Greek Medicine In America Essay

The practice of Medicine has been performed since the times of Ancient Greece. While the Greeks believed these illnesses came from the Greek Gods, today’s physicians and medical experts know the true causes due to research and practices being carried out in America since the early 17th century. Medical procedures have drastically changed whether from hygienic purposes to practical or an increase of knowledge of the body. How different are our modern practices from the early Greeks and 17th century America? Section Two: Summary

During the times of Ancient Greece, illness was considered to be caused by the Greek Gods. The Greeks regarded illness as a divine punishment and healing was quite literally, a gift from the gods(Cartwright).

America’s medical practice was divided into three kinds of fields durin the early 1600s, physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries(Berman). Physicians were the most educated and the only one out of the three groups to have a degree(Burman). The other two groups instead of going to universities, were house trained and commonly carried out apprenticeships(Burman). This practice of medicine is not the same as today, for all medical practitioners need some degree or certification to carry out the practice of medicine. The first medical institution, the New Jersey Medical Society was formed in 1766, creating the standards of practice, education, apprenticeship, and a code of ethics(Burman). These standards are still relatively seen in today’s modern medicine. These practices continued to be regulated to ensure transparency in doctors. By the early 1800s, medical societies were in charge of regulations, standards of practice, and certification of doctors(Burman). After these regulations were put in place, the first American medical schools were formed. The first medical college formed was the “Medical Society of the County of New York”, founded March 12th, 1807(Burman). After many complaints of corruption in medical education, a national convention was held in 1846(Burman). The convention would lead to the creation of the American Medical Association(Burman). By 1930, almost all medical schools required a liberal arts degree for admission(Burman). Specialization of Medicine did not appear until the mid-1900s. After many years of regulations and practice, Medicine is one of the most regulated professions in America, due to strict guidelines and constant evaluation by Medical