Editing Physician (section)

===North America===
{{Further|Physicians in the United States|Physicians in Canada}}
[[File: Elizabeth Blackwell.jpg|thumb|[[Elizabeth Blackwell]], the first female physician in the United States, graduated from [[State University of New York Upstate Medical University|SUNY Upstate]]. ]]
In modern English, the term ''physician'' is used in two main ways, with relatively broad and narrow meanings respectively. This is the result of history and is often confusing. These meanings and variations are explained below.

In the United States and Canada, the term ''physician'' describes all medical practitioners holding a professional medical degree. The [[American Medical Association]], established in 1847, as well as the [[American Osteopathic Association]], founded in 1897, both currently use the term ''physician'' to describe members. However, the [[American College of Physicians]], established in 1915, does not: its title uses ''physician'' in its original sense.

====American physicians====
The vast majority of [[physician in the United States|physicians trained in the United States]] have a [[Doctor of Medicine]] degree, and use the initials M.D. A smaller number attend [[Osteopathic medicine in the United States|osteopathic]] [[Medical school in the United States|medical schools]] and have a [[Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine]] degree and use the initials [[D.O.]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002020.htm |title=Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine |author=Medline Plus |year=2012 |publisher=U.S. National Library of Medicine of National Institutes of Health |access-date=22 December 2012 |archive-date=5 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705121451/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002020.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[World Directory of Medical Schools]] lists both MD and DO granting schools as ''medical schools'' located in the United States. After completion of [[Medical school in the United States|medical school]], physicians complete a [[Residency (medicine)|residency]] in the specialty in which they will practice. Subspecialties require the completion of a [[Fellowship (medicine)|fellowship]] after residency. Both MD and DO physicians participate in the [[National Resident Matching Program]] (NRMP) and attend [[Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education|ACGME]]-accredited residencies and fellowships across all medical [[American Board of Medical Specialties|specialties]] to obtain licensure.

All boards of certification now require that physicians demonstrate, by examination, continuing mastery of the core knowledge and skills for a chosen specialty. Recertification varies by particular specialty between every seven and every ten years.

==== Primary care ====
[[Primary care physician]]s guide patients in preventing disease and detecting health problems early while they are still treatable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Choosing Between a Family Medicine Doctor and an Internal Medicine Doctor |url=https://www.beaumont.org/health-wellness/blogs/choosing-between-a-family-medicine-doctor-and-an-internal-medicine-doctor |website=beaumont.org |publisher=[[Beaumont Health]] |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006120022/https://www.beaumont.org/health-wellness/blogs/choosing-between-a-family-medicine-doctor-and-an-internal-medicine-doctor |url-status=live }}</ref> They are divided into two types: [[family medicine]] doctors and [[internal medicine]] doctors.<ref>{{cite web |title=The difference between family medicine and internal medicine |url=https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-difference-between-family-medicine-and-internal-medicine |website=piedmont.org |publisher=[[Piedmont Hospital]] |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006194348/https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-difference-between-family-medicine-and-internal-medicine |url-status=live }}</ref> Family doctors, or family physicians, are trained to care for patients of any age, while internists are trained to care for adults.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bernat |first1=Karl |last2=Caplea |first2=Andrea |title=Family Medicine or Internal Medicine Doctor? |url=https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/family-medicine-or-internal-medicine-doctor |newspaper=Duke Health |publisher=[[Duke University Health System]] |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=14 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014222210/https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/family-medicine-or-internal-medicine-doctor |url-status=live }}</ref> Family doctors receive training in a variety of care and are therefore also referred to as [[general practitioner]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Decker |first1=Fred |title=Difference Between Internist & General Practitioner |url=https://work.chron.com/difference-between-internist-general-practitioner-6745.html |access-date=14 January 2020 |work=[[Houston Chronicle]] |publisher=Hearst Newspapers, LLC |date=9 August 2018 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414223511/https://work.chron.com/difference-between-internist-general-practitioner-6745.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Family medicine grew out of the general practitioner movement of the 1960s in response to the growing specialization in medicine that was seen as threatening to the doctor-patient relationship and continuity of care.<ref>{{cite web |title=Internal Medicine vs. Family Medicine |url=https://www.acponline.org/about-acp/about-internal-medicine/career-paths/medical-student-career-path/internal-medicine-vs-family-medicine |website=acponline.org |publisher=[[American College of Physicians]] |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=6 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006130207/https://www.acponline.org/about-acp/about-internal-medicine/career-paths/medical-student-career-path/internal-medicine-vs-family-medicine |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Podiatry====
In the United States, the [[American Podiatric Medical Association]] (APMA) defines [[podiatrists]] as physicians and surgeons who treat the foot, ankle, and associated structures of the leg.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/AboutPodiatry.aspx |title=About Podiatry |publisher=Apma.org |access-date=19 September 2011 |archive-date=1 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501135528/http://apma.org/MainMenu/AboutPodiatry.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Podiatrists undergo training with the [[Doctor of Podiatric Medicine]] (DPM) degree.<ref>{{cite web|title=Podiatrist|url=http://science.education.nih.gov/lifeworks.nsf/alphabetical+list/Podiatrist?OpenDocument&ShowTab=All&|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429231921/http://science.education.nih.gov/lifeworks.nsf/alphabetical+list/Podiatrist?OpenDocument&ShowTab=All&|archive-date=29 April 2013|access-date=22 December 2012|publisher=Office of Science Education}}</ref> The [[American Medical Association]] (AMA), however, advocates for the definition of a ''physician'' as "an individual possessing degree of either a [[Doctor of Medicine]] or [[Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine]]."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Policy Finder {{!}} AMA|url=https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/D-405.989?uri=/AMADoc/directives.xml-0-1397.xml|access-date=2021-12-27|website=policysearch.ama-assn.org|archive-date=13 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013221044/https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/D-405.989?uri=%2FAMADoc%2Fdirectives.xml-0-1397.xml|url-status=live}}</ref> In the US, podiatrists are required to complete three to four years of podiatry residency upon graduating with a DPM degree. After residency, one to two years of fellowship programs are available in plastic surgery, foot and ankle reconstructive surgery, sports medicine, and wound care.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.acfas.org/Fellowship-Center/Recognized-Fellowship-Intiative/List-of-Available-Fellowships/ |title=List of Available Fellowships |publisher=American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons |access-date=9 July 2021 |archive-date=29 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829205212/https://www.acfas.org/Fellowship-Center/Recognized-Fellowship-Intiative/List-of-Available-Fellowships/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Podiatry]] residencies and / or fellowships are not accredited by the [[Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education|ACGME]]. The overall scope of podiatric practice varies from state to state and is not similar to that of physicians holding an MD or DO degree.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Scope of Practice Support|url=https://www.acfas.org/Health-Policy-and-Advocacy/Scope-of-Practice/Scope-of-Practice-Support/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=ACFAS|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829201209/https://www.acfas.org/Health-Policy-and-Advocacy/Scope-of-Practice/Scope-of-Practice-Support/|url-status=live}}</ref> DPM is also available at one Canadian university, namely the {{Lang|fr|[[Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières]]|italic=no}}; students are typically required to complete an internship in New York prior to obtaining their professional degree. The [[World Directory of Medical Schools]] does not list US or Canadian schools of podiatric medicine as ''medical schools'' and only lists US-granted MD, DO, and Canadian MD programs as medical schools for the respective regions.