There are Doctors and there are Doctors : Creating a Dichotomy between Physicians’ Roles = طبيب و دكتور : إختلاف أوجد إنقساما في أدوار الأطب

Ibrahim Inuwa

doi:10.12816/0003219

Abstract

There are Doctors and there are Doctors : Creating a Dichotomy between Physicians’ Roles = طبيب و دكتور : إختلاف أوجد إنقساما في أدوار الأطب

Highlights

I remember being a PhD student in the UK some 20 years ago and being asked by the cashier at a checkout counter in one shopping mall, “Are you a real doctor or a PhD doctor?” This was her response to seeing my name, which was preceded by ‘Dr.’ on my debit card
One could overlook this general perception of the role of physicians by a section of the general public but it would be unfortunate if this perception were to be held by physicians themselves regarding the roles some of them play in health care systems. This is because there has been a recent disturbing trend amongst some physicians to introduce a dichotomy into the role they play in health care delivery systems
A passing knowledge of the workings of medical practice would reveal that physicians have many roles, including health administration, quality control and assurance, patient care, medical research, and medical education

Summary

Introduction

I remember being a PhD student in the UK some 20 years ago and being asked by the cashier at a checkout counter in one shopping mall, “Are you a real doctor or a PhD doctor?” This was her response to seeing my name, which was preceded by ‘Dr.’ on my debit card. This is because there has been a recent disturbing trend amongst some physicians to introduce a dichotomy into the role they play (i.e. medical practice) in health care delivery systems.

Results

Conclusion