Physician

Physician
A physician is a person trained in the art of healing. In reality, contemporary physicians express their skills by combining art with science. A physician is also referred to as a doctor of medicine. The term "physician" is used somewhat differently in different English-speaking countries. For example, in the UK a physician is a specialist in internal or general medicine while in the USA it is a more general term for a doctor of medicine. The word "physician" entered Middle English in the 13th century as "fisicien" from the Old French "fisique" meaning medicine. Curiously, English today is the only language in which "physician" has a medical meaning. In French, a physician ("physicien") refers to a physicist, as it does in all other tongues that possess the term.
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1. A doctor; a person who has been educated, trained, and licensed to practice the art and science of medicine. 2. A practitioner of medicine, as contrasted with a surgeon. [Fr. physicien, a natural philosopher]
- attending p. 1. p. responsible for the care of a patient; 2. p. supervising the care of patients by interns, residents, and/or medical students. 3. a doctor who has completed internship and residency.
- family p. a p. who specializes in family practice.
- hospital-based p. SYN: hospitalist (1).
- resident p. SYN: resident.

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phy·si·cian fə-'zish-ən n a skilled health-care professional trained and licensed to practice medicine specif a doctor of medicine or osteopathy

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n.
a registered medical practitioner who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disease by other than surgical means. In the USA the term is applied to any authorized medical practitioner. See also Doctor.

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phy·si·cian (fĭ-zishґən) 1. an authorized practitioner of medicine, as one graduated from a college of medicine or osteopathy and licensed by the appropriate board. See also doctor. 2. one who practices medicine as distinct from surgery.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Physician — Phy*si cian, n. [OE. fisician, fisicien, OF. physucien, a physician, in F., a natural philosopher, an experimentalist in physics. See {Physic}.] 1. A person skilled in physic, or the art of healing; one duty authorized to prescribe remedies for,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • physician — physician, doctor, surgeon The normal word for a medical practitioner in general contexts is doctor (abbreviated as a title to Dr). Physician is familiar from the proverb Physician, heal thyself (Luke 4:23) and has the same range of meaning as… …   Modern English usage

  • physician — ► NOUN ▪ a person qualified to practise medicine. ● physician, heal thyself Cf. ↑physician, heal thyself …   English terms dictionary

  • physician — early 13c., fisicien, from O.Fr. fisicien physician (12c., Mod.Fr. physicien means physicist ), from fisique art of healing, from L. physica natural science (see PHYSIC (Cf. physic)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • physician — [n] person trained in medical science bones*, doc*, doctor, general practitioner, healer, intern, MD*, medic, medical practitioner, quack*, sawbones*, specialist, surgeon; concept 357 Ant. patient …   New thesaurus

  • physician — [fi zish′ən] n. [ME & OFr fisicien < L physica: see PHYSIC] 1. a person licensed to practice medicine; doctor of medicine 2. any medical doctor other than one specializing in surgery 3. any person or thing that heals, relieves, or comforts …   English World dictionary

  • Physician — For other uses, see Doctor (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Physicist, a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physician …   Wikipedia

  • physician — noun (formal, esp. AmE) ADJECTIVE ▪ family (AmE), general, hospital (esp. BrE), occupational (BrE), primary care ▪ Dr Dennett is a practicing family physician in Atlanta. ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • physician — Synonyms and related words: Doctor of Medicine, GP, MD, Md, allopath, allopathist, attending physician, bones, coroner, country doctor, croaker, doc, doctor, family doctor, general practitioner, house physician, intern, leech, man, medic, medical …   Moby Thesaurus

  • physician — n. 1) an attending; family; house; practicing physician 2) an allopathic; homeopathic; osteopathic physician * * * [fɪ zɪʃ(ə)n] family homeopathic house osteopathic physician practicing physician an allopathic an attending …   Combinatory dictionary

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