What do you think about the use of medical jargon?
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Re: What do you think about the use of medical jargon?
- Ochieng Omuodo
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It definitely is a good thing because it is educational. Further she does explain terms when she uses them. For example, amelanotic nodular melanoma, we are told, is a form of skin cancer and Opdivo (Nivolumab) 'helps your immune system attack and kill the cancer cells'. I certainly would not appreciate a medical book that used substitute language.Sushan wrote: ↑31 May 2021, 23:50 The author has gone to the extent of describing, at the very beginning of the book, she being diagnosed with a cancer, the tests that were done, the procedures and their results, the names of medications, etc. Is it a good thing to include that much technical content in a book which is intended for non-medical personnel?
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Hmm, I suppose that's pretty true, but not entirely. I think it's possible for some people to read with a desire to understand every detail and spend a lot more time looking things up than those who are only reading with a generic desire for information. It simply comes down to how much each reader is willing to categorize. For example, the author wrote, "After her appointment, I ordered a thyroid panel and also thyroid antibodies. Upon review of her lab results, I diagnosed Mary with hyperthyroidism. We discussed that this could be concerning, so she agreed to a thyroid ultrasound as well as some additional studies. Her final diagnosis after a thyroid biopsy was thyroid cancer. Following appropriate treatment, Mary has been cured!" Though I basically understood what she was saying, I didn't know all of the specifics, and I wasn't trying to work on or study the mentioned case. Thus, I read, "After her appointment, I ordered [tests]. Upon review of her lab results, I diagnosed Mary with [a disease]. We discussed that this could be concerning, so she agreed to [more tests]. Her final diagnosis after a... biopsy was... cancer. Following appropriate treatment, Mary has been cured!"Sushan wrote: ↑30 Jun 2021, 05:58Well, you have mentioned few important points. People can get a general idea when they read a fiction despite of taking the meaning of each and every word. That is applicable to medical drama as well. But I do not think the same can be done with an educational book, like this one because you have to understand it and not to have a general idea about it. It is similar to studying a text book.Jagiine wrote: ↑02 Jun 2021, 18:44 I think it's fine. As someone who has always been interested in the medical field, I may be a bit biased, but I don't think it's an isolated issue. When people read historical fiction or fantasy novels, for example, they expect to come across unfamiliar terms. They then either get the gist through context or they look the words up (I usually do a combination). With medical jargon specifically, people accept that it's just a part of the environment when they watch medical dramas and such. I don't think this is any different aside from the fact that it may feel intimidating to some...
This is the same thing I do when watching medical dramas in a zone-out phase, except that I was able to keep up even if I got distracted for a moment. After all, this is the basic plot of what happens on many of their episodes. Additionally, I think she did a great job of picking accessible terms when appropriate, a skill any medical veteran should have, and briefly defining new vocabulary and acronyms. Shows do this sometimes, but they usually save their explanations for when they can add drama or absolutely need to explain something. Likewise, I rarely see inordinate vocabulary explained in fiction writing, even though it does sometimes get so cumbersome that I have no idea what's going on without researching the original stumbling block was well as the context I was counting on to help. Isn't this, after all, what so many people have cited as their reason for not wanting to actually read classics? All in all, I think there's some validity to your statement, but that most of it probably boils down to intimidation and a lack of familiarity or simple curiosity.
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I agree, I remember in highschool I read a set book that introduced me to a medical term I didn't know. It was a "cadaver," I didn't know the meaning until it explained that, a cadaver is the lifeless body donated for medical students to practice on. Yes the author should have explained some terms to make it clear to there readers. Nevertheless it was an interesting read.gabrielletiemi wrote: ↑01 Jun 2021, 12:45It's indeed a book that brings the medical field so there are some terms that the author couldn't indeed avoid, but I think they could be better explained or substituted by other terms too. Maybe it's something more personal since I found it difficult to understand some words than others, but it's something to think about too because this is a great book and the usage of medical jargon won't change it to me.El_limitless wrote: ↑01 Jun 2021, 10:52 It's not entirely out of place to do that. It's a book anchored on medical health, and there's really no realistic way the author could have avoided the use of medical jargons entirely. So the usage for me isn't a lot to handle.
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