Mastering professional medical vocabulary by students at an early stage of teaching Russian as a foreign language

The article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for the early integration of professionally oriented medical vocabulary into the Russian as a foreign language course at the beginner level in medical universities. The relevance of the issue is substantiated in the context of the urgent need for rapid academic and professional adaptation of international students. A three-stage strategy for vocabulary integration is proposed, combining diagnostics of language competence, modeling of typical communicative situations, and reinforcement of lexical units through oral and written practice. Special attention is given to methodological techniques such as visualization, dialogue models, role-playing, and mnemonic strategies. The paper provides practical examples of exercises aimed at developing vocabulary skills within the context of future medical practice. The study concludes that early integration of medical vocabulary is highly effective when applied systematically and in a pedagogically balanced manner.