|
Course Description
This course is for doctors, medical students, and other health professionals who need to use English for their work or studies. Students will be given an overview of medical terminology and correct English pronunciation, communication with patients and medical colleagues, presentation of medical information and diagnosing problems and reporting patient progress in preparation for re-certification in the USA.
Proficiency level:
The program is designed for students whose language level is intermediate and above.
Objectives
The overall aim of the course is to help participants to achieve fluency in discussing medical topics, whether it be in contact with patients or with professional colleagues. The course covers practice in medical specific vocabulary and a review of basic grammatical structures. Students will also learn:
-
1. how to communicate with patients and medical colleagues,
-
2. how to speak at seminars and medical meetings,
-
3. how to read and write medical papers.
The course includes the use of multi-media techniques to facilitate English fluency. Its aim is to develop fluency and confidence in using English in medical contexts. The focus is on performing professional activities in English, but attention is given to grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation as required. Activities may include:
-
1. listening to video-recorded medical talks, case presentations; reading journal articles (graded according to language difficulty);
-
2. the discussion articles on current issues in medicine;
-
3. writing up and presenting cases;
-
4. working with multi-media case problems;
-
5. doctor-patient role-plays;
-
6. medical history;
-
7. diagnosis and explanation of symptoms and
-
8. the preparation and presentation of short talks.
Who is this course for?
The course is only suitable for practicing professionals in the field of health
care. The course will be tailored to suit the needs of the class so that a
greater emphasis can be placed on the areas of language most relevant to the
participants. Participants should state their own area of professional expertise
when they apply.
The Course
The difference between medical language used by doctors and by patients is highlighted, against a background of cross-cultural awareness. Listening and speaking skills will be developed, as well as reading and writing, together with the presentation of vocabulary on a range of topics appropriate to the profession, from specifically "medical" English (illnesses, symptoms, treatments) to the more abstract language of health care issues. Topics will include :
-
1. terminology of the human body
-
2. taking a medical history
-
3. pronunciation of specialist medical vocabulary
-
4. the language of comparisons, suggestions and obligations
-
5. the language of medical examinations, with particular emphasis on the
-
6. difference between medical and layman's terms
-
7. phrasal verbs with medical applications.
Useful
definitions:
CSA:
Clinical Skills Assessment. The CSA is a one-day practical examination
administered year-round in Philadelphia.
On
July 1, 1998, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
implemented its Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) as a new requirement for
graduates of foreign medical schools seeking certification for entry into an
accredited residency training program in the United States. The CSA is a
day-long practical examination designed to assess graduates' ability to gather
and interpret clinical data and to communicate effectively with patients and
health professionals in English. From the start, the CSA was conceived as only 1
of several assessment elements leading to certification by the ECFMG. Others
include passing scores on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
Steps 1 and 2, completion of an English comprehension test, and graduation from
a medical school listed in the World Health Organization directory.
ECFMG:
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. Certification by the
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) is a prerequisite
for international medical graduates to enter accredited U.S. residency or
fellowship training programs.
ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY EXAM : The
final administration of the ECFMG English
test
was on March 3, 1999. Presently, applicants who haven't already passed the ECFMG
English test will be required to take the TOEFL. A
minimum score of 550 on the paper test or 213 on the computer test must
be achieved to fulfill the English requirement. Note, however, that
these scores are not automatically accepted by the ECFMG. (Scores that
are very different from previous exam attempts are reevaluated by the testing
service.
GME:
Graduate medical education
IMGs:
International medical graduates
LCME:
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education
LICENSING
EXAMS :
Candidates must pass a series of licensing
-
exams:
USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. (Note that Steps 1 and 2 also
qualify as ECFMG certification exams.) For the purpose of licensing, all
three Steps of the
USMLE must be passed within a seven-year period.
TOEFL:
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFLŪ) program provides English
proficiency testing services for international students planning to study in the
United States, Canada, or other countries where English is used in an academic
environment.
USMLE:
The USMLE, or United States Medical Licensing
Exam is a series of tests you need to take if you're applying for medical
licensure in the Unites States. It's for both U.S. and international medical
graduates.
USMLE
Steps 1 and 2 are also part of the ECFMG Certification process for International
medical graduates. The USMLE has three steps. Step 1: usually taken at the end
of the second year of medical school
Step 2: taken during the fourth year of medical
school Step 3: usually taken after completion of one year of residency
training.
|
