quack; incompetent doctor; bad doctor
Derogatory term for a doctor with poor skills or knowledge. Often used humorously or in self-deprecation. The やぶ part comes from 野巫 (unskilled shaman), implying lack of real ability.
See also: 野巫 (やぶ)
あの病院の先生は、本当にやぶ医者だよ。
That doctor at the hospital is a real quack.
If you go to a bad doctor, even a cold might not get better.
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling. The やぶ part is often written in kana.
Katakana variant of the やぶ part, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Ateji spelling using 藪 for やぶ. Rarely used in modern writing.
From 野巫 (やぶ, 'unskilled shaman') + 医者 (いしゃ, 'doctor'). The やぶ part was later written with the ateji 藪, which is unrelated in meaning. The term originally referred to a doctor as ineffective as a folk healer.