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recommended Medical Dictionary -advice needed
Thread poster: Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
Apr 24, 2015

I was wondering if anybody could recommend a good medical dictionary for use in translating medical documents.
As I do not have a medical background it can be difficult sometimes to find the right definition or term for translating.

I would much appreciate anybodies help or advice on this matter.
many thanks


 
Janet Ross Snyder
Janet Ross Snyder  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 05:01
Member (2006)
French to English
+ ...
Resources Apr 24, 2015

I use Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference (English) to help understand the lab tests that are a part of so many medical reports. Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions (English) is helpful for understanding many of the conditions and syndromes.

For translating from Spanisn to Engish, I use Dorland diccionario enciclopedico ilustrado de medicina, but I find the term I'm looking for only about half the time. I'd be interested to know if someone has f
... See more
I use Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference (English) to help understand the lab tests that are a part of so many medical reports. Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions (English) is helpful for understanding many of the conditions and syndromes.

For translating from Spanisn to Engish, I use Dorland diccionario enciclopedico ilustrado de medicina, but I find the term I'm looking for only about half the time. I'd be interested to know if someone has found a dictionary that contains the terms that doctors actually use when they're writing up their reports.

For abbreviations, http://www.cosnautas.com is essential. You have to register to use the site, but it's free.

If you read French, Sémiologie médicale by Baptiste Coustet (published by deboeck-estem) is very helpful for understanding how doctors perform a physical examination.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:01
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Resources Apr 24, 2015

I use this one EN-PT:

http://books.google.pt/books/about/Stedman_s_Medical_Dictionary.html?id=WB21EMtYjRgC&redir_esc=y

There's probably a Spanish version...


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
dilemma Apr 24, 2015

I am now in a dilemma....

As they are quite expensive, but very necessary do I:

1- get the English one first or...
2- get the Spanish one first?

my language pair is Spanish to English.


 
Silvia Di Profio
Silvia Di Profio  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:01
Member (2015)
English to Italian
good question Apr 25, 2015

Luke Mersh wrote:

I am now in a dilemma....

As they are quite expensive, but very necessary do I:

1- get the English one first or...
2- get the Spanish one first?

my language pair is Spanish to English.


Whatever language pair, this is an interesting question; could some experienced Healthcare/Medical translator here give us some general rule?
I state in advance, I believe that becoming a medical translator needs a specific training, at first, and I won't venture myself into this field without a sufficient background. That said, which of the previous is the right (first) step to do for translators interested, studying, specializing in medical translations? Monolingual or bilingual?


 
Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:01
Italian to English
As a medical translator Apr 25, 2015

my feelings are that a simple dictionary is not going to help you if you have no medical background. I think you would be better off investing in other forms of training, such as courses or mentoring; unfortunately medical translation is incredibly complex, and demands a knowledge of many fields - physiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, histology, not to mention the specific field one is translating in, be it orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology...

By all means get a dictionary. But I
... See more
my feelings are that a simple dictionary is not going to help you if you have no medical background. I think you would be better off investing in other forms of training, such as courses or mentoring; unfortunately medical translation is incredibly complex, and demands a knowledge of many fields - physiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, histology, not to mention the specific field one is translating in, be it orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology...

By all means get a dictionary. But I doubt it will bridge the gap you hope it will. I bought the Gould-Chiampo (Italian to English and vice-versa) many moons ago, and it has remained, virtually unused, on my shelf, for over a decade. The colour plates in the centre are very pretty though

I understand your desire to enter the medical field - it is fascinating, and I wish you the very best of luck.

[Edited at 2015-04-25 12:05 GMT]
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Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
recommended Medical Dictonary- advice needed Apr 25, 2015

@Fiona
Thank you for your advice.
I have some training in this area, as I have completed the DPSI(Diploma in Public Service Interpreting) in the Health Care field.

and I wanted to further my education, a part from that I am fascinated with the medical field.


 
Paul Dixon
Paul Dixon  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 05:01
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Dictionary of abbreviations? Apr 26, 2015

I have a similar question: I am looking for an ENPT dictionary of medical abbreviations. I have some normal medical dictionaries but nothing specialised in abbreviations. There are glossaries, but a dictionary is always useful.

 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
recommended Medical Dictonary- advice needed Apr 26, 2015

I have gone ahead and purchased "Mosby's Diagnostic and Laboratory Test Reference"(english)

I think this is a good starting point.


 
Dr. Matthias Schauen
Dr. Matthias Schauen  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:01
Member (2007)
English to German
Source and target language dictionaries are equally important Apr 26, 2015

Especially for someone without a solid medical background*, a monolingual dictionary in the source language is essential to understand the source text. The monolingual dictionary in the target language is important to verify that what you found elsewhere - be it a bilingual dictionary or the internet - really fits.

*I doubt that the 2-to-5-day courses often advertised will do much good. I have the feeling that this time would be better spent reading a few medical textbooks.


 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
recommended Medical Dictonary- advice needed Apr 26, 2015

@Matthias
Thank you for that advice.
My DPSI course was NOT 2-5 days, but a proper course of a year.
Anyhow I always look forward to any advice on medical textbooks that people recommend.


 
Madeleine Chevassus
Madeleine Chevassus  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 09:01
Member (2010)
English to French
SITE LOCALIZER
EU standard medical terms Apr 26, 2015

I found that in another forum post; thanks for sharing, Emma (:

________________


Free access to EDQM Standard Terms

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User Thread poster: Emma Goldsmith
Free access to EDQM Standard Terms

Emma Goldsmith
Spain
Local time: 18:45
(the same as you)
Member (2010)
Spanish to English 1 Dec 2014

Last week, the EDQM launched a new v
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I found that in another forum post; thanks for sharing, Emma (:

________________


Free access to EDQM Standard Terms

Track this topic




User Thread poster: Emma Goldsmith
Free access to EDQM Standard Terms

Emma Goldsmith
Spain
Local time: 18:45
(the same as you)
Member (2010)
Spanish to English 1 Dec 2014

Last week, the EDQM launched a new version of its Standard Terms database. It used to cost €70 to access it, but now it's free of charge.
This is great news for new medical translators and others who have been translating EU product information (Summary of Product Characteristics, etc.) without using this resource.

Users of the old Standard Terms need to request a new password too.

I've just written a blog post about the whole process - which is surprisingly complex - with some screenshots of the new database:

http://signsandsymptomsoftranslation.com/2014/12/01/new-edqm/

If you want to jump straight in, here's the link to create an EDQM account:
https://www.edqm.eu/register/

________________________________________________________________________________

Another point:

FRENCH MEDCAL GLOSSARY DEDICATED to CANCER

you'll find the glossary at the link: http://curie.fr/lexique

It is published by the Institut Curie, a famous cancer hospital and research center

Best

Madeleine

Madeleine Chevassus

▌English to French IT & Marketing Translator
▌Proz PRO Certified
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Dr. Matthias Schauen
Dr. Matthias Schauen  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:01
Member (2007)
English to German
DPSI Health Care is medical background for me Apr 26, 2015

Luke, after a one-year DPSI Health Care course I wouldn't still describe myself as having "no medical backgound"

 
Luke Mersh
Luke Mersh  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:01
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER
recommended Medical Dictonary- advice needed Apr 26, 2015

@Matthias.

Thank you for that, but the level for DIPTRANS is much higher.
I am determined to learn and I am enthusiastic and eager to learn more.


 
Janet Ross Snyder
Janet Ross Snyder  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 05:01
Member (2006)
French to English
+ ...
One word at a time Apr 27, 2015

Luke Mersh wrote:

@Matthias.

Thank you for that, but the level for DIPTRANS is much higher.
I am determined to learn and I am enthusiastic and eager to learn more.


I think that being determined to do whatever it takes to become competent is the best qualification you can have. As you get assignments in the medical area, do as much research as you need to understand that particular document. Start your own glossary of the English translations you have given to the words and abbreviations you translate. You don't have to understand microbiology or cardiology as well as specialists in those fields do, but you can still learn to do accurate translations of their reports.


 
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recommended Medical Dictionary -advice needed







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