In the early 19th century, most hospitals were for the poor and physicians were not a crucial part of most American patients’ experience. Sick people relied on the advice and help of neighbors and midwives. When patients did seek out a medical practitioner they had a plethora of options, perhaps the widest choice in American history. At the time, there was no single medical profession in the US. There were no national boards, specialty boards, government or private research institutes, or certification committees. Because there was no national examining or regulatory agencies, the doctors’ practices were even more individualize than it is today.

Medical practice was not unified. American medicine was diverse and competitive; perhaps the most open medical marketplace of any Western nations. Doctors often disagree about the proper therapy and about diagnosis. Their practice had to be responsive to the context in which it occurred. They frequently complained that as they entered a patient’s home, it was not the doctor but the patient and family who made the final choice of treatment. Until the 1850s most medical education did not take place in medical schools. An American practitioner did not need to have a medical degree or any formal certification from the state to be regarded as a legitimate physician. Medical training was done by apprenticeship. Doctors obtained medical skills and knowledge from older skilled healers in their communities (Rogers). Read the rest of this entry »

Related posts

• DEA Shatters International Internet Drug Ring (0)
• Online Pharmacies and Telemedicine (0)
• Nature Worship (0)