Should i take a medical terminology class?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am finishing up registering for classes right now. I know for sure i'm taking anatomy I with a lab because i need to retake it for a better grade. However i can't decide if i should take a medical terminology class? I've heard a lot of different things about it and how it's a hard class. It isn't required for my nursing major at my college though, but everyone i talk to tells me it benefit me a lot to take it. I just don't know if i should wait to take it a different semester or would it be good to take it along with anatomy? I would really appreciate everyone's opinions.

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Specializes in OR, Medical/Surgical, Orthopedics.

Taking a medical terminology class can benefit you in the long run, but if you feel like it might be a lot to handle I wouldn't bother. You learn so much terminology in nursing school (actually I feel like I learned/retained more terminology in nursing school due to the fact that you connect the terminology to certain diseases/procedures/conditions instead of trying to memorize a bunch of words). The other thing I want to mention is to set yourself up for success for your A&P classes since that grade is one of the grades most nursing schools use to rank you into their programs. If you feel like you can handle both then definitely go for it.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

In the long run, medical terminology is a good class to take. The issue with taking that class is that you're basically having to learn a foreign language. If I had to give some advice about it, don't take it during the same semester as another "hard/difficult" course, but take it before you get into Nursing School itself. It's really NOT a fluff/easy class. To give you an idea how tough it can be, take whatever Semester unit value they assign to it, and tack on another 2 units. So, if it's a 3 unit course, consider it the same as a 5 unit course. It will probably take the same amount of study time/class time as one of those courses. Also, very few people get an A in the course because it is so difficult, so also consider the potential impact upon your GPA, if it's an issue getting into Nursing School or even possibly a post-grad school later.

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I took medical terminology when I was getting ready to get my medical assisting certificate. I wanted to be a nurse later on but I quickly changed my mind and went straight for the RN. ANYWAYS, a medical terminology class is typically for those who will not be taking A&P classes. Anything you will need to know terminology wise for nursing will come up in nursing classes. After A&P I & II you should know a majority of terminology. As for Dx, EMT, EMR and such terms will be in your nursing classes. I found medical terminology a waste of money and time.

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Specializes in ICU.

Having a med term class helped me greatly with A&P. It helped me understand tons because you learn the latin roots of everything. It also helped me in micro. I took it 15 years ago and I still remember it.

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