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THE HISTORY OF MEDICAL LICENSURE

1935; American Medical Association; Volume: 104; Issue: 13 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1001/jama.1935.02760130007002

1538-3598

Henry E. Sigerist,

History of Medicine Studies

The idea of making the practice of medicine dependent on a license, a certificate issued by a competent body testifying that the bearer has undergone a training considered adequate, is an idea that originated in the Middle Ages. The European Middle Ages created an institution that was modified in the course of time but survived in its basic idea to the present day. The idea of licensing the medical profession resulted from the general structure of medieval society, which was strictly organized according to status, crafts, trades and professions. Each such vocational group had regulations, standard-setting codes, guaranteeing highly qualified services to society. It was recognized that such standards were particularly important in the case of the medical profession. In no other profession is lack of knowledge so serious in its consequences as in medicine. A wrong legal judgment can be corrected by a higher court. A wrong diagnosis or