专科 zhuānkē specialized subject
specialized subject; branch (of medicine); specialized training school
How to remember 专科: 专 concentrated + 科 classification = specialized subject.
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How it is used
- Two senses: a medical specialty - 专科医生 (zhuānkē yīshēng) a specialist doctor, 皮肤专科 (pífū zhuānkē) dermatology dept., and a level of tertiary education - 专科学校 (zhuānkē xuéxiào) a vocational/junior college below 本科 (běnkē, bachelor's).
- In education contexts the 专/本 (专科/本科) distinction ranks a 3-year diploma vs a 4-year degree.
- 科 = branch/department; 专科 is a narrowed, specialized track.