A physician is a person who has completed studies in medicine at university level. To be legally licensed for the independent practice of medicine (comprising prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation), (s)he must in most cases undergo additional postgraduate training in a hospital (from 6 months to 1 year or more).
To establish his or her own practice, a physician must fulfill additional conditions. The number of physicians at the end of the year includes all active physicians working in health services (public or private), including health services under other ministries than the Ministry of Health. Interns and residents, i.e. physicians in postgraduate training, are also included. The number of physicians excludes: physicians working outside the country; physicians on the retired list and not practicing or unemployed; physicians working outside health services, e.g. employed in industry, research institutes etc.; dentists (stomatologists) who should be defined as a separate group. National practices in using full-time equivalent and/or physical persons differ, therefore the possibility to provide data in both versions is provided.
Alternative formulation of definition harmonized with EUROSTAT and OECD in 2006:
Physicians (medical doctors) as defined by ISCO 88 (code 2221) apply preventive and curative measures, improve or develop concepts, theories and operational methods and conduct research in the area of medicine and health care. Practicing physicians provide services directly to patients. Practicing physicians' tasks include: conducting medical examination and making diagnosis, prescribing medication and giving treatment for diagnosed illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving specialized medical or surgical treatment for particular types of illnesses, disorders or injuries, giving advice on and applying preventive medicine methods and treatments. | Inclusion:- Persons who have completed studies in medicine at university level (granted by adequate diploma) and who are licensed to practice.
- Interns and resident physicians (with adequate diploma and providing services under supervision of other medical doctors during their postgraduate internship in a health care facility).
- Salaried and self-employed physicians delivering services irrespectively of the place of service provision.
- Foreign physicians licensed to practice and actively practicing in the country
Exclusion:- Students who have not yet graduated.
- Dentists and stomatologists / dental surgeons.
- Physicians working in administration, research and in other posts that exclude direct contact with the patients.
- Unemployed physicians and retired physicians.
- Physicians working abroad.
Registration of physicians differs per country. For details see definition sections in the European health for all database (WHO-HFA-DB)
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Literature and data sources
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