| A physician (also called doctor in some
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| | practice medicine. Clinicians (licensed
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| places) is a person who practices
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| | professionals who deal with patients) can
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| medicine. In the United States, the term
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| | be physicians, nurses, therapists or
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| physician is traditional and commonly
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| | others. The medical profession is the
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| used. In Britain & Ireland, Canada,
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| | social and occupational structure of the
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| Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South
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| | group of people formally trained and
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| Africa, India, Indonesia, Pakistan,
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| | authorized to apply medical knowledge.
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| Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, the
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| | Many countries and legal jurisdictions
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| term doctor is more common (and in formal
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| | have legal limitations on who may
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| legal contexts, medical practitioner as
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| | practice medicine.
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| well), as physician refers to specialists
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| | Medicine comprises various specialized
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| in internal medicine.
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| | sub-branches, such as cardiology,
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| Because of the extensive training
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| | pulmonology, neurology, or other fields
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| requirements, physicians are
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| | such as sports medicine, research or
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| traditionally considered to be members of
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| | public health.
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| a learned profession.
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| | Human societies have had various
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| In all developed countries, entry-level
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| | different systems of health care practice
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| medical education programs are
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| | since at least the beginning of recorded
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| tertiary-level courses undertaken at a
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| | history. Medicine, in the modern period,
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| medical school pertaining to a
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| | is the mainstream scientific tradition
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| university. Depending on jurisdiction and
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| | which developed in the Western world
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| university, these may be either
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| | since the early Renaissance (around
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| undergraduate-entry or graduate-entry
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| | 1450). Many other traditions of health
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| programs. Following completion of
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| | care are still practiced throughout the
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| entry-level training, newly graduated
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| | world; most of these are separate from
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| doctors are often required to undertake a
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| | Western medicine, which is also called
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| period of supervised practice before full
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| | biomedicine, allopathic medicine or the
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| registration is granted; this may be
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| | Hippocratic tradition. The most highly
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| referred to as "internship" or
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| | developed of these are traditional
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| "conditional registration".
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| | Chinese medicine and the Ayurvedic
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| Further training in a particular field of
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| | traditions of India and Sri Lanka.
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| medicine may be undertaken. In some
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| | Various non-mainstream traditions of
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| jurisdictions this is commenced
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| | health care have also developed in the
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| immediately following completion of
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| | Western world. These systems are
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| entry-level training, whilst other
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| | sometimes considered companions to
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| jurisdictions require junior doctors to
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| | Hippocratic medicine, and sometimes are
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| undertake generalist (un-streamed)
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| | seen as competition to the Western
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| training for a number of years before
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| | tradition. Few of them have any
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| commencing specialization. Various
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| | scientific confirmation of their tenets,
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| teaching methodologies have been utilized
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| | because if they did they would be brought
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| in medical education, which is an active
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| | into the fold of Western medicine.
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| area of educational research.
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| | "Medicine" is also often used amongst
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| In the USA, there are two types of
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| | medical professionals as shorthand for
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| physicians. Allopathic physicians hold a
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| | internal medicine. Veterinary medicine is
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| MD and osteopathic physicians hold a DO.
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| | the practice of health care in animal
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| Both physicians are fully licensed to
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| | species other than human beings.
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| practice in all 50 states. In most
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| | The earliest type of medicine in most
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| jurisdictions, physicians need government
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| | cultures was the use of plants
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| permission to practice. This is known as
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| | (Herbalism) and animal parts. This was
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| licensing in the United States.
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| | usually in concert with 'magic' of
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| Regulating authorities will revoke
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| | various kinds in which animism (the
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| permission to practice in cases of
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| | notion of inanimate objects having
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| malpractice or serious misconduct.
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| | spirits; or communion with ancestor
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| Graduates of Foreign Medical Schools, who
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| | spirits), shamanism (the vesting of an
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| enter USA have to pass USMLE step 1 and 2
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| | individual with mystic powers), and
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| ECFMG and do a residency program to
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| | divination (the supposed obtaining of
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| qualify for a state license. After
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| | truth by magic means) played a major
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| graduating from medical school, American
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| | role.
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| physicians usually take a standardized
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| | The practice of medicine combines both
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| exam which enables them to obtain a
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| | science and art. Science and technology
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| certificate to practice from the
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| | are the evidence base for many clinical
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| appropriate state agency. All American
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| | problems for the general population at
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| states have an agency which is usually
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| | large. The art of medicine is the
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| called the "Medical Board," although
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| | application of this medical knowledge in
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| there are alternate names such as "Board
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| | combination with intuition and clinical
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| of Medicine," "Board of Medical
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| | judgment to determine the proper
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| Examiners," "Board of Medical Licensure,"
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| | diagnoses and treatment plan for each
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| "Board of Healing Arts," etc. Australian
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| | unique patient and to treat the patient
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| states usually have a "Medical Board,"
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| | accordingly.
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| while Canadian provinces usually have a
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| | Central to medicine is the patient-doctor
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| "College of Physicians and Surgeons."
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| | relationship established when a person
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| In the United States, as a result of the
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| | with a health concern or problem seeks
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| war on drugs, pharmaceuticals are
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| | the help of a physician (i.e. the medical
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| strictly regulated at the federal level
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| | encounter). Other health professionals
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| by the Food and Drug Administration and
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| | similarly establish a relationship with a
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| the Drug Enforcement Administration. All
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| | patient and may perform interventions
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| practicing American physicians who intend
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| | from their perspective, e.g. nurses,
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| to prescribe controlled substances must
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| | radiographers and therapists.
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| obtain a number from the DEA, and that
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| | Medical care delivery is classified into
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| DEA number must appear on all their
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| | primary, secondary and tertiary care.
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| prescriptions. Use of the DEA number
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| | Primary care medical services are
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| enables dispensing pharmacists or the DEA
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| | provided by physicians or other health
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| to ensure that a physician is not
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| | professionals who has first contact with
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| dispensing potentially addictive or
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| | a patient seeking medical treatment or
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| harmful drugs, such as opiates or
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| | care. These occur in physician's office,
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| stimulants, in contravention to accepted
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| | clinics, nursing homes, schools, home
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| standards of care.
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| | visits and other places close to
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| Medical care is shared between the
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| | patients. About 90% of medical visits can
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| medical profession (physicians or
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| | be treated by the primary care provider.
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| doctors) and other professionals such as
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| | These include treatment of acute and
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| nurses and pharmacists, sometimes known
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| | chronic illnesses, preventive care and
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| as allied health professionals.
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| | health education for all ages and both
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| Historically, only those with a medical
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| | sex.
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| doctorate have been considered to
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| | Freelance writer for over eleven years.
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