The medical and scientific fields experience the discovery of new concepts, inventions, theories, etc. every single day. A medical researcher has to keep up with the latest advancements in his or her field. Moreover, he or she has to also actively contribute to the same by way of the publication of the result of his or her findings in publications or journals of acclaim. However, there are also chances that you might make mistakes while publishing your manuscript. Here are some mistakes that you need to avoid.
Male / Female: Adjective or Noun?
In the context of the medical field, the word “male” or “female” can only be used as an adjective and never as a noun. For example, a 21-year old female could either mean animal or human. However, when you want to be specific, then you could use a 21-year old woman.
Patient vs. Case
The word case means a condition with the circumstances that are related to it. On the other hand, patient means an individual, who is suffering from a specific health problem or is facing a certain condition.
Radiogram vs. Radiography
Where radiography can tell you whether you are suffering from a specific condition or not, radiogram can only be performed on a person. You should, therefore, be careful with the use of these words.
Capitalization
The names of generic drugs should be in lower case in the medical context. On the other hand, brand names should be capitalized. There are many other errors that are made while preparing a medical manuscript.
Other common errors
- In the case of datum versus data, datum is used in the singular sense, whereas data is used in the plural sense.
- As much as possible, avoid the use of the word “significant.” Instead, use the word “remarkable” or “marked.”
Kunutu – Medical Manuscript Writing 