1650s, "physician; medical student," from Latin medicus "physician" (see medical (adj.)); modern sense of "serviceman in a military medical corps" is recorded by 1925.

"medical technician," 1970, back-formation from paramedical. The meaning "medical corpsman who parachutes" is 1951 from parachute + medic.

by 1851 as a shortening of medic. As a colloquial shortening of medicine, by 1942. With a capital M and short for Mediterranean, by 1948. Meds as a shortening of medications is attested in hospital jargon by 1965.

"system for providing public funds to persons needing assistance with medical expenses," 1966; see medical (adj.) + aid (n.). The U.S. medical assistance program was created by Title XIX of the Social Security Act of 1965. 

"pertaining or relating to the art or profession of healing or those who practice it," 1640s, from French médical, from Late Latin medicalis "of a physician," from Latin medicus "physician, surgeon, medical man" (n.); "healing, medicinal" (adj.), from medeor "to cure, heal," originally "know the best course for," from an early specialization of PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures" (source also of Avestan vi-mad- "physician"). "The meaning of medeor is based on a semantic shift from 'measure' to 'distribute a cure, heal'" [de Vaan]. The earlier adjective in English in this sense was medicinal. Related: Medically.

mid-15c., "medical skill; a medicinal compound, a healing substance," from Old French médicament (15c.) and directly from Latin medicamentum "drug, remedy," literally "means of healing," from medicare, medicari "to medicate, heal, cure" (poetic and Late Latin) from medicus "physician; healing" (see medical (adj.)).

"to treat medicinally," 1620s, a back-formation from medication, or else from Late Latin medicatus, past participle of medicare, medicari "to medicate, heal, cure" (poetic and Late Latin) from medicus "physician; healing" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures"). Related: Medicated; medicating. The earlier verb in English was simply medicinen (late 14c.).

"a quack, a pretender to medical knowledge or skill," c. 1600, from Latin *medicaster (source also of Italian medicastro, French médicastre, 16c.), from medicus "physician" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures") + -aster. The feminine form is medicastra.

"having healing or curative properties, suitable for medical use," mid-14c., from Old French medicinal and directly from Latin medicinalis "pertaining to medicine," from medicina  "the healing art, medicine; a remedy" (see medicine). Related: Medicinally.

"medical practitioner," 1680s, from Spanish médico or Italian medico, from Latin medicus "physician; healing" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures").