[Magdalen] Physician?

[Sibyl Smirl]

I'm not so sure about the "physician" name or title, but around here, 
the title "Doctor" or "Doc" in ordinary speech and address goes to vets, 
MDs, DOs, chiropractors, dentists, anybody who works on the body, human 
or animal.  With or without an academic doctorate in anything.  Maybe 
not barbers, hairstylists, manicurists, farriers or masseurs, though I 
think a few hundred years ago a barber was automatically a surgeon.

Oddly enough, I somehow got the title "Dr" attached in front of my name, 
just because I'm subscribed to Science magazine, though I guarantee that 
I never told them that I had a doctorate in anything, or put it on my 
checks or my subscription form.  I am a member or the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science, which I pay for in order to 
get the magazine. I hope that doesn't spread across the mailing lists 
from there: someone might think that I wrote it down deliberately.



On 1/15/16 10:48 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
>
> I spoke on telephone last night and today with a veterinary  specialist
> caring for our sick spaniel.  She was struggling to put some facets  of
> her examination into lay terms, and to make it easier for her, I  mentioned
> that I was a physician.
>
> Her response surprised me.  She said, "Oh....of humans?"
>
> The inference I think was that veterinarians - maybe especially
> specialist veterinarians - now think of themselves as physicians.
>
> This may be just her own idiosyncrasy or in may be a more
> widespread practice, but I had not encountered it before.
>
> My handy Merriam-Webster doesn't apply it to non-human
> healers, but the second meaning, "One exerting a remedial
> or salutary influence," may cover this new meaning.
>
> She, and others in her profession are welcome to the physician
> label as I don't think the term has been copyrighted by the (human)
> medical profession.
>
> As one old craggy retired US Navy physician used to say  (between
> puffs on his chain-smoked Lucky Strikes), "I don't care what they
> call me as long as they pay the bill."
>
>
> David Strang
>
>


-- 
Sibyl Smirl
I will take no bull from your house!  Psalms 50:9a
mailto:polycarpa3 at ckt.net