Doctors: An Ancient Respected Profession

May 18, 2010 | Posted by Adriana Noton

Doctors are known to be one of the oldest professions in the world. Physicians are found in many ancient civilizations all over the world. It is a profession that requires a lot of education and training. It also requires a certain level of compassion for humanity. Physicians are responsible for keeping people healthy and treating those that are sick. It is a profession needed in every society and they are always in high demand.

We know physicians by many different names. General practitioners are physicians that do not specialize in one particular area. These are what we call our family doctor. For those that specialize in a certain field, they are referred to by that particular field.

Ancient Egypt has the first known physicians and medical schools. They were known to practice advanced medical science. There are also records of hospitals. The ancient Egyptians also performed various surgeries. Other medical practices where evident in ancient civilizations in the Middle East.

It takes a high level of academic training to receive a medical degree. But you do not have to be a medical doctor to receive the doctor title. There are academic doctorates for scientists, teachers, philosophers and various other disciplines. Medical physicians are distinguished by the title MD.

The first medical school in the United States was built in 1765. Physicians from Europe came to America to train medical student to become physicians. The training would include everything pertaining to medical procedure. Upon completion, the students would earn their degree on move on to working with actual patients. The American and Canadian medical degree was known as the Bachelor of Medicine but is now referred to as the medical doctorate.

Physicians are expected to do business and operate within their profession on a high moral code. They even have to recite an oath promising to care for others in a certain manner. Many people believe that physicians should be walking examples to society at large. When it comes to their own heath, they should be positive role models. So many believe that doctors should not smoke. With all of the dangers associated with smoking, a doctor that smokes is considered a contradiction.

Getting accepted into medical school is a hard process. You must first receive an undergraduate degree and do particularly well in your studies. Then you must take an entrance exam known as the MCAT. Your scores on this test will determine your eligibility for medical school. Then once you are in medical school, you have to keep up your grades to stay in as it is very competitive.

After passing all of the required course work and exams in medical school, students then move on the their qualifying licensing. There are certain credentials required to practice medicine. New doctors must do a certain amount of clinical hours and pass several exams. Then there is a required residency program new physicians must fulfill. Those that are choosing a particular specialty will have additional training and qualifying exams.

When an individual is ill they should go and consult a physician. There are many different types of doctors who each focus in a specific field of medical practice such as naturopathic, or family practice.