The Magic Wand of Medicine

When I started to broadcast the information that I'd chosen to go to medical school at Western University of Health Sciences, the biggest response I received was, "Where?"

One of my friends' husband took it a step further, as he is wont to do about EVERYTHING. Our conversation went something like this:

Eric: "Wait, where are you going to medical school?"
Me: "Western University. In Pomona."
E: (frowning at me) "Is that a real medical school? I've never heard of it."
M: "Yes, Eric, it's a real medical school. Osteopathic medicine."
E: "Osteo-whatsit? That sounds like witchcraft to me. What, are you going to Hogwarts? Are they going to give you a magic wand? Are you going to cast a spell on me?"

If by magic wand he means prescribing pen, then yes. I did get a pen (shaped like a femur!) from Western.

The funny thing about it is that medicine really does involve magic, and the public doesn't even know. The traditionally "correct" symbol of medicine is the Staff of Aesclepius. Aesclepius was a deified ancient Greek physician. He is symbolized by a single serpent twining around a staff and this symbolizes a renewal of youth as the serpent molts. This symbolism has been documented as early as 2000 B.C. in Sumeria. It is the symbol that the AOA and AMA use.

The other symbol of medicine is the Caduceus of Mercury (Hermes). "Caduceus" actually translates to "magic wand", and Mercury was the Romans' god of magical incantations, conductor of the dead and--believe it or not--protector of thieves and merchants (maybe Congress should adopt this symbol--but that's a rant for another day). The Greek equivalent of Mercury was Hermes; he was associated with alchemy (yes, there are many occult connections here) and officially was the god of commerce (hmmm...profit much Blue Cross/Blue Shield???). The caduceus is the also-familiar but medically erroneous symbol of a staff surrounded by two entwining serpents that may or may not involve wings, but "caduceus" traditionally implies--oddly enough--temporality, perishableness and senility. This is the symbol most used by military medical affiliations including the Navy Hospital Corps and Army Medical Departments.

Think about that next time you look at your doctor's business card...

In an amusing aside, we're starting to trudge through specific drugs nowadays, and today's pharm professor told us, "NPO is the shorthand for 'nothing per os'. That is, 'per os' from the Latin meaning 'by mouth' and 'nothing' from the English meaning...'nothing'."

Ah.

OK. Enough blogging. I'm going to be late for Divination, Ancient Runes and Defense Against the Dark Arts.