Lesson 17 opinions on building a new wing of the hospital, English, MEDICAL ENGLISH
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Lesson 17
Doctors were asked to give their opinions of a proposal for a new state-of-the art wing in their hospital.
Here are some of their opinions and reactions.
Part 1
Read the text below and answer the following questions:
1. Did any group agree to the scheme?
2. Who do you think was most against it?
The administrators were very pleased with their proposal for a modern totally up-to-date new wing which would benefit everyone in the hospital. In order to get feedback on their plans, they decided to see what all the doctors in the hospital thought of it. They sent the marketing group out on an opinion gathering mission.
First of all the proposal was put to the allergists; they voted to scratch it. Then the dermatologists were asked their opinion, their point of view was that there should be no rash moves. When questioned, the gastroenterologists said they had a gut feeling that it wouldn't really work. Later the neurologists voiced their opinion that the administration had a lot of nerve to come up with a project of this scale and involving these kind of costs.
The general feeling among obstetricians was that the administration was labouring under a misconception and they wanted new plans delivered quickly. The ophthalmologists felt that the scheme was short-sighted, the managers hadn't considered every angle or the long term expenditure on such a project. The orthopaedists were so against the idea that they issued a joint resolution stating that the scheme was unsound.
Not to be left out the pathologists yelled, "over my dead body!". Meanwhile in the children's ward, he paediatricians said, "grow up". Furthermore, in another part of the hospital, the proctologists said, "we are in arrears, we can't believe there is to be more expenditure, in this overstretched hospital".
Obviously, the psychiatrists thought it was madness. Across the hospital, surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole project. The radiologists could see right through it; they were sure it would never be built and even if it was the costs would be far greater than the administration had anticipated. The plastic surgeons were unenthusiastic at the start, but when they were shown plans for their offices and said, "this puts a whole new face on the matter". It is a well known fact that plastic surgery is only skin deep.
The neurologists believed the whole scheme wasn't worth thinking about and the dentists wanted to put a cap on it before things got out of hand.
The podiatrists, when asked, thought it was a big step forward, compared to the urologists who felt the scheme wouldn't hold water. Finally, the cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
So all in all the doctors were against it, of course the administration wasn't really interested in the doctors' opinion and in the end they went ahead with the project anyway!
Glossary:
wing - skrzydło
pleased with sth – zadowolony z czegoś
up-to-date - nowoczesny
scratch - po/zadrapać
rash - wysypka
gut - jelito
voiced their opinion - wyrazili swoją opinię
come up with sth – zaproponować coś
conception – poczęcie (dziecka)
labour – poród, praca
deliver (a baby) - odebrać poród
joint - staw (połączenie kości)
unsound – niezdrowy; wadliwy
rear - tylna część ciała
arrear – z tyłu, w tył (dawniej); dług
expenditure – wydatki
stretched – naciągnięty, naprężony
cap - korona dentystyczna
anticipate - przewidywać
skin-deep – powierzchowny
all in all – w ostatecznym rozrachunku; razem wziąwszy
Part 2
The text is based on a series of jokes.
Match the underlined phrases to the non-medical definitions:
1. not to want to hurt someone's feelings by refusing
2. wrongly believing that something is true
3. careless or unwise
4. stop planning
5. not thinking enough about how an action will affect the future
6. have a strong belief about sb or sth which cannot be completely explained and is not decided by reasoning
7. bravery or confidence necessary to do something difficult, unpleasant or rude
8. to have an argument that is true
9. make progress
10. insanity
11. a decision which is approved by both parties
12. transparent
13. become mature
14. absolutely no way
15. owe money
16. intentionally stop being involved in sth or connected with it in any way
17. completely new opinion
18. to produce what is wanted
19. use ones brain
20. limit something
Part 3
Now use one of expressions above to complete the sentences:
1. When she asked me to do her shift over Christmas so she could spend a week with her dying mother, I ____________________.
2. Our rent is ________ if we don't pay soon, we'll get thrown out of our flat.
3. When my husband asked if his parents could come and live with us I said ____________! I'll leave the country if it happens.
4. I think the government's plans for health reform are _____________, they take little account of future public spending.
5. The head of department seems to be ________________ that I actually like working here!
6. Don't make any __________ decision about your career, listen to the advice of your colleagues.
7. The Government and the Nurses union have issued a __________ about future working conditions in the hospital.
8. I don't know why I am worried about the new pay scheme, it's just a ____________.
9. The new medical guidelines for patient care are a ___________ in patient relations.
10. I think the doctors should ________ of sponsorship from drug companies.
Now try and write sentences for the other expressions, use a dictionary to help you if necessary.
Part 4
The text uses several words to link ideas and sentences. Can you identify them?
For example in the second paragraph: first of all; then
A. Which words introduce; link; conclude?
Complete the paragraph below with suitable linking words.
Pharmaceutical trialling in the US
1) ___________ tests have to show that a drug appears safe and efficacious in animal studies, 2) _______ investigators prepare a plan to investigate the product in human volunteers. 3) ______they submit their plan to the Federal Drug Agency in the form of an Investigational New Drug Application (IND). If FDA reviewers decide the IND is acceptable the company can move into human testing.
4)______ Phase I trials start, they are the first introduction of the proposed drug into humans, whereby the safety of the drug is evaluated in healthy volunteers. If a drug meets the safety requirements at this phase, 5)__________ it enters Phase II trials involving a small number of diseased patients. If the drug meets safety requirements and demonstrates efficacy at Phase II, it progresses to a broader Phase III clinical trial.
If a drug passes all three phases of testing, the company may submit an application, called a New Drug Application (NDA), to the FDA documenting their evidence that the drug is safe and effective. 6)__________ if the FDA reviewers decide the evidence is sufficiently favourable, the new product is approved and can be manufactured for sale.
Key
Part 1
1. cardiologists, podiatrists and plastic surgeons
2. pathologists
Part 2
1. not have the heart to say no
2. labour under a misconception
3. rash
4. scratch
5. short-sighted
6. gut feeling
7. a lot of nerve
8. hold water
9. big step forward
10. madness
11. joint resolution
12. see through
13. grow up
14. over my dead body
15. be in arrears
16. wash their hands
17. whole new face
18. deliver
19. thinking
20. cap it
Part 3
1. didn't have the heart to say no
2. in arrears
3. over my dead body
4. short sighted
5. labouring under the misconception
6. rash
7. joint resolution
8. gut feeling
9. big step forward
10. wash its hands of
Part 4
A
- first of all
- then
- later
- meanwhile
- furthermore
- finally
- in the end
- all in all
B
1) first of all
2) then/later
3) later/then
4) then/later
5) then/later
6) finally/in the end
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