Polite, friendly way to refer to a doctor, often used by children or when speaking to a doctor directly. More respectful than 医者.
Since my fever wouldn't go down, I went to see a doctor.
I was examined by the doctor.
Doctor, my stomach hurts.
Just to be safe, you should have a doctor examine you.
In the future, I want to become a doctor.
先生 is used to address or refer to a doctor directly (like a title), while お医者さん is the general polite word for 'a doctor' as a profession.
医者 is the neutral, everyday word for a doctor, while お医者さん adds honorific お〜さん to sound softer and more polite, especially when talking to children or addressing a doctor directly.
歯医者 specifically means a dentist, while お医者さん refers to a doctor in general, so the two are not interchangeable despite the shared 医者 root.
playing doctor; playing doctor and patient
Formed from 医者 (doctor) with the honorific prefix お and honorific suffix さん, creating a polite and affectionate term.