"The Doctor" by Luke Fildes

A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor is a person who practices medicine and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and injury. Sir Samuel Luke Fildes RA (1843-1927 was an English painter and illustrator born at Liverpool and trained in the South Kensington and Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly Injury or bodily injury is Damage or Harm caused to the Structure or function of the Body caused by an outside agent or This is accomplished through a detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology, diseases and treatment - the science of medicine - and its applied practice - the art or craft of medicine. Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical Therapy (in Greek: θεραπεία) or treatment, is the attempted Remediation of a health problem usually following a Diagnosis Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding

Etymology

The word physician comes from an ancient Greek noun φύσις (physis) and its derived adjective physikos, meaning "nature" and "natural". The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c From this, amongst other derivatives came the Vulgar Latin physicus, which meant a doctor of medicine. Vulgar Latin (in Latin sermo vulgaris, "folk speech" is a Blanket term covering the popular Dialects and Sociolects of the Latin After the Norman Conquest, the word entered Middle English via Old French fisicien, as early as 1100. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium Originally, physician meant a practitioner of physic (pronounced with a hard C). This archaic noun had entered Middle English by 1300 (via Old French fisique). Physic meant the art or science of treatment with drugs or medications (as opposed to surgery), and was later used both as a verb and also to describe the medications themselves. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental ^[1][2][3]

In English, there have been many synonyms for physician, both old and new, with some semantic variation. This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" The noun phrase medical practitioner is perhaps the most widely understood and neutral synonym. Medical practitioner is lengthy but inclusive: it covers both medical specialists and general practitioners (family physician, family practitioner), and historically would include physicians (in the narrow sense), surgeons or apothecaries. A specialty in Medicine is a branch of medical science other than General practice. A general practitioner, or GP is a medical practitioner who provides Primary care and specializes in Family medicine. In England, apothecaries historically included those who now would be called general practitioners and pharmacists. Pharmacists are Health professionals who practice the art and science of Pharmacy.

The term doctor (medical doctor) is older and shorter (see doctor of medicine), but can be confused with holders of other academic doctorates. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral Doctor (gen.: doctoris) means teacher in Latin and is a contraction of the Greek διδάκτωρ (didaktōr, teacher), from the verb διδάσκειν (didaskein, to teach). In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly In French, médecin (doctor, physician) is a contraction of docteur médecin, a direct equivalent of doctor of medicine. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people In current French idiom, the term toubib, is now a synonym, derived from Arabic طبيب (tabīb, physician).

The Greek word ιατρός (iatros, doctor or healer) is often translated as physician. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Ιατρός is not preserved directly in English, but occurs in such formations as psychiatrist (translates from Greek as healer of the soul), podiatrist (foot healer), and iatrogenic disease (a disease caused by medical treatment). A psychiatrist (also archaically called an alienist) is a Physician who specializes in Psychiatry and is certified in treating Mental disorders Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a field of Healthcare devoted to the study and treatment of disorders of the Foot, Ankle, and the "anatomical The terms iatrogenesis and iatrogenic artifact refer to adverse effects or complications caused by or resulting from medical treatment or advice In Latin, medicus meant much what physician or doctor does now. Compare these translations of a well-known proverb (the nouns are in vocative case):

Ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν (Greek New Testament: Luke, 4:23)
Medice, cura tiepsum (from the Vulgate, early 5th century)
Physician, heal thyself (from the Authorized King James Version, 1611)

The ancient Romans also had the word archiater, for court physician. The vocative case is the case used for a Noun identifying the person (animal object etc The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin, and largely the result of the labours of Jerome, who was commissioned by An archiater was a chief Physician of a Monarch, who typically retained several Archiater derives from the ancient Greek αρχίατρος (from ἄρχω + ίατρος, chief healer). By contraction, this title has given modern German its word for physician: arzt. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.

Leech and leechcraft are archaic English words respectively for doctor and medicine. ^[1] The Old English word for "physician", læċe, which is related to Old High German lāhhi and Old Irish liaig, has survived as the modern English word leech, as these particular creatures were formerly much used by the medical profession. Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language, or rather the Goidelic languages, for which extensive written texts are possessed Leeches are Annelids comprising the Subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater terrestrial and marine leeches Cognate forms for leech exist in modern Swedish as läkare, and in modern Norwegian as lege; these Scandinavian words still translate as doctor or physician rather than as a blood-sucking parasite. Cognates in Linguistics are words that have a common origin They may occur within a language such as shirt and skirt as two English words descended from Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language

Meanings of the word physician

Physician as any medical practitioner

Main article: Medicine

In North America, physician is now widely used in the broad sense, and applies to any legally qualified and licensed practitioner of medicine. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the In the United States, the term physician is commonly used to describe any medical doctor holding the degrees of Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or the holders of legally equivalent medical degrees from other countries (in the UK and other Commonwealth countries, such degrees are typically MB BS, MB BChir etc). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus et Baccalaureus Chirurgiae (abbreviated MB BChir, BM BCh, The American Medical Association, established in 1847, uses physician in this broad sense to describe all its members. The American Medical Association (AMA founded in 1847 and incorporated 1897 is the largest association of Physicians and Medical students in the United States

Physician as specialist (or subspecialist) in internal medicine

Main article: Internal medicine

Physician is still widely used in an older, narrower sense, especially outside North America. Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases In this usage, a physician is a specialist in internal medicine or one of its many sub-specialties (especially as opposed to a specialist in surgery). A specialty in Medicine is a branch of medical science other than General practice. Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental This traditional meaning of physician conveys a sense of expertise in treatment by drugs or medications, rather than by the procedures of surgeons. ^[4]

This older usage is at least six hundred years old in English; physicians and surgeons were once members of separate professions, and traditionally were rivals. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, gives a Middle English quotation making this contrast, from as early as 1400:

Henry VIII granted a charter to the London Royal College of Physicians in 1518. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Royal College of Physicians of London was the first medical institution in England to receive a Royal Charter It wasn't until 1540 that he granted the Company of Barber/Surgeons (ancestor of the Royal College of Surgeons) its separate charter. In the same year, the English monarch established the Regius Professorship of Physic at the University of Cambridge. The Regius Professorship of Physic is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge, founded by Henry VIII in 1540. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the ^[5] Newer universities would probably describe such an academic as a professor of internal medicine. Hence, in the 16th century, physic meant roughly what internal medicine does now.

These days, a specialist physician in this older, narrower sense would probably be described in the United States as an internist. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The older, narrower usage of physician as an internist is common in Britain, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders In such places, the terms doctor or medical practitioner are prevalent, to describe any practitioner of medicine (whom an American would likely call a physician, in the newer, broad sense). ^[6] In Commonwealth countries, specialist pediatricians and geriatricians are also described as specialist physicians who have sub-specialized by age of patient rather than by organ system. Pediatrics (also spelled paediatrics) is the branch of Medicine that deals with the medical care of Infants Children and Adolescents Geriatrics is the branch of Medicine that focuses on health care of the elderly In Biology, an organ ( Latin: organum, "instrument tool" from Greek όργανον - organon "organ instrument

Physician and Surgeon

On both sides of the Atlantic, the combined term "Physician and Surgeon" is a venerable way to describe either a general practitioner, or else any medical practitioner irrespective of specialty. ^[4][1] This usage still shows the older, narrower meaning of physician and preserves the old difference between a physician, as a practitioner of physic, and a surgeon. In Medicine, a surgeon is a person who performs Surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive Medical treatment that involves the cutting of a The term may be used by state medical boards in the United States of America, and by equivalent bodies in provinces of Canada, to describe any medical practitioner.

Other designations

Within the United States, the term physician may also describe holders of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D. O. ) degree; the DO, and the MD are the only degrees permitting U. S. medical licensure. Outside the United States, such status for osteopaths is common and osteopaths are recognized as physicians in 48 countries. Osteopathic education includes teaching manipulative medicine. ^[7]

Further information: International variations in the D.O. degree

Within the United States, some practitioners of primary care hold degrees such as Doctor of Chiropractic (D. Primary care is a term used for the activity of a Health care provider who acts as a first point of consultation for all patients Doctor of Chiropractic ( DC or DC) or Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine ( D C. ), Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N. Naturopathic medicine (also known as naturopathy, or natural medicine) is a Complementary and alternative medicine which emphasizes the body's intrinsic D. ), or Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (D. Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a field of Healthcare devoted to the study and treatment of disorders of the Foot, Ankle, and the "anatomical P. M. ). Chiropractors, naturopaths and podiatrists maintain a relatively narrow scope of practice compared to medical doctors and osteopaths [ M. D. , D. O. ], and are rarely referred to as physicians.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are not described as physicians; the American College of Nurse Practitioners do not describe themselves this way. A Nurse Practitioner (NP is a Registered nurse who has completed specific advanced Nursing education (generally a Master's degree) and training in the They are classified as allied healthcare professionals. Some nurse practitioners may perform work similar to that of some physicians, especially in primary care, but of a lesser scope. Primary care is a term used for the activity of a Health care provider who acts as a first point of consultation for all patients Physician Assistants are classed as advance practice clinicians. In the United States, a physician assistant (PA is an advanced practice clinician licensed to practice Medicine with the supervision of a licensed

Social role of physicians

Physicians are traditionally considered to be members of a learned profession, because of the extensive training requirements, and also because of the occupation's special ethical and legal duties. The term profession is applied to those persons who have specialized and technical skill or knowledge which they apply for a fee to certain tasks that ordinary and unqualified people cannot Physicians are often members, or fellows of professional organisations such as the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom. The Royal College of Physicians of London was the first medical institution in England to receive a Royal Charter

The practice of medicine has ancient associations with religion and magic; see article on History of medicine. All human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, Death, and Disease.

Physicians commonly enjoy high social status, often combined with expectations of a high and stable income and job security. In Sociology or Anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in Society (one's Social position) Job security is the probability that an individual will keep his or her job; a job with a high level of job security is such that a person with the job would have a small chance However, medical practitioners often work long and inflexible hours, with shifts at unsociable times, and may earn less than other professionals whose education is of comparable length.

Education and training

Main article: Medical education

Medical education and career pathways for doctors vary considerably across the world. Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor (i Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor (i

All medical practitioners

In all developed countries, entry-level medical education programs are tertiary-level courses, undertaken at a medical school attached to a university. Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage third level and' post-secondary education', is the educational level following the completion of a school providing In US Education, a course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one Academic term, is led by one or more instructors ( Teachers or Professors Medical education A medical school or faculty of medicine is a Tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches Medicine A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Depending on jurisdiction and university, entry may follow directly from secondary school or require pre-requisite undergraduate education. Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes In some Educational systems undergraduate education is Post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. The former commonly take five or six years to complete. Programs that require previous undergraduate education (typically a three or four year degree, often in Science) are usually four or five years in length. Hence, gaining a basic medical degree may typically take from five to eight years, depending on jurisdiction and university.

Following completion of entry-level training, newly graduated medical practitioners are often required to undertake a period of supervised practice before full registration is granted, typically one or two years. This may be referred to as "internship" or "conditional registration". A medical intern is a term used for a Physician in training who has completed Medical school.

Medical practitioners hold a medical degree specific to the university from which they graduated. This degree qualifies the medical practitioner to become licensed or registered under the laws of that particular country, and sometimes of several countries, subject to requirements for internship or conditional registration. In most countries only persons with a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved Professional association or a Government agency are authorized

Specialists in internal medicine

After graduation, medical practitioners often undertake further training in a particular field, to become a medical specialist. A specialty in Medicine is a branch of medical science other than General practice. In North America, this is often referred to as residency training; in Commonwealth countries, such trainees are often called registrars. Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a Medical degree ( MD

This further training typically takes from three to six years, depending on specialty and jurisdiction. Primary care is increasingly recognized as a specialty, and residency programmes in this field are becoming common. Primary care is a term used for the activity of a Health care provider who acts as a first point of consultation for all patients A medical practitioner who completes specialist training in internal medicine (or in one of its sub-specialties) is an internist, or a physician in the older, narrower sense. Internal medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases

In some jurisdictions, specialty training is begun immediately following completion of entry-level training, or even before. In other jurisdictions, junior medical doctors must undertake generalist (un-streamed) training for one or more years before commencing specialization. Hence, depending on jurisdiction, a specialist physician (internist) often does not achieve recognition as a specialist until twelve or more years after commencing basic medical training — five to eight years at university to obtain a basic medical qualification, and up to another six years to become a specialist.

Regulation

In most jurisdictions, physicians (in either sense of the word) need government permission to practice. Such permission is intended to promote public safety, and often to protect the public purse, as medical care is commonly subsidized by national governments.

All medical practitioners

Among the English-speaking countries, this process is known either as licensure as in the United States, or as registration in the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries, and Ireland. Licensure refers to the granting of a License, which gives a 'permission to practice Licensure refers to the granting of a License, which gives a 'permission to practice The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Synonyms in use elsewhere include colegiación in Spain, ishi menkyo in Japan, autorisasjon in Norway, Approbation in Germany, and "άδεια εργασίας" in Greece. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In France, Italy and Portugal, civilian physicians must be members of the Order of Physicians to practice medicine. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

In some countries, including the United Kingdom and Ireland, the profession largely regulates itself, with the government affirming the regulating body's authority. The best known example of this is probably the General Medical Council of Britain. The General Medical Council (the GMC) is the regulator of the medical profession in the United Kingdom. In all countries, the regulating authorities will revoke permission to practice in cases of malpractice or serious misconduct. In Law, malpractice is a type of negligence in which the Misfeasance, Malfeasance or Nonfeasance of a Professional, under a duty

In the large English-speaking federations (USA, Canada, Australia), the licensing or registration of medical practitioners is done at a state or provincial level. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Australian states usually have a "Medical Board," while Canadian provinces usually have a "College of Physicians and Surgeons. " All American states have an agency which is usually called the "Medical Board", although there are alternate names such as "Board of Medicine," "Board of Medical Examiners", "Board of Medical Licensure", "Board of Healing Arts" or some other variation. ^[8] After graduating from medical school, physicians who wish to practice in the USA usually take standardized exams, such as the USMLE for MDs or COMLEX-USA for osteopathic physicians, which enable them to obtain a certificate to practice from the appropriate state agency. The United States Medical Licensing Examination or USMLE is a multi-part professional Exam sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB and Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral COMLEX-USA or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination is a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations administered by the

Specialists in internal medicine

Most countries have some method of officially recognizing specialist qualifications in all branches of medicine, including internal medicine. Sometimes, this aims to promote public safety by restricting the use of hazardous treatments. Other reasons for regulating specialists may include standardization of recognition for hospital employment and restriction on which practitioners are entitled to receive higher insurance payments for specialist services.

See also

International maritime flag "W", meaning that the ship crew requires medical assistance. A maritime flag is a Flag designated for use on Boats and other watercraft

• List of physicians
• International medical graduate
• List of medical schools
• Residency (medicine)

Notes

External links

• Royal College of Physicians (London)
• American Medical Association
• Doctors Social Network
• Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• American Osteopathic Association