The terms physician and doctor have been a source of solace, comfort, and wisdom across languages and cultures for millennia. We should not let them disappear in our generation.
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ACEP Now: August 2025 (Digital)
Dr. Shenvi is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
References
- Reed RR, Evans D. The deprofessionalization of medicine. Causes, effects, and responses. JAMA. 1987;258(22):3279-3282.
- Mangione S, Mandell BF, Post SG. The language game: we are physicians, not providers. Am J Med. 2021;134(12):1444-1446.
- Paydarfar D, Schwartz WJ. Dear provider. JAMA.2011;305(20):2046–2047.
- Safire W. On language; health care provider, heal thyself. NY Times Magazine. 1993 Apr 11; Section 6, p.12.
- Scarff JR. “Provider” etymology is unclear, but still wrong for health care. Fed Pract. 2022;39(4):153.
- AMA Advocacy Resource Center. ‘‘Truth in Advertising’’ campaign. https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-10/truth-in-advertising-campaign-booklet.pdf. Accessed August 29, 2024.
- Sitton B, Korman AM. Dermatologists, not “providers”. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;87(6):1459-1460.
- American Medical Association PolicyFinder. Definition and Use of the Term Physician H-405.951. https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/urge%20physicians%20to%20identify%20themselves%20as%20physicians?uri=%2FAMADoc%2FHOD.xml-H-405.951.xml. Accessed April 6, 2025.
- American College of Emergency Physicians Policy Statements. Opposing the Use of the Term “Provider” approved October 2023., https://www.acep.org/patient-care/policy-statements/opposing-the-use-of-the-term-provider#:~:text=ACEP%20strongly%20supports%20health%20care,any%20other%20non%2Dspecific%20terminology. Accessed April 6, 2025.
- Bray TJ, Walker J. Medical school or “provider school”. J Orthop Trauma. 2021;35(2):e64-e65.
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One Response to “The Disappearing Doctor: Challenging the Provider Paradigm”
August 29, 2025
Pam Bensen, MDDr. Shenvi,
This is a wonderful article. There are other words we can substitute in the same context as ‘physician’ where a substitute has subtlety altered perceptions. The use of the word ‘reimbursement’ rather than ‘payment’ has resulted in a radically different perception of the financial arrangements for physician services.
I would love to read an article where you applied your logic and knowledge to the word ‘reimbursement’ to provide the same insights as found here.
I wrote a similar article to ACEP asking them to replace reimbursement with payment, but got no where. I am going to compare your article to my request and see if I can improve mine and resubmit it unless you would do it instead. Keep up the great work