Medical French

1. Import into Anki

Getting your deck into Anki takes about 60 seconds.

1. Open Anki on your computer or phone
2. Go to File > Import (desktop) or tap the + button (mobile)
3. Select the .apkg file you downloaded from Lemon Squeezy

The deck will appear in your collection with all sub-decks, audio files, and tags intact. No extra setup needed.

2. Recommended settings

Anki's defaults work, but these adjustments will give you better results with this deck:

• New cards per day: 5-10. Clinical terms need to stick permanently. Slower intake means higher retention.
• Maximum reviews per day: 200. The default of 200 is fine. If your daily reviews regularly exceed 150, reduce new cards for a few days.
• Learning steps: 1m 10m. Anki's default. Leave it.

To change these: click the gear icon next to the deck name, then "Options."

3. How the three card types work

Every word in this deck generates three cards. Each tests a different skill:

• Recognition (French to English). You see the word in French and produce the meaning. This is the easiest card type and builds passive vocabulary.
• Production (English to French). You see the English meaning and produce the French word. Harder, but this is what you need for speaking.
• Cloze (fill in the blank). You see a real sentence with one word missing. This tests whether you can use the word in context.

Feeling overwhelmed? Suspend the Production cards for the first week. Focus on Recognition and Cloze. Add Production back once your daily reviews feel manageable. To suspend: select cards in the browser, right-click, "Toggle Suspend."

4. Where to start

This deck covers medical French across CEFR levels A1 through B2, designed for healthcare professionals working in francophone settings.

• Preparing for EVC/ECN equivalence exams. Start with the clinical vocabulary sub-decks that align with your exam domains. Focus on the terminology used in French medical documentation and case presentations. The exam expects formal medical French, not conversational.
• Already speak general French. Skip to A2-B1 and focus on the clinical sub-decks. Medical French has its own vocabulary, abbreviations, and conventions that differ significantly from everyday French. Your general fluency gives you an advantage in speed, but you still need the specialized terms.
• Working in a francophone hospital. Use the deck to formalize the clinical vocabulary you hear daily. Prioritize the patient communication sub-deck for immediate practical value, then build out to clinical documentation and case presentation vocabulary.

Study plan for clinical readiness

Medical French requires both vocabulary breadth and the ability to use terminology precisely. At 5-10 new cards per day.

• 4-week focused. Intake questions, vital symptom vocabulary, and basic physical exam commands. Sufficient for supervised patient interactions in French.
• 8-week standard. Covers patient history, common diagnoses, medication instructions, and basic documentation. Enough for clinical rotations in francophone settings.
• 16-week comprehensive. Full clinical vocabulary including specialty terms, case presentations, and medical correspondence. Targets exam-level competency.

Tips for medical French learners

Medical French has unique conventions depending on where you practice.

• France vs Quebec terminology. Most medical terms are identical, but some everyday clinical words differ. Quebec uses 'urgentologue' where France uses 'urgentiste.' The deck notes these variations where they appear. If you are practicing in a specific region, pay attention to the variation tags.
• French medical abbreviations. French clinical documentation uses abbreviations that differ from English (ECG stays ECG, but NFS = numeration formule sanguine = CBC, TA = tension arterielle = blood pressure). The deck includes common abbreviations in the documentation sub-deck.
• Formal register in clinical settings. French medical culture emphasizes formal language, especially in written communication (compte-rendu, lettre de sortie). The deck distinguishes formal documentation language from the simpler language used when speaking to patients. Both are essential.

Essential clinical phrases

These phrases form the core of every patient encounter in French.

• Qu'est-ce qui vous amene?. 'What brings you in?' The standard opening for every consultation.
• Ou avez-vous mal?. 'Where does it hurt?' Pain localization.
• Depuis quand?. 'Since when?' / 'How long?' Onset timing.
• Etes-vous allergique a quelque chose?. 'Are you allergic to anything?' Safety essential.
• Respirez profondement. 'Breathe deeply.' Physical exam instruction.

The "Again" button is your friend

When Anki shows you a card and you don't know the answer, hit Again. Not "Hard." Not "Good." Again.

Spaced repetition works best when you're honest about what you don't know. Cards you mark "Again" come back sooner. Cards you know well space out further. The algorithm adjusts to you. Trust it.

Audio on every card

Every card has native speaker audio. On desktop, audio plays automatically when the card appears. On mobile, tap the speaker icon.

Tip: listen to the audio BEFORE reading the text. Train your ear first, then confirm with your eyes. This builds listening comprehension faster than reading alone.

Lifetime updates

Your purchase includes free updates for the life of the product. When we add new cards, fix audio, or improve translations, you can re-download the latest version from Lemon Squeezy at no extra cost.

We announce updates via email. Keep an eye on your inbox.

Need help?

Reply to any Eidetic email or reach out at hello@eidetic.cards. We read everything and respond fast.