Medical translators and writers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some have a scientific or medical degree, while others may have studied journalism, languages or translation. For those with a non-medical background, there are a number of free online courses that can help build subject-matter understanding and medical terminology.

Many universities around the world are now offering “Massive Open Online Courses” or MOOCs. Some of these courses are self-paced so you can start at any time, and others start on a particular date. If you’ve missed the start date but the course is still running, you can sign up and view the course materials, or if the course has finished, you can “watch” it to be notified of future sessions.

Here are some of the best, free online courses on medicine and health care.

Clinical Terminology for International and U.S. Students

It’s provided at a basic level and aimed at international students wanting to study medicine in the US, and gives an introduction to clinical and nursing terms, acronyms and abbreviations that are commonly used in hospital settings. You may find the terminology work really helpful even if you are not a novice in medical translation.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/clinical-terminology

Introductory Human Physiology

The course covers the basic concepts in human physiology that govern organs, organ systems and homeostasis. It includes modules on the nervous, muscle, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, gastrointestinal and urinary systems.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/physiology

AnatomyX: Musculoskeletal Cases

Musculoskeletal AnatomyX invites students to join basic science and clinical faculty at Harvard Medical School (HMS) to learn about several musculoskeletal injuries commonly seen in clinical practice.

The course is structured around five musculoskeletal cases. It covers background study on anatomy, histology and radiology as well as details of each case. The anatomy sessions also include observation of dissections in the Harvard Medical School anatomy laboratories.

https://www.edx.org/course/anatomyx-musculoskeletal-cases-harvardx-at1x#.VENwICmSyE4

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life

Learn how the nervous system produces behavior, how we use our brain every day, and how neuroscience can explain the common problems afflicting people today. We will study functional human neuroanatomy and neuronal communication, and then use this information to understand how we perceive the outside world, move our bodies voluntarily, stay alive, and play well with others.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/neurobiology

Anatomy of the Chest, Abdomen, and Pelvis

This course is a must-have for all translators working with documents involving imaging techniques (Conventional radiography, Computed Tomography (CT), Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Digital practical exam)

https://www.coursera.org/learn/trunk-anatomy