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Physician vs Specialist - What's the difference?

physician | specialist |

As nouns the difference between physician and specialist

is that physician is a practitioner of physic, i.e. a specialist in internal medicine, especially as opposed to a surgeon; a practitioner who treats with medication rather than with surgery while specialist is someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research.

As an adjective specialist is

specialised.

physician

English

Alternative forms

* phisician (obsolete) * phisitian (obsolete) * physitian (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun) ("physician" on Wikipedia)
  • A practitioner of physic, i.e. a specialist in internal medicine, especially as opposed to a surgeon; a practitioner who treats with medication rather than with surgery.
  • *
  • *:His forefathers had been, as a rule, professional men—physicians and lawyers; his grandfather died under the walls of Chapultepec Castle while twisting a tourniquet for a cursing dragoon; an uncle remained indefinitely at Malvern Hill;.
  • A medical doctor trained in human medicine.
  • *1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Treasure Island)
  • *:The doctor had to go to London for a physician to take charge of his practice.

    • Usage notes

    * In the UK and (w) countries, a physician holds a postgraduate degree such Master of General Medicine or fellowship certificate such MRCP or FRCP from the Royal College of Physician in UK. In the United States, the term is frequently regulated by State laws, and in all States includes those with the (w) (D.O.) degree, the (Doctor of Medicine) (M.D.) degree, and in many, but not all States those with the D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) degree.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Related terms

    * physicist * physical * physicalism * physics

    specialist

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (British) Specialised.

    • Noun

    (en noun) (wikipedia specialist)
  • Someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research.
  • (medicine) A physician whose practice is limited to a particular branch of medicine or surgery.
  • (US, military) Any of several non-commissioned ranks corresponding to that of corporal.

    • Synonyms

    * (Someone who is an expert or devoted to a particular area of study) aficionado, enthusiast, connoisseur

    Antonyms

    * generalist

    Hypernyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * specialistic

    Related terms

    * specialize * subspecialty * subspecialist

    Anagrams

    * ----