Physicians in Society

It is indeed true that physicians have and continue to hold a high status in society. This is something that can be seen in many cultures throughout the world and perhaps it's attributed to the fact that physicians play a critical role in being able to diagnose and aid those in need with regards to their health. A physician's rigorous schooling and training is highly admirable as it shows a sense of self determination and dedication to their respective field, that of science and health. They have committed their lives to serving the health care needs of others, saving lives and ultimately improving the well-being of others whether it be on a micro or macro scale. I believe that the degree of an MD does not solely grant him/her status and respect but its how he/she is able to communicate and interact with his/her patients that makes the true difference. Other health care providers such as nurses and P.A.'s are also highly regarded in society because of their unique position to changing and improving the health and lives of others. However, it is apparent that they do not hold the same status as physicians. Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that physicians have been looked upon as the ultimate authority, by many, when it comes to health care. Both nurses and P.A.'s must be supervised by a physician. The P.A. profession has only been around in the United States since the mid-1960's. As for nurses, their roles have been readily increasing throughout the recent years as have P.A.'s but historically their roles and scope of practice have been limited. I believe that teachers and public health professionals are also valuable members of the entire health care profession and are increasingly gaining more and more notoriety in the field. All in all, teachers, public health professionals, nurses, P.A.'s and physicians in the United States must work together to make a fine tuned health care system that we can all be respect and be proud of.