GP
The local doctor you see first about most everyday health problems.
Example: I'll ask my GP about the results next week.
B220 words · Upper-intermediate
Doctors & Medicine vocabulary — B2
Doctors and hospitals vocabulary for a hospital stay, including a ward, a surgeon, a diagnosis and being discharged, plus the antibiotics and prescriptions that follow.
20 questions
Words in this set
20surgeon
/ˈsɜrdʒən/A doctor trained to cut into the body to repair or remove something.
Example:
The surgeon explained the operation very clearly.
ward
/wɔrd/A large room in a hospital where several patients stay in beds.
Example:
She spent three nights on the children's ward.
diagnosis
/ˌdaɪəɡˈnoʊsəs/The doctor's decision about what illness someone has, made after tests.
Example:
It took months to get a clear diagnosis.
discharge
/dɪsˈtʃɑrdʒ/To officially let a patient leave hospital because they are well enough.
Example:
They discharged her two days after the operation.
intensive care
The hospital department where very seriously ill patients are watched all the time.
Example:
He spent a week in intensive care after the crash.
inpatient
/ˈɪnˌpeɪʃənt/A patient who stays in hospital overnight while receiving treatment.
Example:
After the operation, she stayed on as an inpatient for a week.
physician
/fəˈzɪʃən/A formal word for a doctor, especially one who treats illnesses rather than performing operations.
Example:
The physician listened carefully to her symptoms.
prescribe
/prəˈskraɪb/To officially tell a patient what medicine or treatment they should have.
Example:
The doctor prescribed antibiotics for the infection.
examine
/ɪɡˈzæmɪn/To look closely at a patient's body to check for signs of illness or injury.
Example:
The doctor examined her throat with a small light.
prescription
/prəˈskrɪpʃən/A written note from a doctor that lets you get a particular medicine.
Example:
The pharmacist wouldn't sell it to me without a prescription.
side effect
An extra, unwanted result that a medicine can cause besides helping you.
Example:
Drowsiness is a common side effect of these tablets.
antibiotics
/ˌæntibaɪˈɑtɪks/Medicine a doctor gives you to kill the germs that are making you ill.
Example:
The doctor put me on antibiotics for a week.
vaccine
/ˌvækˈsin/An injection that protects you from catching a disease later.
Example:
The flu vaccine is free for over-sixties.
inhaler
/ˌɪnˈheɪlər/A small device you breathe from to get medicine into your chest quickly.
Example:
He never leaves the house without his inhaler.
drip
/drɪp/Hospital equipment that slowly puts liquid medicine into a patient through a tube.
Example:
She was on a drip for two days after her operation.
tweezers
/ˈtwizərz/A small tool with two thin arms for pulling out splinters or hairs.
Example:
He used tweezers to get the splinter out.
overdose
/ˈoʊvərˌdoʊs/An amount of a drug that is dangerously more than the amount that should be taken.
Example:
He was rushed to hospital after taking an overdose.
relief
/rɪˈlif/A feeling of comfort when pain or discomfort becomes less, or something that reduces pain.
Example:
The tablets gave her some relief from the pain.
soluble
/ˈsɑljəbəl/Describing a tablet that can be dissolved in water before you drink it.
Example:
Drop the soluble tablet into a glass of water.
