linguisticians

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 03/06/2001 12:03:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
douglas at NB.NET writes:

> Both "pediatrician" and "pediatrist" exist, but I've seldom encountered the
>  latter word. Apparently the pediatricians don't feel stigmatized.
>
>  There has been agitation among "technicians" in some fields in favor of the
>  designation "technologist" -- I'm not sure whether it's purely on
>  'esthetic'/'linguistic' grounds or whether some conventional job
>  classification or standard pay-scale may be or may have been involved.
>  "Technician" and "technologist" are used essentially interchangeably in
>  medicine and similar fields, I think (they're all called "techs" usually
>  anyway). But I think in the general language "technologist" may sometimes
>  evoke an image of Thomas Edison or Henry Ford, while "technician" seems
>  more plebeian.

A medical technician is someone who goes to school for three months and helps
out in doctors' offices.  A medical technologist goes to school for four
years and does lab tests in the hospital and is paid a good deal more.

"Pediatrist" is confusingly similar to "podiatrist" which is a foot doctor.

      - Jim Landau