• In North America, the title physician is now widely used in the broad sense, and applies to any legally qualified and http://www.mdbonedocs.com/ licensed practitioner of medicine

• In the United States and Canada, the term physician is used to describe those holding the degrees of Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• It is also fanatic to delineate the holders of medical degrees from other countries when practicing in North America (in the UK and other Commonwealth countries, such degrees are approximately MB BS, MB BChir etc which are are equivalent to the US MD degree)
• The American Medical Association, established in 1847, uses physician in this broad sensation to characterize all its members.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are not described as physicians; the American College of Nurse Practitioners do not depict themselves this way. They are classified as allied healthcare professionals. Some nurse practitioners may perform effort coincidental to that of some physicians, especially in first care, but of a lesser scope. Physician Assistants are classed as advance practice clinicians.