Medical Terminology Hell!!!!!

soontobe_RN · Jun 22, 2005

Congrats on the excellent grades!!! I have had 2 instructors like that. The last one was last summer in Microbiology, and she got fired half-way through the semester b/c of her teaching habits(exactly like your instructor). The best thing I can tell you is do exactly what you are doing. Study all of the important material, Also use a recorder to pick up any necessary material from lecture just in case it is not in the text. The good thing with having a recorder is that you have your instructor making comments on tape about things like, what will not be on the next exam and then, if you wanted you could take the tape and the exam to the Dean. Even if you don't want to make waves, still hold on to the tapes in case you may need them. Also, do not through away or lose any graded assignments or tests. The first instructor I had like this, tryed to say I had lower grades then what I did. I ended up w/drawing from that class w/ an A average, b/c the instructor was nuts!!!

Anyway, you are doing great!! Hang in there. The semester is almost over :) .

P.S. Sorry to hear about the virus. Hope that you can get it fixed, w/out spending too much money.

Bobbye · Jun 22, 2005

Ok this is a joke right???? Granted this is only my second class. We are on chapter 3 and already we have hundreds of root words, prefixes and suffixes. I have been studying for hours but when I self test, I am still missing questions. I have written the terms down 10 times each and say them out loud. Next to each term I am writitng a full word so I can relate to it in a sentance. Im just not retaining this!!!! I dont think our instructor is very good. He normally teaches massage therapy. We break every 1/2 hour.....he goes off on tangents, then says, "but that wont be on your test". So why are we wasting valuable time discussing non med term things????? Classes are only 3 hours a night three nights a week. I dont know if I should reduce my hours at work to allow for more study time......Ive been at it for 4 hours now and am still forgetting!!!! Im thinking if I cant get through med term, how will I ever do the LPN program???? Ill check back later to see if anyone has advice. We have a quiz tomorrow and I havent even touched on the planes of the body.........

Hang in there it will get better, sometimes you can study to much at one time and that will only frustrate you more. I used to have trouble retaining and I took advice from someone who told me to study in short times and when you loose interest and your mind is wandering it is time to stop for awhile and then start back up after you have revived. That is what works for me. Good luck to you and you can do it. Bobbye

leopold · Jun 22, 2005

Actually, med term was one of my favorite classes. I have no idea why because I am really horrible at memorization. But it was so cool to learn a word, then see it in a context and say I know what that means! It was like every time a light bulb would go off over my head. We had a good study guide and I just went over it a dozen times before each class until things stuck. And honestly, not everything stuck. I'm in the middle of my program and there are still things I get mixed up -- ectomy, ostomy, otomy, osis, etc. :uhoh3: I don't think you should beat yourself up to much if you don't get it all perfect. Just take the basics because you'll be dealing with all that stuff much more in depth later on and you will remember. It sounds like your teacher is a bit loopy and I don't remember having to learn the planes of the body in med term.