Venerable Order of Chirurgeons, Chymists and Physicians

The Venerable Order of Chirurgeons, Chymists and Physicians, more often known as the Physician's Guild, is an established guild of medical professionals in Mechandre. They were founded in 1403 as an offshoot from the Imperial Order of Chirurgeons, Chymists and Physicians in Vieure. Its primary obligations are the training of medical professionals, the study of disease, and the reporting of case studies and pioneering research to the body of literature maintained in Vieure.

The guild is run by a council of elected officials, drawn from the members of the guild. The President of the guild is selected from the council by the councillors of the Imperial Order in Vieure, based on a number of criteria. It is typically based on political standing and the strength of research. The current head is Claude Guillon, PrOCCP(M).

## Recruitment

Typically, the Order draws its recruits from the already-educated. It is common for someone applying for medical training to come from a background of university study, but it is equally common for applicants to come to the Order with a background in literacy and numbers alone. Application is via written process, including basic details of the individual, as well as an enclosed document detailing motivations for study and a summary of any existing body of research by the applicant. This process may be replaced by, or in addition to, an interview process. An interview-only application is normally reserved exclusively for exceptional candidates such as distinguish academics or those with existing medical qualifications from other institutions, and serves only to confirm the person is who they claim to be and to formalise documentation that is required.

## Training

The Order divides medicine into three general fields of practice: surgery, medicine, and medical practice. Those without medical qualifications are expected to spend a substantial amount of time in the study of their chosen field, as well as additional time on other disciplines. For applications without an existing degree in any field, this amounts to four years of study in their primary discipline, plus and additional year in each of the other two disciplines. This is to be followed by a year of independent practice before their training is complete, earning them a medical doctorate. For those with an existing degree, the four year requirement for a primary discipline is relaxed slightly, mandating only three years of study.

Training is typically in the form of lecturer tuition and case studies, as well as shadowing of existing practitioners. Cadavers are also widely used for the study of anatomy. Surgeries are typically practised in this way, too, and based on watching procedures as demonstrated by existing professionals. Lectures and teaching principles centre around the miasma theory of disease spread, but recent advances in microscopy have developed the theory of tactids. This leading to an increase in a combined theory of disease that claims that some diseases are spread by a miasma, whilst others are spread by contact.

## Organisation

### President

The president of the guild is entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters PrOCCP(M) to denote their position at the head of the guild. It is their duty to lead the guild and the council, as well as (informally) to advise the government on matters of health. There is no limit on how long the president may serve for, but current statue requires that the position be opened for reelection by the Council in Vieure every six years.

### Counsellor

The counsellors of the guild are entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters COCCP(M). Currently, the council is comprised of 15 fellows of the guild. Their duties involve oversight of the guild, including the running of the faculties, and review of the core teaching and admissions process, as well as acting as trustees for the order's holdings and finances. These positions are elected from fellows of the guild, though the three heads of faculties automatically receive positions on the council ipso facto their role, which mandates an impressive reputation for clinical and research excellence.

### Fellows

Fellows of the guild are entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters FOCCP(M) are members elevated to higher status for their contributions to the understanding of disease and treatment, typically through the form of research. Members of this rank are the majority of teachers in specialist fields and procedures.

### Members

Members of the guild are entitled to the use of the post-nominal letters MOCCP(M) are the most numerous group within the organisation. Completion of a medical doctorate and the swearing of the sacrament of servitude entitle an individual to this rank and the associated post-nominals. It is at this rank that a medical professional may formally begin teaching others the practice of medicine.

### Apprentice

Apprentices are the trainees of the guild, and are aspiring to a medical doctorate. Their status entitles them to the use of the post-nominal letters AOCCP(M).

### Faculties

The guild is split into three distinct faculties, each with their own specialisation. Each apprentice will belong to one of these three faculties, but will spend at least a year studying with each of the remaining two.

#### Faculty of medical practice

The faculty of medical practice is responsible for the training of apprentices who wish to become physicians and earn the postnominal Physician (Phy). This particular field of study centres around the origins of disease, as well as a heavy emphasis on diagnostic medicine and various schools of thought regarding treatment. Practices such as purging and bloodletting are taught, as are some minor surgeries and dental procedures. Infectious disease is nearly always treated by an individual whose specialisation is of the physician.

#### Faculty of chirurgy

The faculty of chirurgy specialises in the teaching of surgical methods and research, though they are also responsible for most anatomical tuition, and the supervision of the accompanying dissections. Most research that originates from this faculty focuses on improving surgical technique, or the advancement of the understanding of core physiology, such as the theory of pulmonary circulation, and the discovery of venous valves. Practioners who specialise in this field are entitled to the use of the postnominal Chirugeon (Chi)

#### Faculty of medicinal studies

The faculty of medicinal studies concerns itself with the use of exogenous substances in the treatment of a pathology, including anaesthesia. It borrows from alchemical and classical chemical theories for extracting substances from plantmatter, but also extols the virtue of treatments such as the consumption of crushed emeralds or washing the body with vinegar and water to treat plague. Apprentices who specialise in this faculty earn the use of the postnominal Chymist (Chy) upon gaining their doctorate.

## Activities

The Order are involved in all aspects of healthcare in the nation, with the exception of the spiritual. Their Primary work involves the training of various types of medical professional, as well as provision of care for those afflicted by sickness, and researching new avenues of diagnostics, treatment, and anatomical understanding to advance their field.

This work is reported to the order in Vieure, who compile work for circulation and archiving. Additionally, they are involved with the government, advising on matters of health and disease when asked for their opinions, and sometimes of their own volition.

## Politics and controversies

### Political affiliations

The Order are closely affiliated with the faith and the Collector's Guild due to the overlap in their work. The Order benefits from association with the Collectors by receiving a steady stream of bodies from those who come to the guild to receive an assisted suicide, which is usually performed by a medical professional, in exchange for the donation of their remains to research.

The Church and the Order often work closely together in tending to the sick. For instance, medical professionals sometimes work at, or close to, religious quarantine colonies. Even outside of this, many people consider spiritual and physical healing to be equally important in removing sickness, so priests are often present and plying their trade at the same time as a medical professional. What's more, the Order view the Church as important, as without them the sacrament of healing cannot be taken by its members.

### Public perceptions

The public have a mixed view of the Order. In part, because they dislike the members who have a policy of charging for their services, but also because it is a group started by foreign invaders who, despite the period of time that has elapsed since the conquest, are still not fully accepted. This particular line of reasoning is particularly strong amongst the native population, and less prevalent amongst the Vieurais, who are accustomed to the Order from their homeland. Accordingly, it is not uncommon to hear the natives rather unflattering refer to the Order as the Sinister Order of Butchers, Banes, and Bleeders. Despite this, many of the literate healers from the native population have taken the move to formalise their education through the guild, which has helped easy public sentiment somewhat.