"I am professional like you."

[Odessa Dawn]

"I am professional like you."


An English teacher and his old father visited the emergency section. However, doctors were busy and paid no attention to them. The teacher got angry and said, "I am professional like you." I understood what he meant by that. It means that he and doctors at same level- educated. My question is this, is it the same phrase used by native speakers in such a situation, please?

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[Gillnetter]

"I am professional like you."


An English teacher and his old father visited the emergency section. However, doctors were busy and paid no attention to them. The teacher got angry and said, "I am professional like you." I understood what he meant by that. It means that he and doctors at same level- educated. My question is this, is it the same phrase used by native speakers in such a situation, please?

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"I am professional like you" means that you also do things in a professional manner. "I am a professional like you", means that you are also a professional. Education is generally not considered in these types of statements. For example, a professional social worker may have six years of higher education (in the US) while a physician may have more than eight years of higher education. Also, a professional truck driver may have less than nine years of formal education but he/she is still called a professional.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"I am professional like you" means that you also do things in a professional manner. "I am a professional like you", means that you are also a professional. Education is generally not considered in these types of statements. For example, a professional social worker may have six years of higher education (in the US) while a physician may have more than eight years of higher education. Also, a professional truck driver may have less than nine years of formal education but he/she is still called a professional.

I general, I agree with you. But the noun "professional" has several different meanings and, as such, it means different things to different people. As to the OP's posting, I think that most people would agree that a teacher and a physician are both professionals. The difference is that there are few education emergencies that require prioritization in providing services.

 

[SoothingDave]

I don't think we would have a similar situation. Emergency rooms treat patients based on the severity of their condition, not their ranking in society. Saying, essentially, "treat me first cause I am of a higher class than these other people" would not be a strategy to gain favorable treatment here.