Rounds

I was in the hospital seeing patients on rounds this morning, when this realization hits me.

I've been a doctor for 8 years now, and countless years before as a medical student. Never have I pondered about this.

To my dismay, despite so many years, I shamefully do not have the answer.

Maybe one of you readers out there can cure me of my ignorance.

Why in the world do they call this 'Rounds'?

Do medical teams walk in circles when we go about seeing patients? Or is it because we (lack of exercise, it must be) are round in the middle? Perhaps the word describes the shape of our head, as we prematurely lose our scalp fur from work related stress (or high-MSG diets)? Or, maybe we never explain things well to patients, rather, just going around circles rather than being to the point?

Are doctors obsessed about shapes? If so, why not 'Squares' or 'Trapezoids'. Though admittedly it would not have the same ring: "Yes, Dr. Vagus is currently doing his squares on his patients..."

In an attempt to cure myself of my stupidity (or, well, at least to improve on it. Cure will not be possible) I googled this. And disturbingly, came up with this result when I used 'Rounds' as the search term:

Is the cosmos trying to tell me something? A means to an end: The cure to painful rounding is to shoot yourself? (on a bad call day such as this, that sounds almost appealing).