Jul 22 2008
Medical Terminology Texts
Many people look for helpful, yet easy medical terminology texts as they begin their study of Child Life. Personally, I think a vast majority of learning medical terms will be based on actually being in the hospital environment, but I think it is also helpful to absorb as much as you can before your actual internship. Some suggested titles I have heard of include: Medical Terminology by Genevieve Love Smith, Phyllis E. Davis, and Jean Tannis Dennerllis, Barbara Janson Cohen’s Medical Terminology-An illustrated Guide, The Language of Medicine, 8th edition, by Davi-Ellen Chabner, and Terminology for the Allied Health Professionals 5th edition by Carolee Sormunen. I have found in my experiences that I learn the best when the roots, prefixes and suffixes are explained separately, and then it’s easier to understand the medical term when you put it all together.
I’m not sure of how many college Child Life Programs require you to take a medical terminology class for the major, but mine didn’t. However, I took a medical terminology class even before I decided to go into a career in Child Life. I’m really glad I did. So, even if it’s not required by your college, I think it is a wise thing to do.
