CLA 2614 - Greek and Latin Roots of Contemporary Medicine and in Medical Terminology

1 Course Unit(s)
This course provides a systematic introduction to medical and scientific terminology. In this course you will acquire a working knowledge of the Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes which are fundamental to understanding ‘medspeak’, i.e. the specialized language of healthcare. You will learn the principles of word analysis, construction, and pronunciation. Although this course is primarily for those who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine or the allied health sciences, please bear in mind that it is a classical civilization course. Thus, we will also discuss the origins and development of Greco-Roman medicine, and its legacy. Such historical information will not only help you to learn medical terms but it will also give you a better appreciation of the origins of Western medicine and science. Although we will be working with Latin and Greek terms, no background knowledge of these languages is required. Because you are learning a new ‘language’, you will need to memorize a large number of words and word components.

General Education Requirement(s): Upper-level Liberal Arts
Prerequisite(s): None
Corequisite(s): None
Pre/Corequisite(s): None