Healthcare Career Pathways, Educational Degrees, and Medical History Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the five healthcare career pathways, educational degree levels, historical figures and milestones in medicine, and essential medical terminology.

Biotechnology Research and Development

A healthcare career pathway involving bioscience research and development applied to human health, where employees work to find new treatments, improve diagnostic testing, or create new medical devices.

Therapeutic Services

A healthcare career pathway focused on changing the health status of the patient over time by working directly with patients to provide care, treatment, counseling, and education.

Diagnostic Services

A healthcare career pathway where employees use tests and evaluations to detect, diagnose, and treat disease, injuries, and other physical conditions.

Support Services

A healthcare career pathway where employees help to provide a safe, supportive environment for the delivery of health care.

Health Informatics

A healthcare career pathway including administrators who manage healthcare agencies, manage patient data, handle financial information, work on health-related computer applications, and develop programs to guide excellence in health care delivery.

Associate's Degree

An educational degree offered at community colleges and some four-year institutions that typically takes 2 years to complete.

Bachelor's Degree

An educational degree offered by universities and colleges that typically takes 4 years to complete.

Master's Degree

An educational degree offered by universities and specialized health institutions that typically takes 1 to 2 years after completing a bachelor's degree and requires a more specialized study.

Doctoral Degree

An advanced degree offered by medical schools, dental schools, or specialized institutions that usually takes 3 to 7 years after a master's or bachelor's degree and involves advanced research or professional training.

Postdoctoral and Fellowship Training

Specialized training in medical fields like surgery, cardiology, or oncology offered by hospitals or specialized medical centers that lasts 1 to 5 years.

Telemedicine

Using electronic communications to exchange medical information from one site to another for health and education of patient or health care provider.

Geriatric

Pertaining to old age.

Intravenously

Directly into a vein.

Psychology

Science of the mind or mental states and processes.

Psychiatry

The practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

Edward Jenner

Physician who developed smallpox vaccination in 1796 using the cowpox virus, creating the first ever vaccination.

Hippocrates

Greek physician known as the "Father of Medicine".

Elizabeth Blackwell

First female physician in the U.S.

Florence Nightingale

Known as the founder of modern nursing.

Louis Pasteur

Scientist who established germ theory and demonstrated that heat kills germs through a process called pasteurization.

Ancient Romans

Civilization that was the first to develop hospitals and public sanitation systems by building aqueducts and sewers.

Galen

Roman scientist who established the belief that the body was regulated by four body humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

Middle Ages

Historical period during which the Bubonic plague killed 75% of the population of Europe and Asia.

Accurate

Exact or precise.

Anatomy

Science dealing with structure of humans, animals, living organisms.

Observation

Act of watching.

Symptom

Sign or indication of something.

Ethics

A system of moral principles.

Epidemics

Diseases affecting many people at same time.

Vaccines

Weakened bacteria or virus given to a person to build immunity against disease.

Dissection

Act or process of dividing, taking part.

Physiology

Branch of biology dealing with functions and activities of living organisms and their parts.

Quackery

Practice of pretending to cure.

Stethoscope

Instrument used to hear sound (heart beat, lung sounds, bowel sounds).

Respiration

Inhalation and exhalation of air.

Microbiology

Branch of biology dealing with structure, function, uses, and modes of existence of microscopic organisms.

Pasteurization

To heat food for a period of time to destroy certain microorganisms.

Antiseptic

Substance that slows or stops the growth of microorganisms.

Asepsis

Sterile condition, free from all germs.

Phlebotomy

Practice of opening a vein by incision or puncture to remove blood.

Anesthesia

Loss of feeling or sensation.

Replicate

To reproduce or make an exact copy.

Recipient

One who receives.

Noninvasive

Not involving penetration of skin.