[Magdalen] Physician?

[Jay Weigel]

Yesterday my daughter and I were discussing where we her boys should go to
college. Since they are both multracial/multiethnic but have spent much of
their school lives in mostly-white schools, she's in favor of them
attending HBCUs, so we were going through a list of them and discussing the
merits of various ones. Howard, of course, led the list, but I poointed out
that since Boogie is particularly interested in STEM, he might want to
consider Tuskeegee, which has a well-regarded aerospace engineering
program. It's also the only HBCU with a veternary school, which surprised
me...I'd have thought that at least one of the A&Ms or A&Ts would have had
one. I don't think either of the boys is aiming in that direction, at least
not as of the present moment. Hard to tell, though, since they're only 13
and 7 1/2!

On Sunday, January 17, 2016, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'm told it is more competitive to get into a good DVM program than an
> equivalent people program.
>
> Vets know that unless they can get into a practice in an affluent area,
> they will never make much money, and it's not as if it is the most
> prestigious occupation.  It takes a certain kind of temperament to be able
> to examine a small, non-verbal patient who usually is trying very hard not
> to tell, even by any non-verbal cues, what hurts.
>
> The physiology is often incredibly small too.  They certainly get my
> respect.
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>
> On Sat, Jan 16, 2016 at 4:01 AM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > Vets are "Doctor" here too and jolly well rightly so.
> >
> > They study for as long as human doctors, covering much of the same
> > territory in basic sciences; and their patients are not only unable to
> > explain how they feel, but very often feel the need to defend themselves
> > with teeth and claws or mighty kicks.
> >
> > They also have to learn how to treat and heal several - sometimes many -
> > different species from dogs, cats, horses and farm animals to birds and
> > reptiles as well as a range of wildlife.
> >
> > Their patients can be worth as little as a couple of million dollars for
> a
> > top race horse, or as much as a human owner's entire heart - especially
> > children and the elderly.
> >
> > Let's hear it for the vets!
> >
> > Sally D
> >
> > On Friday, 15 January 2016, Sibyl Smirl <polycarpa3 at ckt.net
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > 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 <javascript:;>
> > >
> >
>