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See if you ‘can work in healthcare’ with tricky medical abbreviation quiz Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

See if you ‘can work in healthcare’ with tricky medical abbreviation quiz

By Ellissa Bain

Have you ever been to the doctors and seen them jotting down strange letters, words and abbreviations that look like gobbledygook? Well, that’s medical terminology they use to refer to different health things.

This medical jargon is like an entire second language that healthcare professionals use for speed and simplicity, but it doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world. Could you work in healthcare? Let’s find out with an abbreviation quiz.

Doctor giving patient a note
Cape Town, South Africa, Doctor giving patient a note. Credit: Westend61 (Getty Images)

See if you ‘can work in healthcare’

Tim Reynolds, an Anatomy & Physiology Professor at Ithaca College in New York, has racked up almost a million followers sharing medical quizzes on TikTok.

In one of his recent videos, he challenged people to see if they “can work in healthcare” by cracking seven different medical abbreviations.

All of the questions relate to pharmacology, and many of them are not as simple as they seem, so think carefully. Find the questions and answers below.

Try this medical abbreviation quiz

  1. If a patient’s chart stated “NPO” that would refer to what?
  • No known allergies
  • Nothing by mouth
  • No pharmacological orders

2. If a medication was to be taken “AC” that would refer to what?

  • Before meals
  • Capsules only
  • Take with clear liquids

3. If a medication was to be taken “as needed” what abbreviation could be used?

  • AN
  • PRN
  • AD

4. The abbreviation “BID” refers to what?

  • Bilateral injections
  • Two doses per hour
  • Twice a day

5. If a medication was to be taken “by mouth” what abbreviation should be used?

  • PO
  • BM
  • PR

6. What is the abbreviation for a prescription?

  • Tx
  • Rx
  • Dx

7. The abbreviation “PC” refers to what?

  • Pill count
  • Post cutaneous injection
  • After meals
@anp_professor

Who’s taking new patients?? #pharmacology #medicaltiktok #nursesoftiktok #nursingstudent #medicalstudent #doctorsoftiktok #trivia #fyp #foryoupage

♬ original sound – AnP_Professor

Here are all the quiz answers

  1. Nothing by mouth
  2. Before meals
  3. PRN
  4. Twice a day
  5. PO
  6. Rx
  7. After meals

How did you do? Perhaps we should leave the medical jargon to the professionals.