Doctor - Topic

quote:
It seems clear to me that it never was intended to only be used for medical doctors.

Quite right. In fact, its earliest use in English referred to teachers of religion. There is another use of doctor: as a verb, meaning to "alter, disguise, falsify". Do they want to ban that use too?

Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.

Posts: 10940 | Location: London

Ignored post by arnie posted October 31, 2006 03:42

Caterwauller

Member

posted October 31, 2006 04:36

quote:
The physicians have a bill in Congress

Can you really legislate the usage of a word?

*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama

Posts: 5149 | Location: Columbus, Ohio

Ignored post by Caterwauller posted October 31, 2006 04:36

zmježd

Member

posted October 31, 2006 04:41

Can you really legislate the usage of a word?

Some countries have government organziations which do just that: e.g., the Académie Française. In the States, only certain members of the public can say they're a lawyer, medical doctor, or military officer.

—Ceci n'est pas un seing.

Posts: 5149 | Location: R'lyeh

Ignored post by zmježd posted October 31, 2006 04:41

arnie

Member

posted October 31, 2006 07:57

I agree that only people who have actually studied for a doctorate (and passed) should be entitled to call themselves 'doctor'. But the title does not only apply to medical doctors.

This may be an incorrect impression, but from American TV it seems that dentists often call themselves 'doctor'. Mosts dentists over here have not gained a doctorate, and are not referred to in that way. Do they count as 'physicians' for the purposes of the bill?

Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.

Posts: 10940 | Location: London

Ignored post by arnie posted October 31, 2006 07:57

neveu

Member

posted October 31, 2006 11:01

I know some medical physicists who work in radiation oncology departments. One of them, a German by birth, was at a hospital cocktail party when a coworker's wife approached. "So Dr. Schell, what is your specialty?" she asked. "I'm a medical physicist" he replied. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I thought you were a real Doctor!".
"I am a real Doctor" he replied, "your husband is a physician."

Posts: 1242 | Location: San Francisco

Ignored post by neveu posted October 31, 2006 11:01

Member

posted November 01, 2006 21:55

neveu, precisely my thoughts. I could understand if the word were the only one that specialty used, but they have the word physician, which clearly articulates who they are. Non-MDs never use that designation. So let's leave "doctor" as a graduate degree descriptor, though I've always wondered why lawyers never used it (with their Juris Doctorate); I'd think it would be right up their alley.

Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted November 01, 2006 21:55

Member

posted December 03, 2015 21:06

Well, well. How times change. Now the physicians have a resolution going forward at the AMA calling for using "physician" and not "doctor." Because "doctor" has gotten so confusing, the term "health care provider" is being used, and physicians hate that term (as do I). Physician is actually a prestigious word, with a fine history. I'd be all for this.

Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted December 03, 2015 21:06

BobHale

Member

posted December 03, 2015 21:17

"Health care provider" would be far more confusing than "doctor"... does it mean the medical staff or the administrative staff or the business people or the whole organisation or the first-aider in the workplace or the guy who buys the medical supplies or any one of a hundred other vaguely health related things? That would be a ridiculous idea.

"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.

Posts: 9423 | Location: England

Ignored post by BobHale posted December 03, 2015 21:17

Member

posted December 04, 2015 20:20

Well, I see you point - but - it is fairly well understood here that is those health care workers, such as nurses, doctors, physical therapists, pharmacists, etc., who care for patients.

And, as for "doctor," over here it can mean a vet, university professor, dentist, podiatrist, nurse, etc., so it's not that descriptive either.

Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted December 04, 2015 20:20

Member

posted December 21, 2020 19:15

Reviving a thread

You've probably all heard the hullaballoo about Jill Biden calling herself "doctor." I do wish that Joseph Epstein (who has been spotted in coffee shops near us) would read Wordcraft and learn about the real etymology of the word "doctor." Physicians have no ownership of that word. They own the word "physician," period. End of story.

Posts: 24735 | Location: Chicago, USA

Ignored post by Kalleh posted December 21, 2020 19:15