The complexity of French medical terminology

I was involved in the translation of some lengthy medical records over the last month and took some time to reflect on just how much there is to learn.

It is a popular misconception that medical translation is merely about knowing a word and the corresponding translation in another language. However, expert medical translation involves so much more.

Indeed, it isn’t just about knowing two languages and the technical terms, but also about knowing the acronyms which are often used by medical professionals to make their administrative life much easier. The old joke about there being no worse handwriting to decipher than that of a doctor certainly springs to mind here!

The amount of research down the years to be able to understand all of these takes some time and effort and can’t be guessed - or even worse still, simply left ‘as-is’! For anyone learning French, trying to work their way through the minefield of French-language medical records, or just for curiosity, below is a screenshot updating my very own personal dictionary with some of the most pertinent terms from a recent project. As you can see, none of these French acronyms could be guessed or left as they are, otherwise an English-speaking medical or healthcare professional simply wouldn't understand the translation.

Since my most popular posts in recent months have been my French vocabulary lists, enjoy and steal my answers at will :) And don't forget, if you need an expert to translate your French medical documents, medical records or any other manner of French health-related documents, then get in touch and ask for a free quote or advice - we are here to help!