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.
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.
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.
Really? I call my dentist “Dr. Lastname”. Everyone I know does that, too.
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 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.
Now that all my doctors, dentists, and other medical personnel are years younger than I, I call them by first name.
Well, I meant outside of clinical settings!
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.
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.