that your (or someone else’s) health information privacy rights or other Privacy, Security, or Breach Notification rules have been violated, you may file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights at: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html .

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Gut Microbiota Acts Like an Auxiliary Liver

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Microbes in the mammalian gut can significantly change their hosts’ amino acid and glucose metabolism, acting almost like an extra liver, according to a new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

The study , published April 23 in Cell Host & Microbe, adds to the growing list of ways in which the microbiome influences physiology, and could lead to new strategies to treat conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes.

In recent years, scientists have found that the billions of microbes living on and in the human body profoundly influence our physiology. Senior author Dr. Chun-Jun Guo , an assistant professor of microbiology & immunology in medicine and a member of the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Weill Cornell Medicine, wanted to take a deeper look at how the essential microbes in the gut affect our access to the nutrients extracted from the food we’ve ingested.

Dr. Chun-Jun Guo

“They ‘eat’ before us, taking first dibs on the nutrients from the food we consume, and leaving us with what remains after they satisfy their own nutritional needs,” said Dr. Guo, who is also a member of the Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation at Weill Cornell Medicine.

To better understand this process, first author Dr. Ting-Ting Li, a postdoctoral associate in the Guo lab, and collaborators, assessed how efficiently different bacteria that naturally inhabit our intestines, called human gut commensals, deplete amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Due to the poorly characterized metabolic functions of many gut bacteria, the team experimented with various settings to find the optimal conditions for their study. After screening more than 100 different human gut microbes, the investigators pinpointed several that are highly efficient at metabolizing various dietary amino acids. When these microbes colonized the gastrointestinal tracts of germ-free mice—mice that initially had no microbes—the levels of those amino acids dropped in the host's intestine and bloodstream.

The team then identified the specific bacterial metabolic genes that deplete amino acids. It was a long list. “We found that in one single bacterium, there are over 20 different genes encoding a similar enzymatic function,” Dr. Guo said. “And because we have improved our CRISPR-Cas9 gene deletion techniques for gut bacteria, we were able to perform a large gene deletion screen and identify the metabolic genes in the bacteria that were responsible for depleting amino acids."

The scientists took their findings from cultured cells into animals, giving germ-free mice genetically modified strains of bacteria, one at a time. “We can now precisely manipulate individual genes for depleting amino acids in the gut,” Dr. Guo said. “This allows us to assess the individual function of these genes and to see how they actually impact host amino acid homeostasis.”

Dr. Ting-Ting Li

That work produced a surprising result; by consuming a specific class of amino acids, gut microbes can alter their hosts’ blood glucose homeostasis. Further analysis revealed that by changing amino acid availability, the microbes appear to affect the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which in turn changes glucose regulation.

“A lot of these metabolic functions can be done by the liver, but now we’ve found that there are functionally comparable enzymes encoded by the gut microbiota that can do the same or similar things,” said Dr. Guo. “It’s like there is a second liver operating in the gut.”

The team is now designing new strategies to modulate the bacterial enzymes more precisely, and looking at how various combinations of bacteria affect the host’s amino acid metabolism.

Tantalizingly, some of the same genes the current study highlights are also dysregulated in the gut microbiomes of patients with digestive and metabolic diseases. Drugs targeting specific microbial genes, or engineered strains of bacteria, could potentially provide new ways to treat such conditions, according to Dr. Guo.

“These metabolic genes might be potential biomarkers for diseases like type 2 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease, and they are also potential treatment targets,” he added. "Our research demonstrates the possibility of precisely manipulating gut microbiota to regulate host metabolism and improve host metabolic functions.”

The work described in this story was supported in part by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, all part of the National Institutes of Health, through grant numbers: DP2HD101401, DK13581601, R01AI178683, DK126871, AI151599, AI095466, AI095608, AI142213, AI172027 and DK132244. Additional support was provided by a pilot award from the American Gastroenterological Association, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, RAPP funding from Weill Cornell Medicine, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, the UCAS Joint Ph.D. Training Program scholarship, the LEO Foundation, Cure for IBD, the Jill Roberts Institute, the Sanders family and Rosanne H. Silbermann Foundation.

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Turn Your Curiosity Into Discovery

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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