Top 5 Medical Terms Doctors Use That You Should Know

Do you ever wonder why your doctor often uses terminologies you don't understand? You're probably thinking he's keeping something from you. 

At times too, medical terms tend to be humorous, and the doctors use them "to explain some hilarious medical scenarios." Some doctors use medical terms to conceal more derogatory or offensive statements.

In medicine, there is also this distinctive classification of slant used by doctors to describe a dying patient's condition, conceal medical procedures from their loved ones, or simply refer to family members' irritating habits.

ALSO READ: New Normal: 5 Ways to Teach Your Child to Get Used to Wearing a Face Mask

Medical Terms Used and Why It's Important to Know Them 

Whether you're still training for general practice or GP in medicine, a social worker, nursing student or a doctor's assistant, secretary or receptionist, your work is considered as being in a setting when and where comprehension of medical terminologies is a necessity. 

It is essential that you understand the terms the doctor uses, whether he is talking to you, to patients and their family, or their colleagues.

In any of these functions, you may find yourself in an emergency situation responding to the incident. Or you're probably calling to seek assistance in administering life-saving care like CPR, for one.

When dealing with emergency responders, you must understand medical terms, at least the frequently-used ones.

Here are some of the medical terms you might hear from your doctor. In case you hear any of them, these are what they mean.

1. Medical Zebra

Doctors in training are frequently told when they hear "the sound of hooves, think horses instead of zebras." This particular saying about thinking horses signifies common diseases while zebras are associated with rare diseases.

The notion is that nearly every human being is more likely "to see horses than zebras," except, perhaps, if they reside somewhere near a wildlife park or an African savanna.

2. Get Out Of My Emergency Room or GOMER

GOMER is frequently uttered to refer to an older adult patient whose condition is at the brink of death. This patient is barely alive and unable to perform basic human functions. 

More so, the term is used for an elderly patient whose medical care can no longer save. Nevertheless, this same patient does not die, but they just frequently enter and exit emergency rooms.

DON'T MISS THIS: Can Dietary Supplements Prevent Illness? Here's What You Need to Know

3. Funny-Looking Kid or FLK

FLK is frequently used for a child who has some mental condition or unknown. More often than not, this young patient has a "strange-looking" face.

According to studies, one is considered an FLK, as it is evident in his "sloppy foreheads and flat nose bridges. He usually has abnormal-looking lips too, if compared to other ordinary kids.

Just to be clear, doctors are not using the word "funny" to mean "funny" in an amusing manner. They do so to mean "add." However, this slang is regarded as insulting.

4. July Effect

Some doctors recommend that people should let their friends and loved ones go through surgeries and in teaching hospitals, particularly in July. 

This is due to the "July Effect," as what physicians call it. During this month each year, fresh graduates from medical schools continue to work as interns. 

Their being inexperienced, based on reports, would frequently mean a lot of mistakes, which lead to an unusual increase in deaths of patients. 

5. Frequent Fliers

Frequent fliers are patients who often go to an emergency room for non-emergency purposes. Most of the time, they arrive at the ER riding in an ambulance or simply walk straight in minus any assistance.

Typically, a frequent flier goes to the ER so frequently, hospital staff know and call them by their names. However, a few people wonder they are also called GOMER. 

Some patients turn out to be frequent fliers since they don't have insurance and are unable to afford a regular visit to the doctor.

Therefore, they simply go straight to the ER, where they usually receive treatment. Some, though, have insurance but simply prefer an ER visit for reasons that are not clear.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: New 5-Minute Urine Test Can Measure the Health of a Person's Diet, Study Says