In this article, we document the background research into high-value items for a neurosurgery component of a general medical English word list for undergraduates. The research involves construction of a neurosurgery word list through initial documentary analysis, and the development of a more comprehensive list through interviews with an experienced neurosurgeon in relation to the initial list. The results of the interviews have been used to create four general categories within the neurosurgery component: Gross Anatomy/Histology/Physiology (GAHP), Medical Problems and Symptoms, Tests, and Treatments. Regarding individual items for the list, we consider the issues of word forms, degrees of ‘technicalness’, and multiword terms. We then discuss how these may affect organization of terms within the four categories of the list. We also consider the implications for materials design in order to ensure that terms in the general word list are incorporated in the materials for students. This can be achieved by extending currently existing online materials. A further issue relating to materials design is how to sensitize students to the ways in which words and word parts combine to form medical English terms.