Medical Glossary: Key Terms from Medicine and Medical School A to Z

The author’s view

When I started in Sofia, the biggest stumbling block was not the material but the language around the material. Nobody explains to you on day one what a colloquium is, why a Transcript of Records has to contain hour counts, or what Annex V has to do with your later working life. You learn it, but usually too late and the uncomfortable way.

That is exactly why this glossary exists. The Latin core of medicine is identical everywhere: musculus biceps brachii means precisely the same in Sofia, Foča, Osijek and Münster. What differs is everything around it: examination formats, administrative terms, recognition routes. Anyone who understands these terms early makes better decisions and loses no semester to misunderstandings.

My advice: read your way into clarity, not into panic. And if you notice that a term concerns your specific case, whether credit transfer, a study transfer or recognition, we will clarify it in conversation rather than leaving you to guess.

Frequently Asked Questions about the medical glossary

Why is medical terminology Latin and Greek?

Because that makes it internationally unambiguous. A Latin term such as musculus biceps brachii denotes exactly the same structure worldwide, regardless of the local language. This is set down in the Terminologia Anatomica.

What does the suffix -itis mean?

The suffix -itis marks an inflammation of the organ named before it. Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, appendicitis inflammation of the appendix.

What is the difference between proximal and distal?

Proximal means towards the centre of the body, distal away from it. The upper arm is proximal, the fingers are distal.

What is a Famulatur?

The Famulatur is the compulsory clinical placement during a medical degree. In Germany it comprises four months, of which at least one month must be in an outpatient setting. It can also be completed abroad.

What is the Physikum?

The Physikum is the first section of the German state medical examination, taken after the fourth semester. Many European universities have no such combined examination and instead examine subject by subject.

What is Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC?

Annex V lists, for each EU member state, the evidence of formal qualifications that is automatically recognised. If the qualification is listed there, no knowledge test is required.

How many ECTS credits does a medical degree carry?

The six-year medical degree comprises 360 ECTS credits, that is 60 per academic year. One credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work.

What was the difference between the former equivalence assessment and the knowledge examination?

The equivalence assessment is the authorities’ comparison of your training with the German degree. Where substantial differences are found, they can be made up through the knowledge examination. With an EU qualification both are dispensed with.

What does MEBEKO stand for?

MEBEKO is the Medical Professions Commission of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. It recognises foreign medical and dental diplomas in Switzerland.

Is the glossary being expanded?

Yes. It keeps growing with further terms from terminology, anatomy, clinical practice, dentistry and the organisation of study. Every term gets its own page.

Where do I find help if a term concerns my own case?

Questions about credit transfer, transfers, admission or recognition are something we look at individually in a free consultation.

Further reading

More guides on this topic

• The Preclinical Years: What You Actually Study in Years 1–3 of Medicine Abroad
• Years Four to Six Abroad: How Clinical Rotations and Exams Are Structured
• Radiography Degrees Taught in English in Europe 2026

Key terms explained

• proximal
• Physikum