The Order of Physicians () is the public entity that serves as the regulatory and licensing body for

medical practitioners A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physi ...

in Portugal. As a

professional order A professional order is an organization which, in a given territory, comprises all the members of the same profession, a profession which can generally be exercised in a liberal manner and which ensures a form of regulation of the profession in ques ...

, it is responsible for licensing physicians to practice medicine, for the deontological norms that regulate the medical profession, it has an autonomous disciplinary regime, and represents the profession vis-à-vis the public authorities. It was first established in 1898, as the Association of Portuguese Physicians (), the first of its kind in the country. It was incorporated as the Order of Physicians by Decree-Law No. 29 171 of 24 November 1938, and its first Chairman (with the distinctive title of ''Bastonário''; literally, Mace-Bearer) was Elísio de Azevedo e Moura (1877–1977). The current Mace-Bearer is Carlos Cortes, elected in 2023. The Order of Physicians is also responsible for the technical standards of postgraduate medical training and attributes clinicians with the degree of

specialist A specialist is someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research. Specialist may also refer to: Occupations * Specialist (rank), military rank ** Specialist (Singapore) * Specialist officer, military rank in ...

References

1938 establishments in Portugal Medical associations based in Europe Medical and health organisations based in Portugal Medical and health regulators Medical regulation Professional associations based in Portugal Regulation in Portugal {{Portugal-stub