Russian doctors are not only professionals, but also highly erudite people. The vast majority of the respondents in an online survey by the RNC Pharma analyst company and the Doktor Na Rabote (Doctor at Work) social network for doctors consider it impossible to remove Latin from curriculum or reduce the hours in medical universities. In addition to half-joking reasons, such as “to swear in the presence of strangers” or “to learn Gaudeamus”, the doctors note the importance of “professional community”, “friend / foe criteria”, the need to “soften the diagnosis for relatives”, etc.

A significant number of the respondents (30%) believe that studying the Latin language makes sense only for understanding basic medical terms, although many of those who consider it necessary to make no changes to the curriculum made it clear that they advocated the formation of a terminological base.

Another 6% are ready not to study Latin at all in favor of English or other languages used in modern medical literature. Those who consider the study of Latin “a waste of time” (3%) spoke of the need to “study the basics of legal literacy”.

Do you think Latin should be part of the curriculum in medical universities? (single answer question)