to free up beds

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 379: A Routine Medical Procedure.

This is ESL Podcast episode 379. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

We have a website. Oh yes, we do! You can visit it at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for this episode, which contains all of the vocabulary, definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions, cultural notes, comprehension questions, and a complete transcript of everything we say on this episode. If you’re looking for a way to improve your English even faster, take a look at our Learning Guide on the website.

This episode is called “A Routine Medical Procedure.” Something that is “routine” means it is common; it is not complicated or particularly difficult, something you do all the time. Let’s get started.

Julia: Aren’t you nervous about your surgery next week?

Hugh: No, it’s a routine procedure. I don’t even need to be admitted overnight.

Julia: But aren’t you going under general anesthesia? It’s not the same as local anesthesia, you know.

Hugh: Yes, I know. This is an out-patient procedure. If the doctors don’t think I can go home the same day, they’ll