Medical Terminology for Respiratory Therapy: Why It Helps and How to Take It Online- whether respiratory therapy programs require medical terminology, why it gives applicants an edge, and how to complete it online.
Medical terminology is one of the most useful prerequisites you can take before respiratory therapy school — and one of the most commonly underestimated. Some programs require it outright, others list it as recommended, and a few don’t mention it at all. But almost every applicant benefits from it, because the language of medicine is the language you will read, write, and speak every day as a respiratory therapist.
This guide explains when respiratory therapy programs require medical terminology, why it gives applicants a real edge even when it is optional, what the course covers, and how you can complete it online quickly and affordably. Medical terminology rounds out the prerequisite picture alongside anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and college math or statistics, and you can verify any program’s requirements through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
Short answer: Some respiratory therapy programs require medical terminology and many recommend it, typically as a short course (often just 2 or 3 credits) completed with a grade of C or higher. Even where it is optional, it is one of the highest-value prerequisites for applicants without a healthcare background. At PrereqCourses.com it maps to EXSS 170 (Medical Terminology), delivered online and self-paced, with credit awarded through our regionally accredited university partner.
It depends on the program. Medical terminology sits in the same “common but not universal” category as chemistry: required by some programs, recommended by many, and absent from a few. Where it does appear, it is usually a small, low-stakes course that is easy to satisfy.
A few patterns help make sense of the landscape:
Because it is sometimes required and almost always helpful, the practical question is less “do I have to take it?” and more “is there any reason not to?” — and for most applicants, there isn’t.
Respiratory therapists work inside a dense, precise medical vocabulary from day one. They read physician orders, chart their own assessments and interventions, communicate with nurses and doctors, and educate patients — all in the specialized language of medicine. Medical terminology is the course that teaches that language systematically, so you are decoding terms by their parts rather than memorizing thousands of words one at a time.
Here is where it shows up in the work:
| On the job | How medical terminology helps |
|---|---|
| Reading physician orders | Quickly and accurately interpreting orders, abbreviations, and shorthand for treatments and medications. |
| Charting and documentation | Recording assessments and interventions in correct, standardized terms — essential for accuracy and legal protection. |
| Communicating with the care team | Speaking the same precise language as physicians, nurses, and other therapists, which reduces errors and saves time. |
| Understanding diagnoses and conditions | Decoding respiratory and cardiopulmonary terms — like dyspnea, hypoxemia, atelectasis, or bronchospasm — from their roots. |
| Succeeding in the program itself | Keeping pace with fast-moving lectures and clinical rotations that assume you already know the vocabulary. |
The respiratory system alone has an extensive vocabulary, and a respiratory therapy program moves quickly. Arriving already fluent in word roots, prefixes, and suffixes means you spend your energy learning respiratory care rather than struggling to keep up with the language. For a broader sense of the profession, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is the field’s main professional organization.
Medical terminology is largely standardized, which is why programs are flexible about where you take it. Rather than memorizing terms by rote, you learn a system for building and decoding them. A typical course covers:
The respiratory and cardiopulmonary sections are especially relevant: you will learn the building blocks behind the terms you will use constantly, so that words like “tachypnea” or “pneumothorax” become readable rather than memorized.
Yes — medical terminology is one of the easiest prerequisites to complete online. It has no lab, the content is standardized, and it adapts naturally to a self-paced format. For many applicants it is the quickest prerequisite to finish, which makes it a great early win on the path to respiratory therapy school.
Before enrolling in any online medical terminology course, confirm that it meets these conditions:
A practical tip: if your program leaves medical terminology optional but you are coming from outside healthcare, taking it first can make your anatomy and physiology and clinical coursework noticeably easier — the vocabulary overlaps heavily.
At PrereqCourses.com, the respiratory therapy medical terminology requirement is satisfied by EXSS 170 (Medical Terminology) — a self-paced, online course delivered through our regionally accredited university partner, with an official transcript you can submit to your program.
| Course | Satisfies | Focus for RT applicants |
|---|---|---|
| EXSS 170 | Medical terminology prerequisite (required or recommended) | Word parts and a system for decoding terms, with body-system vocabulary including the respiratory and cardiopulmonary terms used daily in respiratory care. |
What makes the format work for respiratory therapy applicants:
Confirm acceptance first: send the EXSS 170 course description to your target program’s admissions office and confirm whether medical terminology is required or recommended, and that the course (and any minimum credit count) is accepted, before you enroll.
Is medical terminology required for respiratory therapy school?
It depends on the program. Some require it, many recommend it, and a few don’t list it. Even where it is optional, it is one of the most useful prerequisites — especially if you don’t have a healthcare background. Confirm with your specific program.
How many credits is medical terminology?
It is usually a short course, often 2 or 3 credits. Some programs simply require any medical terminology course of 2 or more units.
Can I take medical terminology online?
Yes — it is one of the easiest prerequisites to take online. It has no lab and the content is standardized, so it adapts well to a self-paced format. Confirm the credit is regionally accredited and transferable.
What grade do I need?
A grade of C or higher is the typical minimum, the same standard as the other respiratory therapy prerequisites.
Should I take it even if my program doesn’t require it?
For most applicants, yes — particularly career changers. It builds the vocabulary used throughout the program and on the job, making anatomy and physiology and clinical coursework easier to absorb.
Is medical terminology hard?
It is generally considered one of the more approachable prerequisites. Because you learn a system of word parts rather than memorizing terms individually, it is manageable for most students and often quick to finish.
Medical terminology is sometimes required and almost always worthwhile. It is short, has no lab, and teaches the precise language respiratory therapists use to read orders, chart care, and communicate with the team. For applicants without a healthcare background, it is one of the smartest prerequisites to complete early. Taking it online, through regionally accredited and self-paced coursework, lets you knock it out quickly while you work on longer science courses. After you graduate from a CoARC-accredited program, the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) administers the exams that lead to credentialing and licensure.
Ready to get started? Explore EXSS 170 (Medical Terminology) at PrereqCourses.com, and confirm whether your respiratory therapy program requires or recommends it before enrolling.
Medical terminology is one of several prerequisites respiratory therapy programs require or recommend. Explore the rest of the science and general-education sequence:
Whether medical terminology is required or recommended, minimum credit counts, and grade minimums vary by institution and change over time. This article is for general guidance only. Always confirm requirements directly with the respiratory therapy program you intend to apply to.
