'doctor-managed' originates from the combination of 'doctor' and 'manage,' where 'doctor' refers to a medical professional and 'manage' means to oversee or control.

'doctor' comes from the Latin word 'docere,' meaning 'to teach,' and 'manage' comes from the Italian 'maneggiare,' meaning 'to handle.'

Initially, 'doctor-managed' referred to any process overseen by a doctor, and this meaning has remained consistent.