Is a female physician a medica?

Question

Is the translation for a female physician still a médico....or is she a médica????

Answer 1

That's the subject of hot debate between the language purists and the defenders of women's rights.

The purists say that the name of established, traditional professions such as: "Médico", "Abogado"; "Profesor", "Juez" and so on, should remain in the male gender, even if the person holding the title is female. Thus I know several female professionals who always state that their title and profession is: Doctor, Profesor, Médico...

Women's rights activists and those who are more PC oriented state that this is a lot of nonsense, given that you do have a lot of professions where both the male and female versions are used, such as: "enfermera/o", "maestra/o", "secretaria/o". It is also argued that it is awfully convenient that for those professions that have been traditionally held by females (such as enfermera OR secretaria), the male gender is applied if the holder of the title is male. So, shouldn't it logically follow that a male nurse should also be an "enfermera", if a female medic must be "médico"?

The short of it is, then - Go ahead and use "médica" if it appeals to your sense of fairness - but be warned that some people may consider it to be incorrect.

This is the diccionary of the Real Academia Española, and "médico" has the femenine form "médica"... http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/html/cabecera.htm - Benz, Mar 24, 2010

I agree and that gives it legitimacy. It does not however change the fact that it is a debated topic and that many women still go as " Juana Pérez, Médico" - Gekkosan, Mar 24, 2010

It is more and more common, however to see the female gender being used for all professions. - Gekkosan, Mar 24, 2010

Have a vote Gek - the feminists had a problem when it came to languages with genders - which English does not. Some ludicrous changes were suggested and adopted. Ex: "manhole" changed to "access cover" which could mean almost any cover. - ian-hill, Mar 24, 2010

Nice answer man, I had no idea this was an issue. - TheSilentHero, Mar 24, 2010

Answer 2

As everybody knows I think this is nonsense, medica sounds utterly weird, for me it is medico.

Have a look at this thread on the debate

See what I mean, Benz? :-) - Gekkosan, Mar 24, 2010

I agree, Heidita. When I read "Médica," I think of "Medicamento." Nevertheless, this notion is hotly debated these days by those who choose to waste their time doing so. - 005faa61, Mar 24, 2010

Answer 3

I totally agree with Heidita: Medica, abogada, juez.... whatever would juez and fiscal be made into??? Jueza, fiscala? I see no need to use feminized titles. In fact, I would be a little annoyed if someone would use such a term to describe me.

To me, that would sound just as weird as substituting "manpower" for "peoplepower"

yes, many actually use jueza over here.....pufffff - 00494d19, Mar 24, 2010

Really.... and fiscala aswell? - chicasabrosa, Mar 24, 2010

Do you know that the Venezuelan government has adopted it as Official Policy that all public posts are to be "gender correct"? So officially there are Juezas and Ministras - although I'm not sure if they go as far as fiscala. - Gekkosan, Mar 24, 2010

If they are that strict about correctness it would be consistent if they would go as far as fiscala. But that would sound so wrong to me. - chicasabrosa, Mar 25, 2010

Answer 4

jajaja I'm not F O R médica guys. In fact, I'm against our president "Mrs Cristina Kichner" who insits to be called "Presidenta"... I hate that!!! jajaja (btw, it's not even accepted by the RAE)

BUT

Médica is accepted by the Real Academia Española, so.... no matter is sounds weird. I was told a thousand times the RAE is the authority , so as we say in Argentina "a llorar a la Iglesia". Médica is correct

.

According to the Real Academia Española

médico1, ca.

(Del lat. med?cus).

1. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a la medicina.

2. m. y f. Persona legalmente autorizada para profesar y ejercer la medicina.

MORF. U. t. la forma en m. para designar el f.

1. f. coloq. desus. Mujer del médico.

~ de cabecera.

1. m. y f. médico que asiste habitualmente a una persona o a una familia.

médico de cámara.

1. m. médico que prestaba servicio en el palacio de los reyes.

~ de familia.

1. m. y f. médico de cabecera.

Answer 5

Yes, médica for a woman

http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltGUIBusUsual