Doctors' Training in the 1850's

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Training a Doctor
Doctors are people that went to college or university.  There are doctors of history, law and other subjects.  Nine hundred years ago the word “doctor” was the first time it meant doctor of medicine.  Colleges were set up five hundred years ago to train doctors.  A law made one hundred fifty years ago said that doctors had to be trained.
      
The University of Salerno in Italy began to teach medicine.  Students at the University of Salerno had to past tests in order to be given the name of “Doctors of Medicine.” Britain’s Royal College of physicians is one the oldest colleges in London.  People at Britain Royal College couldn’t become doctors unless the college said they could.  Doctors called “quacks” were fake doctors that gave fake colored medicine.         

A long time ago doctors visited people in their homes.  Doctors charged their patients a lot of money for a visit.  Usually people couldn’t afford a visit from the doctors.  Doctors didn’t have much good medicine to give to their patients.  When people in Britain needed special cures they went to women called “wise women.” People thought that they might be witches in the United States.  People knew more about herbal medicines than people today.

Doctors in the U.S. Today

    A U.S. doctor has to study seven years after college.  Doctors have to have three to four years of college.  After college they also have to have three to four years of medical school.  Medical schools and osteopathy {treating disease by working on muscles using your hands, same as using medicine and surgeries}schools require a bachelor’s degree.  After a doctor has had three to four years of medical school they have a year of residency at a hospital.