lekár

Lekár is the common term for a medical doctor in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It denotes a licensed physician who provides medical care, diagnoses illnesses, prescribes treatment, and advises patients. The word is used for male doctors; the feminine forms are lékařka in Czech and lekárka in Slovak. In formal or official contexts, a doctor may also be referred to simply as doktor, but lekár is the standard professional designation in everyday language.

Education and licensure require completing a medical program at a university, followed by practical training and residency in a chosen specialty. After graduation, doctors must obtain licensure from the relevant national authorities or professional bodies to practice independently. Specialization can follow general medical training, leading to fields such as internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics, or psychiatry, among others. Ongoing continuing education is typically required to maintain a license and stay current with medical advances.

Lekáři work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and private practices. Primary care physicians provide first-point contact and ongoing management for patients, while specialists focus on specific organ systems or medical conditions. The profession is tightly regulated to ensure patient safety, ethics, and professional standards, with medical boards and health authorities overseeing licensure, discipline, and quality of care.

See also: doctor, physician, medicine, medical licensing, general practitioner.