Glossary of Terms

 

Hello everyone! I will be using this blog post throughout the semester to give a list of specialized terms that you may find in the articles I link, or, in my blog posts. These are words that may be specific to surgery or sometimes just words that are harder to understand for French-speakers. So, I suggest you check on this post often, I will be updating it with words that I think need translation for each and every one of my posts.

 

Term                                     French Equivalent   

                                 

Scrub in                                Se préparer 

Definition                                                           

This is not a direct translation but scrubbing in means getting ready for surgery and being able to assist.

 

Residency                            Résidence

Definition                                                                          

The residency is the period where the medical student is still studying to become a doctor but is working on the floor of the hospital. This is where you explore most fields of medicine and get to decide which one you prefer. This is usually for 6 years.

On-Call                                 Sur appel  

Definition               

Being On-Call means that you are technically working but can hang out with friends, do activities or be at home, all while you’re being paid. You can’t drink or stray too far away from work though because if you get a call for a patient you have to get there as fast as you can because there is a life on the line.

  

Internship                             Stage

Definition

The internship period is when you just start out at the hospital while still in training. You get taught many things but are mainly stuck doing the resident’s and doctors dirty work. It’s the transition period from class to residency.

  

Stem cell                               Cellule souche

Definition

Stem cells are a great way of being able to create new viable tissue out of practically nothing. Being able to manipulate them brings so many new opportunities. These cells have helped patients recover like they never could before. The problem is being able to get a hold of them ethically.

Pathophysiology                    Physiopathologie

Definition

The study of physiological processes that result from disease or injury. In layman's terms, it's how your body reacts to disease or injury.

Physiology                            Physiologie

Definition

The study of how the human body works, it describes the chemistry and physics of how the body functions. It helps physicians understand what happens in a healthy body and know when something goes wrong or is thrown off balance.

Layman's terms                    Termes simples

Definition

Using the phrase "Layman's terms" means explaining complicated words in more common words. For example, instead of using medical terms, you will use layman's terms so the person you're talking to will understand if they don't have a medical background.