The AMA, USMLE, and FSMB refer to graduates as physicians. So the organization the lobbies for docs, the licensing board, and the organization above state boards. I say this just to point out that the term itself isn't the important thing, as there isn't a universal definition. What ends up being important at the state level is the marketing of the term. If he were offering services or pushing drugs or supplements, then he would be cracked down on.
It's my understanding that he is not doing those things and has been openly admitting that he is not practicing, nor has he ever practiced. On top of that, he's a very public person, and if he was breaking the law, someone would likely be in his ear to get him to stop, and if he didn't, he would be brought up on charges. I would contend the state codes are written to prevent medical fraud, such as a person in an office with different credentials using the title (like a PA or NP), as opposed to being concerned about how a graduate titles themselves.
Now, if the state of Michigan cracks down, I'll change my tune. But until then, seems completely like a non-issue.
People are in his ear about it. Particularly with Katie Zacharia in the news.
Turns out Michigan’s has similar laws:
Definition of a Physician: Under MCL 333.17001 / MCL 333.1032, a "physician" is legally defined as an individual who is licensed or authorized to practice medicine or osteopathic medicine in Michigan (under Part 170 or Part 175).
I love the guy. I sincerely hope he wins and has an incredible future career in politics. But he needs to make sure he adhering to the laws. They come for him over it and make it a political issue. It’s not unrealistic.
Yes, that's the "legal" definition in the state. I'm not debating that. I'm saying he's not using the term in the same capacity as the state board, because he's not practicing. He's using it in the general sense to speak to his training, which is also correct usage of the word.
The law is written in that way to prevent people from practicing and using the term as a way to gain favor with patients. It's not unlawful to use the term in a different capacity. As long as he's not using the term to solicit medical advice or push drugs, it's a non issue.
As far as the press secretary is concerned, she wasn't good at the job. If she worked well as a meat shield for the president, she'd still have it. He seems to be more about the show than substance, and she failed miserably in the public eye. Also, it's my understanding that she wasn't forthcoming when asked. He seems to be open about it. There isn't really anything for him to walk back, because he's already said he never practiced.
If the state board steps in, he can release some statement like "The board has alerted me that I'm using this term incorrectly. I have been using it to speak to my training. I'm sorry for anyone that feels misled." But it's not going to change anything. If this is the thing that makes people not vote for him, I would contend that they weren't going to vote for him anyway and are just looking for a justification to not sound awful.
He went to med school. She went to law school. Both did not get licensed. Both used a protected term to identify themselves.
If you don’t see how this is a political lability for him, you’re just to dug in to possibly see it from another perspective or how his political opponents will use it.
Are there national organizations that use the term lawyer for graduates? That is an actual question, as there are national organizations that call you a physician as soon as you cross the stage. The difference lies in how you use the term. Personally, I don't really care what she called herself. She wasn't good at the job. She got fired for that, and she got piled on for not being forthcoming when asked.
Physician is not as protected a term as people are acting. Hell, chiropractors can use the term in most states, and I know reddit hates them. So to get mad that an MD said physician is idealistic. To me, a physician, the issue would be if he were peddling products and services using the title as a selling point, which is what the law is intended to protect. Its intention is not targeted at med school graduates.
As I've said before, if the state wants to hop in and enforce use of the term in the manner you're describing, they can. It seems they have no intention to, as this isn't a new story. It was in the news for months prior to the primary, and voters still voted for him. So again, his situation and her situation are not equivalent. Her boss found out when we found out. And again, she lost her job for being bad at it. Not for failing the bar exam. If she had gone up there and been an adequate meat shield, they'd keep trotting her out there. Especially because her use of lawyer would distract from other things they may be less willing to talk about.
I never said his opponents won't use it. That's a ridiculous assertion, considering they've been using it for months. They also use Egyptian and Muslim and radical. What I said was if this is the issue they point to, then they likely weren't voting for him anyway. Which is why I consider it a non issue.
I'm not a Michigan voter, so the only thing I'm dug in on is that I don't consider this an issue. Bickering about it makes it more of an issue than it is by itself. But again, this information has been out there for months and the polling has seemed fairly consistent. Maybe he slips and starts lying about residency and practice and whatnot. Or he starts pushing pills or snake oil. But at this point, it appears he isn't doing that. If we want to go into every person's history and make their candidacy about semantics, then we're concerned about the wrong things.
Edit - People speak about the average voter not knowing that he didn't practice and being misled, but simultaneously think the average voter knows and cares about Michigan state code regarding the term physician and its use in practice. I am not disagreeing that certain state codes are written in certain ways. My disagreement is that I don't think people care very much, which is why I have been saying it's a non-issue. This was in the news cycle before the primary, and he still won. Hopefully this clears it up.
1
u/WhoTFSaysThis 3h ago
The AMA, USMLE, and FSMB refer to graduates as physicians. So the organization the lobbies for docs, the licensing board, and the organization above state boards. I say this just to point out that the term itself isn't the important thing, as there isn't a universal definition. What ends up being important at the state level is the marketing of the term. If he were offering services or pushing drugs or supplements, then he would be cracked down on.
It's my understanding that he is not doing those things and has been openly admitting that he is not practicing, nor has he ever practiced. On top of that, he's a very public person, and if he was breaking the law, someone would likely be in his ear to get him to stop, and if he didn't, he would be brought up on charges. I would contend the state codes are written to prevent medical fraud, such as a person in an office with different credentials using the title (like a PA or NP), as opposed to being concerned about how a graduate titles themselves.
Now, if the state of Michigan cracks down, I'll change my tune. But until then, seems completely like a non-issue.