By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Don’t Call Me a Health Care Provider: I’m a Doctor
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > Don’t Call Me a Health Care Provider: I’m a Doctor
Medical EducationPolicy & Law

Don’t Call Me a Health Care Provider: I’m a Doctor

Michael Kirsch
Michael Kirsch
Share
5 Min Read
doctor
SHARE

doctorOne thing doctors like to do is to use fancy language.  Patients, however, want physicians to use simple terms.  Perhaps, using highfalutin language makes physicians feel more scholarly and important.  Of course, this bombast only confuses patients who may be too timid to respond that they don’t have a clue what we’re saying.  If your doctor is speaking in tongues, then ask for a translator.

doctorOne thing doctors like to do is to use fancy language.  Patients, however, want physicians to use simple terms.  Perhaps, using highfalutin language makes physicians feel more scholarly and important.  Of course, this bombast only confuses patients who may be too timid to respond that they don’t have a clue what we’re saying.  If your doctor is speaking in tongues, then ask for a translator. He’ll get the message.

Many professions have their own technical languages which is necessary for internal communications or scholarly work.  Beyond this, there is also a pomposity that drives this lexical elitism. 
 
In the medical profession, medical terms seem to offer no advantage over colloquial alternatives.  Yet, physicians want to ‘speak like doctors’, whatever that means.
 
Cool Medical Term            Lame Alternative
Thrombus                                    Clot
Stenosis                                        Narrowing
Cephalalgia                                  Headache
Transient Ischemic Attack   Mini-stroke
Nevus                                            Mole
Exanthem                                    Rash
Cholelithiasis                             Gallstones
Pyrosis                                         Heartburn
Epistaxis                                      Nosebleed
 
Folks following health care reform need their own glossary to explain the new lexicon.  I can’t keep this stuff straight and I’m in the business. One must be familiar with pay-for-performance, comparative effectiveness research, accountable care organizations, insurance exchanges, medical homes, pharmacy benefit managers and value-based pricing.  See how warm and fuzzy the medical profession has become? 
 
Here are a few antiquated terms that are rarely included in the medical policy and health care reform articles I peruse.
  • Compassion
  • Healing
  • Empathy
  • Caring
The new medical rhetoric is so sanitized, or should I say antiseptic, that it threatens to anesthetize the profession.  Want proof?  Look at how medical apparatchiks describe me.  I’m no longer a doctor or a physician.  I’m now a health care provider.   I’m not hung up on the doctor title.  I never introduce myself as ‘Dr.’, even to my patients.  But, to regard me as a health care provider attempts to redefine who I am and what I try to do.  It aims to circumvent the core of what doctoring should be – humanity.    While health care reformers can redact the term humanity, they can’t extract true humanity that must be the essence of the profession.  If we accept that we are health care providers, then we’re not doctors anymore.  When the government health care reformers and its minions are speaking in tongues, let’s demand a translator.   
 
(doctor / shutterstock)
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

Online Smarts for Doctors
BusinessMedical EducationSocial Media

You saw that? Social Media Smarts for Physicians

March 14, 2016

6 Things You Can Do with a Health Science Degree

August 31, 2016
FinanceHealth careWellness

5 Smart Ways To Save Money For Medical Bills

May 25, 2020

Worries Over Expanding Health Coverage May Be Unfounded

February 22, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?