【Learn Chinese】Your Vocabulary Guide to Doctor's Appointments (Part 1)

Learning a language is more than just words; it's about preparing for real-life situations. One essential scenario is visiting a doctor. In Chinese, a doctor is called 医生 (yīshēng).
But there are many different kinds! Knowing which 医生 (yīshēng) to see is your first step.

When you feel unwell, you might first visit a 全科医生 (quánkē yīshēng) - a general practitioner (GP). They work in a 诊所 (zhěnsuǒ) (clinic) or the 全科 (quánkē) department of a large hospital (医院, yīyuàn). They can handle common illnesses and give you a general 检查 (jiǎnchá) (check-up).

For more specific issues, you will be referred to a specialist. Here are some common ones:
儿科医生 (érkē yīshēng): A pediatrician who treats children (孩子, háizi).
牙医 (yáyī): A dentist for your teeth (牙齿, yáchǐ). You visit them for a 检查 (jiǎnchá) or to treat a 牙洞 (yádòng) (cavity).
眼科医生 (yǎnkē yīshēng): An ophthalmologist for your eyes (眼睛, yǎnjing). They check your 视力 (shìlì) (eyesight).
皮肤科医生 (pífūkē yīshēng): A dermatologist for skin (皮肤, pífū) problems, like a 皮疹 (pízhěn) (rash).
妇产科医生 (fùchǎnkē yīshēng): A gynecologist/obstetrician for women's health.

In a hospital, you will also find doctors for serious conditions. A 外科医生 (wàikē yīshēng) is a surgeon who performs 手术 (shǒushù) (surgery). A 内科医生 (nèikē yīshēng) is an internist who focuses on internal medicine, often dealing with chronic diseases. For issues with bones and muscles, you would see an 骨科医生 (gǔkē yīshēng).
Remember, in China, you usually go to the hospital's 挂号处 (guàhào chù) (registration desk) to register and get a ticket to see a specific type of doctor. Knowing these terms will help you find the right help quickly!