Academic Catalogs

KIN A102: Medical Terminology

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 11/16/2022
Top Code 120100 - Health Occupations, General
Units 3 Total Units 
Hours 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

Development of a medical vocabulary emphasizing building of terms utilizing prefixes, combining forms & suffixes. Includes symptomatic, therapeutic, diagnostic, operative & related diagnostic testing terms. Students learn the meaning & spelling of medical terms with application of terms to comprehend medical record documents. Enrollment Limitation: ALH A111; students who complete KIN A102 may not enroll in or receive credit for ALH A111. ADVISORY: BIOL A221. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Apply the medical language including prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms along with symptomatic, therapeutic, diagnostic, operative and related diagnostic testing terms to the medical record and patient care.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Identify methods of learning facts necessary for building a medical vocabulary.
  • 2. Trace the origins of medical language
  • 3. Identify basic prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms and structurally examine medical word formations.
  • 4. Identify common rules for spelling and pronouncing medical terms.
  • 5. Identify the common fields of medical practice.
  • 6. Identify common forms, terms and abbreviations used in documenting medical records.
  • 7. Identify commonly utilized pharmaceutical terms and abbreviations used in documenting medical records.
  • 8. Identify common symptomatic, diagnostic, operative, therapeutic and diagnostic test terms relating to the following: musculoskeletal system integumentary system cardiovascular system blood/lymph system respiratory system nervous system endocrine system special senses of the eye and ear gastrointestinal system urinary system male reproductive system female reproductive system
  • 9. Explain the terms and abbreviations used in documenting medical records concerning each of the body systems.

Lecture Content

Personal commitment Time management Relaxation Use your good senses Suggestions for making flash cards Basic medical term components Origin of medical language Analysis of basic term components Medical work building Rules for term formation, pronunciation and spelling Singular and pleural forms Prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms Fields of medical practice The evolution of the physician in medical practice The medical doctor Medical specialty fields of practice Doctors other than M.D. Allied health professions The medical record Common forms used in documenting patient care Terms used in documenting a history and physical Hospital records Common terms related to disease Regulations and legal considerations Common medical record terms and abbreviations The problem oriented record Common pharmaceutical terms and abbreviations Recording date and time The integumentary system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Specific symptomatic terms General symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The musculoskeletal system Common combining forms Anatomical position and body planes Positional and directional terms Body movements Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic terms/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The cardiovascular system Common combining forms Anatomical terms The flow of blood through the heart Organization of the blood vessels Cardiac conduction Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The blood and lymph systems Common combining forms Anatomical terms Blood components Organization of lymph Terms related to immunity Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The respiratory system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The nervous system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis The endocrine system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis   The eye Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Refractive terms General disorders Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis The ear Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis The gastrointestinal system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Anatomical divisions of the abdomen Clinical divisions of the abdomen Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Therapeutic terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis The urinary system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis The male reproductive system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Diagnostic test/procedures Medical record analysis The female reproductive system Common combining forms Anatomical terms Gynecology Symptomatic terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms Obstetrics General obstetrical terms Diagnostic terms Operative terms The breasts Diagnostic terms Operative terms OB-GYN diagnostic test/procedures Therapeutic terms Medical record analysis Sexually transmitted diseases

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)
  • DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
  • DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture and applications of ideas Video Digital presentations Demonstration and practice of problem solving

Reading Assignments

Approximately 3 ARR required per week.  This includes using the adjunct materials offered from the book publisher: games, flash cards, puzzles and review materials

Writing Assignments

Medical record interpretations- 1 hour per week Written assignments in textbook- 1 hour per week Student learning assessment-30 minutes per semester

Out-of-class Assignments

None assigned

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

QuizzesMedical record interpretationsComprehensive examinations

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Medical record interpretations Examinations contain written components for content

Eligible Disciplines

Cardiovascular technology: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Dental technology (dental assisting, dental hygiene): Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Diagnostic medical technology-diagnostic medical sonography, neurodiagnosti...: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Emergency medical technologies: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Health: Masters degree in health science, health education, biology, nursing, physical education, kinesiology, exercise science, dietetics, or nutrition OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in public health, or any biological science OR the equivalent. Masters degree required. Health care ancillaries (medical assisting, hospice worker, home care aide...: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Kinesiology: Masters degree in kinesiology, physical education, exercise science, education with an emphasis in physical education, kinesiology, physiology of exercise, or adaptive physical education OR Bachelors degree in any of the above AND Masters degree in any life science, dance physiology, health education, recreation administration or physical therapy OR the equivalent. Radiological technology: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Respiratory technologies: Any bachelors degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Speech language pathology: Masters degree in speech pathology, speech language pathology, speech language and hearing sciences, communicative disorders, communicative disorders and sciences, communication sciences and disorders, or education with a concentration in speech pathology, OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Jones, S.L. Cavanagh, A.. Acquiring Medical Language, 3 ed. McGraw-Hill, 2022