The Great Courses Plus – Learning Medical Terminology 2026-1

Updated August 10, 2026

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Description

The Learning Medical Terminology course is presented in 18 engaging sessions by Dr. Elizabeth E. Murray. The course is based on the idea that specialized fields, especially medical sciences, require precise language that may seem foreign and confusing to the layperson. However, there are specific rules for constructing this vocabulary that are easy for anyone to learn. In these sessions, the instructor uses anatomical graphics to teach how to combine prefixes, roots, and suffixes so that participants can analyze words of any length and complexity that contain precise medical meanings. The course also emphasizes the importance of note-taking to create a personal vocabulary list so that one can understand them correctly when faced with scientific texts or medical reports.

What you will learn

Basic rules for constructing and combining specialized medical terms.
How to decipher complex words using prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
Familiarity with anatomical concepts of the body through visual and graphic tools.
Skill in understanding and interpreting medical reports and articles published in health journals.
The correct way to communicate verbally with doctors and medical staff.

This course is suitable for people who:

They want to understand their medical reports and test results without ambiguity.
They are looking to improve the quality of their communication with healthcare professionals.
They are interested in medical sciences but do not have formal education in the field.
They tend to read health-related texts in publications and media with great care.