The Chinese word "外科" is formed by combining the character "外", which means "outside" or "external", with "科", which denotes a "branch of study" or "department". Together, they create a term that literally signifies the "external department" of medicine, reflecting its historical focus on treating ailments through outward procedures like surgeries, wound care, and visible interventions, as opposed to internal medicine that deals with internal bodily systems. This conceptual pairing arises from the traditional categorization of medical practices based on whether the treatment involves external manipulation or internal remedies.