HealthAugust 16, 2026

housemanship

HOUSE-mun-ship

Definition

A period of supervised clinical training for newly graduated medical doctors, typically performed in a hospital setting.

Etymology

Derived from the combination of 'house' (referring to the hospital as a 'house' of medicine) and the suffix '-manship' (denoting a skill, craft, or period of service). It originated in the mid-20th century, particularly within Commonwealth medical systems, to describe the supervised 'on-the-house' residency of a new doctor.

In the news

The article mentions that the deceased physician, Dr. Stephen Vanman, had recently completed his mandatory housemanship at a teaching hospital before entering private practice.

Health professionals under threat as safety concerns mount

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Punch Newspapers

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