Provider v. Physician

Lots of discussion on twitter regarding the use of the term ‘provider’ when it is applied to physicians. As usual, there are exaggerated responses on all sides. I do believe it is a bothersome term for many reasons. It obviously was generated by some admin types as the spectrum of medical care has been industrialized and micromanaged. When looking over balance sheets it was made easier for the bean counters to lump anyone who interacts with patients into the ‘provider’ category, as they tally up where they can cut resources here and boost revenue there. Is the term as offensive to a physician as the term ‘nigger’ is to a black person, as some have implied? Or for that matter as offensive as the term ‘kike’ to a Jew, or ‘cracker’ to a southerner? Hardly, and that type of overreaction immediately prevents the argument against the term from being taken seriously. I have fortunately engaged with administrators who understand the pride doctors have in being called physicians, and realize the provider term can be at its worst insulting. I refuse to respond to those that lump me into that designation, but I will not be offended by the word. Those that apply it to physicians demonstrate their laziness and ignorance of language, but I will not rise to their bait and lose my ability to respond rationally. Do I like the term? No. But let us discuss it with reason and not hyperbole.