
Show Notes
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we follow a consultation with Rachel, a patient with worsening scaly patches on her elbows and knees, as her doctor explains psoriasis, its triggers, and the step-up approach to treatment. You'll learn how to: • Use key vocabulary including "plaques," "flare-up," "topical treatment," "biologic," and "autoimmune" • Take a history that identifies common flare-up triggers like stress, illness, and skin injury • Explain psoriasis as an autoimmune condition in clear, understandable terms • Discuss the step-up treatment pathway from topical creams to light therapy to biologic therapy • Advise patients on self-care strategies to reduce the frequency and severity of flares We explore a full psoriasis consultation from history-taking through to treatment planning and follow-up, and how clear language helps a self-conscious patient feel understood. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, dermatology teams, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e12/ Structured lessons, real-world case dialogues, pronunciation practice, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.
More from The Medical English Podcast
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we explore wound care — from lacerations and abrasions to sutures and necrosis — with a focus on using precise clinical terminology and translating it into clear, patient-friendly English. You'll learn how to: • Use key vocabulary including "laceration," "abrasion," "hemostasis," "suture," and "necrosis" • Distinguish a traumatic laceration from a surgical incision, and understand why the difference matters clinically • Describe the four phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and maturation • Translate clinical terminology into patient-friendly language, such as "graze or scrape" for abrasion, "stitches" for sutures, and "dead skin" when explaining necrosis • Avoid common communication mistakes, including using incision for a traumatic wound or suggesting that a superficial abrasion needs suturing We explore the essential language of wound assessment and wound care, and how switching between precise clinical terminology and simple patient-friendly English can improve understanding and build trust. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, ED and wound-care teams, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e19/ Structured lessons, real-world clinical communication, medical vocabulary, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we do a deep dive into food poisoning — covering causes, red flags, and treatment — with a focus on adapting the same explanation across three very different patient conversations. You'll learn how to: Use key vocabulary including "gastroenteritis," "dehydration," "toxin," "incubation period," "stool sample," "cross-contamination," and "oral rehydration" Explain the difference between infection and toxin-mediated illness, and why some cases hit faster than others Recognise red-flag symptoms that separate a straightforward case from one needing urgent attention Discuss why antibiotics aren't always appropriate, particularly with certain E. coli strains Adapt your explanation for a newly unwell patient, a recovering patient asking about work, and a patient showing red flags We explore three completely different conversations built around the same illness, and how matching your language to the patient in front of you builds trust at every stage. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, GPs, ED and triage staff, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e18/ Structured lessons, real-world case dialogues, pronunciation practice, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we do a deep dive into inflammatory bowel disease — covering both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis — with a focus on adapting the same explanation for very different patients at very different stages of their journey. You'll learn how to: Pronounce and use "inflammation," "chronic," "flare," "remission," "endoscopy," "biologics," and "malabsorption" with clinical confidence Explain the key difference between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in plain terms Discuss risk factors, including genetics, environment, and immune involvement Simplify a new diagnosis without dumbing it down for a patient who's never heard of IBD Shift tone and language for a long-term patient managing a flare versus a patient anxiously awaiting test results We explore three completely different patient conversations built around the same condition, and how the right vocabulary and tone make each one land the way it should. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, GPs, gastroenterology teams, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e17/ Structured lessons, real-world case dialogues, pronunciation practice, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we follow a consultation with Daniel, a patient presenting with sudden severe flank pain, as his doctor works through the diagnosis, imaging, and management of a kidney stone. You'll learn how to: Use key vocabulary including "renal colic," "hematuria," "ureteric stone," "analgesia," and "CTKUB" Take a pain history that distinguishes the classic wave-like pattern of renal colic Explain imaging choices to a patient, including what a CT KUB involves Discuss when a stone is likely to pass on its own versus requiring further intervention Advise patients on home care, fluid intake, and red-flag symptoms that need urgent review We explore a full kidney stone consultation from presentation through to pain management, imaging, and safety-netting, and how clear explanations ease a patient through a genuinely painful experience. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, GPs, ED and urology teams, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e16/ Structured lessons, real-world case dialogues, pronunciation practice, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.
In this episode of the Medical English Podcast, we do a deep dive into dehydration — one of the most common presentations in clinical practice — with a focus on explaining causes, symptoms, and treatment in language patients can actually understand. You'll learn how to: Pronounce and use "diuretics," "electrolytes," "skin turgor," "orthostatic hypotension," and "oral rehydration solutions" with clinical confidence Explain why thirst can become an unreliable warning sign as dehydration worsens Translate technical terms like "reduced skin turgor" into patient-friendly phrasing Recognise the escalating signs from mild dehydration through to severe, dangerous cases Practise a real patient role-play covering assessment, explanation, and treatment advice We explore the clinical context behind dehydration, the essential vocabulary for ward conversations, and how small, deliberate word choices make technical explanations land clearly with patients. This episode is perfect for doctors, nurses, allied health workers, international medical graduates, and healthcare professionals preparing for exams like the OET, who want to sharpen both their clinical English vocabulary and patient communication skills. Enhance your practical medical English with the Medical English Collection: https://australiabiomed.com/med 🎧 Free transcript & practice quiz for this episode: https://australiabiomed.com/mep-s5e15/ Structured lessons, real-world case dialogues, pronunciation practice, and exam preparation — all designed for healthcare professionals who want to communicate with confidence. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.