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Volume 205 - Issue 11

Medical collective nouns

Author:  R John H Massie

Med J Aust 2016; 205 (11): 527. || doi: 10.5694/mja16.01069
Published online: 12 December 2016
An official list from the Society for Advancement of Medical Humour
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An official list from the Society for Advancement of Medical Humour∗

Everybody loves a good collective noun. Collective nouns often describe a characteristic shared by the individuals in that group (a parliament of owls describing the supposed wisdom of our feathered sages).1,2 Sometimes the origin is more puzzling (a tabernacle of bakers), but they bring colour to our language (an escargatoire of snails).1 Often they are just plain clever (a culture of bacteria).2 Verbs can become nouns (a leap of leopards).1 Alliteration adds literary merit and, if combined with an apt description, can be sublime (an imposition of in-laws).2

Medicine is packed full of craft groups that are ripe for creating collective nouns. It is timely to document this list in the face of rise of the beige-Americanised-international version of English that is taking root in our global village and for which a collection of anything is a bunch (a curmudgeon of letter writers I hear you say!).

Here, the Society for Advancement of Medical Humour has put its head together to develop a list of collective nouns to describe medical colleagues (Box). This list is by no means complete and submissions are welcome (no correspondence entered into). In keeping with the fundamental rule of medical humour, good taste may sometimes have to give way to humour (also no correspondence entered into). Offence will be taken as a source of pride in a job well done.

Box –

Medical group

Collective noun

Medical group

Collective noun

Administrators

Rumble

Midwives

Delivery

Addiction physicians

Party

Music therapists

Melody

Adolescent medicine physicians

Whatever

Nephrologists

Loop

Allergists

Sneeze

Neonatologists

Crib

Anatomists

Corps

Neurologists

Stroke

Anaesthetists

Gasbag

Neurosurgeons

Trust

Bacteriologists

Culture

Nuclear medicine physicians

Scatter

Bioethicists

Agony

Nursing unit managers (formerly matrons)

Scolding

Breast surgeons

Clutch

Obstetricians

Labour

Cardiologists

Halter

Occupational therapists

Handful

Cardiothoracic surgeons

Pantheon

Ophthalmologists

Squint

Colorectal surgeons

Stink

Orthodontists

Brace

Dentists

Amalgam

Orthopaedic surgeons

Bluster

Dermatologists

Rash

Paediatricians

Play

Dieticians

Dish

Palliative care physicians

Plot

Electrophysiologists

Bundle

Pathologists

Body

Emergency physicians

Crush

Pharmacists

Bottle

Ear, nose and throat surgeons

Strangle

Physiotherapists

Peloton

Endocrinologists

Islet

Plastic surgeons

Vanity

Gastroenterologists

Bag

Psychiatrists

Craze

General practitioners

Screen

Radiologists

Shadow

Geneticists

Sequence

Recovery nurses

Rouse

Geriatricians

Frame

Residents

Rabble

Gynaecologists

(never seen in a group)

Respiratory physicians

Wheeze

Haematologists

Count

Rheumatologists

Swelling

Hospital chaplains

Conversion

Sleep physicians

Snooze

Hospital librarians

Stack

Social workers

Benefit

Hospital lawyers

Quarrel

Speech therapists

Babble

Hydrotherapists

Flotilla

Surgeons

Slice

Immunologists

Antibody

Theatre nurses

Terror

Infectious disease physicians

Hotbed

Ultrasonographers

Echo

Intensive care physicians

Bolus

Urologists

Damn

Interns

Incredulity

Vascular surgeons

Stocking

Medical students

Obsequience

Ward clerks

Folder

Microbiologists

Colony

∗The Society for Advancement of Medical Humour is a newly formed society with a very limited membership.

Author

  • R John H Massie
  • 1. Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC

Correspondence: john.massie@rch.org.au

Competing interests

No relevant disclosures.

References

View this article on Wiley Online Library

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