LGMT 600 - Latin and Greek Foundations for Medical Terminology
Certification
Micro-Credentials
Ladderized
Curriculum
Credit & Learning Hours
Course Description
LGMT 600 introduces Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine students to the Greek and Latin foundations of medical terminology, with emphasis on word construction, pronunciation, spelling, pluralization, abbreviation safety, body structure language, disease and treatment terminology, diagnostic and procedural vocabulary, and body-system terminology. Students learn to decode and construct medical terms through roots, combining forms, prefixes, suffixes, symbols, eponyms, homonyms, and common abbreviations. The course uses Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide as the primary required text and uses the two supplementary medical terminology PDFs only for reinforcement through case studies, active learning, flash-card review, pronunciation practice, and system-based vocabulary application. Special attention is given to patient safety, professional documentation, respectful communication, scope-of-practice awareness, referral language, and the distinction between accurate terminology use and clinical diagnosis. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to read medical records, interpret terminology in biomedical and clinical courses, communicate safely with interprofessional teams, and explain selected terms to patients in plain, respectful language.
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the historical and linguistic role of Greek and Latin in contemporary medical terminology.
2. Break medical terms into roots, combining forms, prefixes, suffixes, and plural endings to determine meaning.
3. Apply pronunciation, spelling, abbreviation, symbol, and homonym rules to reduce ambiguity and communication errors.
4. Use correct anatomical, directional, body-region, cavity, disease, treatment, diagnostic, and procedural terminology.
5. Translate terminology from the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, special senses, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, blood, immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
6. Interpret terminology in short clinical cases without exceeding student scope or implying independent diagnosis.
7. Identify terminology associated with urgent red flags, patient-safety concerns, medication-related ambiguity, and referral needs.
8. Communicate medical terminology accurately in documentation, Canvas discussions, case worksheets, oral pronunciation drills, and a final lexicon/capstone project.
George S. Gunay, MAED, PhDc.
Associate Professor of Research and Practice
George S. Gunay is an Associate Professor in the English Department at Mindanao State University (MSU) Main Campus in Marawi City, Philippines. An educator, communication specialist, researcher, and creative professional, he brings together more than three decades of experience spanning higher education, technical communication, graphic arts, media production, and academic research.
Professor Gunay began his academic journey with an AB in Philosophy from Notre Dame University in 1990, followed by an AB in Mass Communication from Trinity University of Asia in 2001. He later earned a Master of Arts in Education, major in English, from the University of the Immaculate Conception in 2015, where his thesis focused on the Critical Discourse Analysis of the South China Sea Conflict. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Language Studies at Mindanao State University, reflecting his continuing commitment to advanced scholarship in language, discourse, communication, and education.
His professional career has been notably interdisciplinary. Before concentrating on higher education, he worked as a technical writer, senior technical supervisor, and senior graphics artist, gaining extensive experience in communication, visual design, media, and technical production. In academia, he served as a faculty member in the English Department of MSU-General Santos and, since 2015, has been a member of the faculty of the MSU Main Campus English Department.
Professor Gunay's scholarly interests extend beyond language and communication into issues of social relevance and regional development. His research engagements include peace initiatives in Mindanao and the biodiversity of protected landscapes in Mindanao, demonstrating an interdisciplinary interest in culture, community, environment, and sustainable development.
Alongside his academic work, Professor Gunay maintains a strong engagement with the creative and visual arts. His interests include 3D graphics, motion graphics, kinetic typography, animation, photography, and videography. He is also an enthusiast of outdoor pursuits such as mountaineering and fishing. This combination of academic scholarship, communication expertise, technological creativity, and community-oriented research reflects a professional career committed to education, innovation, and the advancement of knowledge within Mindanao and beyond.
