How do you memorize medical terminology?
Learn word parts, not whole terms. Almost every medical term is built from a root, a prefix and a suffix, so 15 new parts a day for three weeks gives you about 300 parts and lets you decode terms you have never seen. Study one body system at a time, say each term out loud, and review the parts with flashcards on a spaced schedule.
In more detail
Take gastroenteritis. Gastr/o is the stomach, enter is the intestine and -itis is inflammation, so the term means inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Once you know those three parts, you can also read gastrectomy, enteritis and gastroscopy without a new card. That is why word parts beat memorizing terms one by one.
Learn the suffixes first, because a few of them do most of the work. Then go one body system at a time, such as cardiovascular, then respiratory, then digestive, so roots like cardi/o, pulm/o and gastr/o sit next to the terms that use them. Be strict with sound-alikes: the ileum is part of the small intestine and the ilium is a hip bone, and the ureter and the urethra are different tubes. Spelling counts on most tests.
Say every term out loud while you study it, since exams and jobs both need you to pronounce and spell it. Then review on a schedule instead of re-reading: new cards every day, older cards when they come due. A word part you can recall without looking is learned. A word part you only recognize is not.
Ten suffixes to learn first
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -itis | inflammation | arthritis |
| -ectomy | removal | appendectomy |
| -otomy | cutting into | tracheotomy |
| -ostomy | making an opening | colostomy |
| -plasty | repair or reshaping | rhinoplasty |
| -scopy | looking inside | colonoscopy |
| -emia | blood condition | leukemia |
| -pathy | disease | cardiomyopathy |
| -algia | pain | neuralgia |
| -megaly | enlargement | cardiomegaly |
Step by step
- 1
Learn the ten core suffixes first, with one example term for each.
- 2
Pick one body system and list its roots, such as cardi/o for heart and angi/o for vessel.
- 3
Make one card per word part, with the meaning on the back, instead of one card per term.
- 4
Take apart three to five real terms a day: split them, translate each part, then read the whole term as a sentence.
- 5
Say each term out loud and write it from memory to lock in the spelling.
- 6
Review on a spaced schedule, re-test the parts you miss, then move on to the next system.
How StudyPDF helps
Upload your terminology chapter, class slides or a list of terms, and StudyPDF builds flashcards, quizzes and a practice exam from them, so the questions use the words your course uses. Every answer updates your mastery per concept, so the next quiz goes after the word parts you keep missing. You can export the deck to Anki. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card needed.
See also
More questions
How long does it take to learn medical terminology?
Many courses teach it in one semester. On your own, 15 new word parts a day for about three weeks gets you the core set, and a few more weeks of review by body system makes it stick. Your pace depends on how many systems your exam covers.
Should I learn whole terms or word parts?
Word parts first, then whole terms that do not follow the rules. Most terms can be decoded, so a card for -itis is worth more than a card for appendicitis. Keep whole-term cards for exceptions, such as names of people and terms whose meaning is not literal, and for spelling traps.
Do it on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.