# Is there a catchall term for non-MDs who go by Dr. \? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305 "2010-08-15T04:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/41 "2010-08-18T05:45:54Z")
I see nothing wrong in non-MD’s in professional setting using the title “Doctor”. At the toxicology lab I work at, a number of workers who have doctorates use the title “Doctor”. After all, they know more about the processes of the human body than most MD’s. Most coworkers refer to them as “Doctor”, but there’s no insult taken if they’re not called that. I do agree with those who say using the title “Doctor” outside of work, MD or not, is too egotistical. On a related tangent, do you know of anyone who wants to be known by their military rank in civilian life? In old movies and books I often hear of retired soldiers being called “Colonel Smith” or “Captain Jones”, but I’ve never heard of that in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/42 "2010-08-18T12:05:50Z")
Let’s see, why should doctors that aren’t “real doctors” be called doctors? I would bet that by looking up the etymology of “doctor,” we’d find that its use for “fake” doctors precedes its use for physicians. Physicians are just a different type of doctor. It actually now seems rather rude that they’ve co-opted the use of the term doctor for their exclusive use. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/43 "2010-08-18T12:32:25Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > With and in front of patients in medical settings, I do prefer to be addressed as “Doctor Mercotan”. I of course refer to patients by their titles also. Fair’s fair. Will you do self-assumed titles? I like to be addressed as “Your Magnificence”, but up to now I’ve been shy about pressing my doctors on the issue. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/44 "2010-08-18T14:04:51Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > My wife is a dentist (a type of doctor), and other than other dentists who do it for fun, no one ever calls her “doctor.” I’ve only ever heard her refer to herself as “doctor” when calling friends’ receptionists, but that’s only so that they know _which_ “Vazquez” is calling them. Really? I call my dentist “Dr. Lastname”. Everyone I know does that, too. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/45 "2010-08-18T21:32:48Z")
My dentist is referred to by the entire staff as Dr. Firstname. Mostly because his father started the practice and since they both have the same last name… ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/46 "2010-08-18T22:07:48Z")
My dentist is also Dr. Firstname, probably because his last name is tricky to pronounce. Even the oral surgeon I was referred to for my wisdom teeth called my dentist Dr. Firstname. My previous dentist was generally called Dr. Last Initial, because his last name was even more of a tongue twister. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/47 "2010-08-18T22:10:26Z")
Now that all my doctors, dentists, and other medical personnel are years younger than I, I call them by first name. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/48 "2010-08-18T22:44:45Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > > [@Balthisar](#): > > > > My wife is a dentist (a type of doctor), and other than other dentists who do it for fun, no one ever calls her “doctor.” I’ve only ever heard her refer to herself as “doctor” when calling friends’ receptionists, but that’s only so that they know _which_ “Vazquez” is calling them. > > Really? I call my dentist “Dr. Lastname”. Everyone I know does that, too. Well, I meant outside of clinical settings! ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/49 "2010-08-18T23:01:38Z")
I am a psychologist, and outside of work, I don’t use Dr. However, I do use it at work mostly because I want clients to know that I have more training than a non-PhD therapist. I introduce myself on the phone as “Dr. Brynda Lastname” but then don’t use it. Some clients call me Dr. Lastname, some Dr. Brynda, and some just Brynda. I don’t really care. I think the Dr. Brynda comes from clients who want to be more informal than using my last name, but not too informal. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/50 "2010-08-18T23:01:52Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My dentist is referred to by the entire staff as Dr. Firstname. Mostly because his father started the practice and since they both have the same last name… My dentists’ office is two brothers in partnership, and they used to also be in partnership with their father until he retired, so of course they all have the same last name (which is also in the name of the office). So everyone refers to the dentists as “Dr. Firstname,” just to keep them straight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305.md?page=2)