practice of medicine - the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries; "he studied medicine at Harvard"learned profession - one of the three professions traditionally believed to require advanced learning and high principles preventive medicine - the branch of medicine concerned with preventing disease; "the medical establishment doesn't profit from preventive medicine" alternative medicine - the practice of medicine without the use of drugs; may involve herbal medicines or self-awareness or biofeedback or acupuncture complementary medicine - the practice of medicine that combines traditional medicine with alternative medicine group practice - (medicine) the practice of medicine by a group of physicians who share their premises and other resources quack - act as a medical quack or a charlatan doctor - give medical treatment to vet - provide veterinary care for vet - provide (a person) with medical care nurse - try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury; "He nursed his cold with Chinese herbs" transfuse - give a transfusion (e.g., of blood) to digitalize - administer digitalis such that the patient benefits maximally without getting adverse effects cure, bring around, heal - provide a cure for, make healthy again; "The treatment cured the boy's acne"; "The quack pretended to heal patients but never managed to" dress - apply a bandage or medication to; "dress the victim's wounds" bandage - dress by covering or binding; "The nurse bandaged a sprained ankle"; "bandage an incision" strap - secure (a sprained joint) with a strap splint - support with a splint; "splint a broken finger" operate on, operate - perform surgery on; "The doctors operated on the patient but failed to save his life" medicate - impregnate with a medicinal substance drug, dose - administer a drug to; "They drugged the kidnapped tourist" dope up, dope - give a narcotic to; "The athletes were dope by the coach before the race" soup - dope (a racehorse) salve - apply a salve to, usually for the purpose of healing inject, shoot - give an injection to; "We injected the glucose into the patient's vein" infuse - introduce into the body through a vein, for therapeutic purposes; "Some physiologists infuses sugar solutions into the veins of animals" vaccinate, immunise, immunize, inoculate - perform vaccinations or produce immunity in by inoculation; "We vaccinate against scarlet fever"; "The nurse vaccinated the children in the school" cup, transfuse - treat by applying evacuated cups to the patient's skin eviscerate - remove the contents of; "eviscerate the stomach" diagnose - subject to a medical analysis explore - examine (organs) for diagnostic purposes palpate, feel - examine (a body part) by palpation; "The nurse palpated the patient's stomach"; "The runner felt her pulse" slough off - separate from surrounding living tissue, as in an abortion |