Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"?

Question

no, seriously, why do they do that

Answer 1

Well, if you look at the definition of 'practice' then it's not unnerving at all

1) To do or perform habitually or customarily; make a habit of:
2) To work at, especially as a profession
3) To do or perform (something) repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill

Now, I assume your issue is with the 3rd definition, in that case.. I would hope that doctors would want to polish their skills. Medicine is ever changing and ever evolving. There are always better treatments, better diagnostics, better equiptment being come up with all the time.. A doctor's profession is as much constant learning as it is treating people.

Answer 2

"Practice" is a little word we hated as little kids. So think of baseball -- a multi-zillion dollar business. Players don't "play" just for fun, and they don't hold "batting practice" just to have a good time.

All of science involves trial-and-error, and the whole concept of research is based upon making mistakes. Research results trickle down to doctors, who apply those results. In the operating table, or in the office, doctors continue to "practice," and maybe -- as in the case of diagnosis and surgery-- their ability to combine knowedge, constant learning, and personal technique will eventually be called an "art." And even after that, they continue tp "practice!" Outcome isn't always predictable, because every patient is just a little different from the next one; and unexpected things -- like a germ or two -- sometimes jump into the picture to foul things up. But through it all, a doctor "practices" -- just like a baseball player -- to ever-improve his own skills and batting average. And those things matter to the doctor, you see, as much as they matter to you.

It's why doctors take so long to become ... doctors, and why internships (practicing under intense supervision) are required along the way.

Answer 3

This statement is defined by rookie doctors. Some of whom can be truly scary. To define practice let me relate a story. Several years back ER was a hot show. When Dr. Green lost a pregnant patient to DIC, a certain facilty had an increase in the number of rookies ordering tests for this condition. We started watching ER to see what would come next.

Answer 4

Doctors should call it banking. Also, I always liked the old question: Why is the building where you board your flight called a Terminal? And why do climbers ware Down Jackets to go Up? And why are some traffic signs , here, written in Itailian...Like...NO..U..Turn?

Answer 5

You practice something that you do... it is an expression. A lawyer practices law... it's a nice way of saying "does"... and so its meaning in this case is not the conventional meaning of practice which is to rehearse, but rather it conveys doing... engaging in a task.

Answer 6

how about the doctors who call it business!
it is practice in the end of the day you go to med school you learn how to examine diagnose and treat and hope for the best

Answer 7

practice means doing something with your hands, and you do it better every time by collecting experience. so practical work is the most important to doctors, and not studding

Answer 8

You are right, they are just practicing because they do not have it down yet.

Answer 9

The others have answered the question well. To add to your question (and my frustration), I hate how it's called "fishing" instead of "catching" and "hunting" instead of "shooting-and-killing". I wish the latter were true in both cases!

Answer 10

I guess perfect would sound more reassuring but we all know that would be a lie