Types of Medical Practitioners in Charaka Samhita and its Contemporary Relevance

A bstract The contents of Charaka Samhita give an insight into the society of the ancient era, and the analysis of evolution guides in decision-making. Currently, physicians are classified on the basis of their expertise and systems of medicine. However, during the times of Charaka Samhita, physicians were classified based on several factors like skills, knowledge, cadre, and utility to society. For the current literary study, data were collected from Charaka Samhita along with its commentaries of Ayurvedadeepika and Jalpa-Kalpa-Taru, PubMed, and SCOPUS-indexed journals, and compiled books from reputed publishers. A close analysis of the classification gives insight into the study of science and the condition of the health system during ancient times. The education system was hierarchical, with those learning only the herbs and formulations being called Yogavit at the bottom and the practitioner of personalized medicine, the Uttama Bhishak on top. In the current era where the education system is switching to Outcome-based, these classifications of Charaka Samhita serve as guidelines to develop outcome-based courses for skill enhancement and employment. The text also addresses the menace of fake doctors and gives an insight into how to identify fake doctors.