ESL Podcast 901 - Participating in a Clinical Trial
clinical trial - a carefully controlled test of a new drug, closely watching and recording people's reactions to its use
I would never consider participating in a clinical trial. What if they find out the experimental drug causes more harm than good?
to enroll - to officially sign up and register as a participant of a program or as a member of an organization
How many students enroll in the university each fall?
to suffer from - to feel the pain or other negative effects of something, especially a disease or injury
Heather has suffered from terrible headaches ever since the car crash.
side effect - an unintended, negative consequence of taking a particular medicine
The most common side effects of this pain medication are nausea and dizziness.
adverse reaction - an unintended, harmful effect of taking a medicine or getting treatment
The operation should have been simple, but Gregorio had an adverse reaction to the anesthetic used during the surgery.
pilot study - a small experiment, test, or study conducted before the main experiment or test, usually to prove that something can succeed
The school district is running a pilot study in one school to determine whether the new language program can help students learn a new language.
volunteer - someone who wants to participate in a project and/or performs work without receiving payment
Volunteers help to feed and clean the cats and dogs in the animal shelter, so that employees can focus more on administrative duties.
to take part - to participate; to have a role in something
Why did you decide to take part in the protests?
drug - a medicine; a medication
Are you taking any prescription drugs?
effectiveness - a measure of how well something works
Even after several months, we're not sure of the effectiveness of giving employees more breaks to produce better workers.
pharmaceutical - related to the creation and production of medicines and drugs, especially working with chemicals instead of plants
Pharmaceutical labs have to meet very high standards for safety and cleanliness to produce medicines that are safe.
large-scale - involving many people, locations, resources, or areas; not a small or limited project
Global warming will result in many large-scale climate changes.
placebo - a tablet or liquid that is given to a patient as if it were a medicine, but which actually has no effect on one's physical health, because the doctor or researcher expects it to have psychological consequences
Doctor King sometimes wishes that she could prescribe a placebo for patients who come into her office demanding a prescription for a new drug that she knows won't really help them.
phase - period; stage; step; one of many parts or levels in a process
In this first stage, the builders are leveling the ground and pouring the foundation. In the second stage they'll build the walls and roof. And in the third stage they'll work installing windows and doors.
dose - dosage; the amount of medicine that one is supposed to take at a certain time
If this doesn't make your headache go away, you can increase the dose to 100 milligrams.
once and for all - conclusively; firmly and finally; without anything remaining undone or undecided
What can we do to answer this client's questions once and for all, so that she doesn't continue to call?
to be rid of - to no longer have something, especially something that is unpleasant
Now that we're rid of our houseguests, we can wake up as late as we want and walk around in our pajamas all day.