医学(いがく)

いがく
noun
medical science; medicine (field)
1. medical science, medicine
The academic field and science of medicine.
医学(いがく)を学(まな)ぶ。
To study medicine.
医学部(いがくぶ)に入(はい)りたい。
I want to enter medical school.
医学(いがく)の進歩(しんぽ)はとても早(はや)い。
Advances in medical science are very fast.

医学(いがく) refers to medical science as an academic discipline — the study and science of medicine, not medicine as a substance.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 医学部(いがくぶ): medical school/department
  • 医学生(いがくせい): medical student
  • 医学者(いがくしゃ): medical scientist
  • 医学的(いがくてき): medical (adjective, as in 医学的(いがくてき)な根拠(こんきょ), medical evidence)

RELATED FIELDS:

  • 歯学(しがく): dentistry
  • 薬学(やくがく): pharmacy/pharmaceutical science
  • 獣医学(じゅういがく): veterinary medicine

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
医学(いがく) = medical science (the field). For "medicine" as in medication/drugs, use 薬(くすり) or 医薬品(いやくひん).

general
Added 2026.1.8 21:57 · Revised 2026.3.29 13:19
01000/01301_igaku