Most people can’t tell the difference between a doctor and a physician, and they can be forgiven for it as the difference is not all that clear-cut.
According to various medical resources, physicians are charged with the responsibility of diagnosing conditions, following careful verbal and physical assessment and imparting knowledge on how patients should maintain their health.
Physicians also prescribe medications and determine the urgency of follow-up appointments and checkups.
From the superficial description, you can tell that this is exactly the person you see whenever you have a problem. Well, yes, that’s a physician. Physicians can prescribe medications depending on observed symptoms and your interaction during the consultation. They can also use the results of your assessment to see if there is a need to refer you to a specialist.
So what’s the difference between a doctor and a physician? The difference is negligible. The term doctor and physician can be freely interchanged in day-to-day applications. It is mostly from a formal point of view that the differences pop up.
A doctor in the field of medicine is someone who has graduated from medical school and is a holder of an MD or does. Dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, clinical psychologists, and podiatrists are also referred to as doctors.
Physicians are doctors with an MD, DO or MB regardless of specialty. In some instances, the definition of surgeons and physicians may be independent to insist that physicians are medical specialists and surgeons surgical specialists.
Methods of treatment may also be used to tell between physicians and doctors. Physicians use medications to treat illnesses while doctors can perform more complicated procedures such as surgeries.
As regards job requirements, physicians need to provide current DEA and DPS Certificates of Registration and prove they have completed two years of internship at least. Doctors will be required to present additional proof of internship experience whenever they choose to offer specialist services.