I went to the doctor yesterday, and I was struck by something; why is doctor the only profession where one elevates oneself above his or her customers by requiring an honorific title?
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have a PhD in hard sciences. I’m allowed (whatever that means) to be called Dr. Fiveyearlurker, and anyone who tells me that I don’t have this right will be met with a lengthy discussion about the length and difficulty of graduate school (it takes more than twice as long as medical school! Multiple choice tests? Are you kidding me?!). But I digress…
Though I have the right to be called “Doctor”, you know what I call another scientist? Bill. Unless her name is Lucy. And it isn’t just among ourselves. The lab technicians, glass washers, janitorial staff, visitors, school children, lab mice. They are all encouraged to call us by our first name, after we are inevitably called “Doctor” upon first meetings. Except the school children. They are required to call me “Lord High Ruler of the Underworld”. But at least I admit that his just for my own ego.
I guess scientists are a fairly laid back (drunk) bunch.
Medical doctors even call each other “Doctor Soandso”. It drives me nuts. Let’s put down the pretension. I respect that becoming a medical doctor is a difficult path. It takes a lot of time and money and concentration. But, so do quite a few professions.
No you are no required to call them “Dr.”. I work in a medical facility, and the only person I call “Doctor” is the head of the department, and that is simply because he’s old, and it would be weird to call him by his first name.
In addition, since you too are a Dr., you certainly could request that he also call you “Dr.” I love the greeting “Doctor” head nod “Doctor”.
One of the things about physicians that drives me nutty is their penchant for calling patients by their fist name, while introducing themselves with a title. I’d be willing to my physician “Doctor” if he called me “Ms.”
Anyway, since I work with literally dozens of both Physicians, and Ph.Ds I can say that they may be irritated with a first name greeting by their patient, but will not correct you.
I guess that’s sort of my point. I don’t want to HAVE to request that my doctor call me “doctor”. I don’t WANT him to call me “doctor”. But, I don’t see any reason that I (or anyone else, myself being a “doctor” is irrelevant to me) should have to call him “doctor” either.
I can understand it, maybe, with little kids. If there is some need to elevate the medical doctor in order to get kids to eat their vegetables and take their medicine. But, I’m a grown man. To me, it reeks of requiring supplication.
You’re probably right that PhDs also get irritated if they are called their first name initially. And, if I’m never going to speak to a person again, I don’t request that they call me by my first name. But, if I’m going to have continued dealings with a person, I ask them to call me “Fiveyearlurker” which is cumbersome, to be sure (and probably creepy outside of the confines of a message board…). I don’t know any PhDs who expect to be called “doctor”.
Societal protocol often dictates the proper address. If you are on familiar terms with someone, you probably use hist/her first name and/or nickname in private moments. But it would be less appropriate to do so in a public one.
Example: I am on first-name terms with our Mayor. Before a council meeting, I call him Dennis or Mac, but as soon as the meeting starts and we are on camera, he becomes Mr. Mayor, Your Honor, or Sir.
When I was in college, one professor whose classes I attended and whose house I frequented afterwards (he had two lovely grand pianos) was “Doctor” or “Dr. Sasonkin” in class, but “Manus” or “Manny” in personal or private exchanges. In fact, this is they way he once told me he wanted it. And in class, he called all students by their last name, like Mr. Musicat, as most professors did, at least when/where I went to school.
On the other hand, when I first met my dentist, he explicitly told me to always call him “Jerry,” not “Dr. Berg.” I always thought that was a friendly way to get acquainted.
Oh I know several Ph.Ds who expect to be called “doctor”. Put a Ph.D in a room full of MDs and whatch the green eyes glow! In fact I once worked as an undergrad for a PhD who was about three years older than me who expected the entire lab staff call her Dr., and she was an Associate Professor.
That said, I don’t know any physiscians who insist that you call them “Doctor” that’s just what they call themselves. In their defense, I believe that it’s simply a way to distinguish themselves from the myriad of scrub wearing, lab coat clad, folks who wander into patient rooms.
This bears itslf out, in that I work in the reseach building on the medical campus, and none of the staff call any of the rest of the staff “Doctor”. In fact, I couldn’t even tell you who, in my building, is a physician, and who is Ph.D. since there are no patients in my building.
As a matter of etiquette, you are not obliged to refer to anyone as “Doctor,” whether M.D., Ph.D., or an honorary Ll.D. is in question. But two elements supervene:
It is courteous to reference someone who has received their doctorate by the title, in a professional or formal social context, in much the same way as Lt. Col. John Smith, U.S.A.F., will be introduced to you as “Colonel Smith,” and proper manners indicates that you call him “Colonel Smith” until he says “Call me Jack.” Likewise, Henry Smithers, Ph.D., is “Dr. Smithers” until he says “Call me Hank.” Likewise, you’re “Dr. Lurker” until you say, “Call me Five.” Out fishing or on the golf course, you will be Jack, Hank, and Five automatically; it’s an informal, recreational setting.
The particular reason why M.D.'s (and D.O.'s and other doctorate-level medical men) receive the honorific in particular have to do with the operation of any health care facility, from the adult home to the research hospital to the primary care clinic run by two M.D.'s and their employees: The physician with the doctorate is the one who calls the shots (literally and figuratively) for the other staff, and it is a matter of clarity as well as courtesy to make it clear to anyone else that 25-year-old Dr. Newby is an M.D. who is entitled to tell 46-year-old Nurse Nannygarter whether or not to give the patient Demerol, solid food, or a Ringer’s Lactate IV. Consistent use of “doctor” as an honorific makes clear to anyone in said facility who is privileged to tell whom what.
Oh, in THAT situation, I totally agree. I, myself, would require someone call me “doctor” if they expect me to call them “doctor”! But, what I’m saying is, why can’t we all just put down the pretension and be called by our first name.
I have to ask, why is there a need to distinguish themselves from the “scrub wearing, lab cloat clad folks”. I mean, seriously, it’s pretty unlikely that just because someone is wearing a lab coat, a misunderstanding will occur that will force the orderlie to perform open hear surgery!
I guess I’m using the word “require” wrong. I know I’m not required to call anyone anything in the sense that the protocol police are going to arrest me. But calling your doctor “doctor” is certainly the default setting, and I’m not sure it should be.
In an above example it was cited that a dentist asked to be called by his first name, which was welcomed. Don’t you think that if doctors asked their patients to call them by their first name, a higher level of trust, built on equal footing would be established? What is gained by asking the patient to elevate the doctor? I already know he knows more than me about medicine; that’s why I made the appointment!
The particular reason why M.D.'s (and D.O.'s and other doctorate-level medical men) receive the honorific in particular have to do with the operation of any health care facility, from the adult home to the research hospital to the primary care clinic run by two M.D.'s and their employees: The physician with the doctorate is the one who calls the shots (literally and figuratively) for the other staff, and it is a matter of clarity as well as courtesy to make it clear to anyone else that 25-year-old Dr. Newby is an M.D. who is entitled to tell 46-year-old Nurse Nannygarter whether or not to give the patient Demerol, solid food, or a Ringer’s Lactate IV. Consistent use of “doctor” as an honorific makes clear to anyone in said facility who is privileged to tell whom what.[/QUOTE]
Ah, Polycarp, I’ve lurked for so long, and I feel like I know you! It’s an honor.
So, I understand that example, but is that a problem in other professions? I mean, do teachers have to call the principal “principal” (not in the presence of the students, which is a different story) so that the teachers know who their boss is or does the lawyer have to be called “lawyer” lest the secretary refuse to take dictation?
Pretty much any professional situation will have highers and lowers in one setting, and they seem to work it out without requiring formal address.
My Dad, a medical doctor, believes that only medical doctors should use the ‘Doctor’ title in everyday life, outside their professional context. For a Phd in any other discipline, he says, it is a pretentious affectation (is that a redundancy? If so, apologies).
I have no opinion on this myself, but suspect that MDs are being territorial about this.
The funny thing is that in the UK at least, a senior consultant becomes Mr. (or Miss/Mrs/Miss), and a dentist never gets called ‘Doctor’.
I know several women with Phds who say that one of the best things about it is these situations:
‘Is that Miss or Mrs?’
‘It’s Dr, actually’.
I don’t have a Phd, but there was one form I had to fill which did not allow the ‘Ms’ option. I was tempted to put ‘Dr’, ‘Professor’ or even ‘Reverend’.
Priests, judges, senators, and presidents are other examples.
I don’t mind honorific titles, myself. For many of them it’s an ego-stroke, sure. But I like the show of respect for people of (ostensibly, at least) higher learning and position, not least of all because it promotes humility, an undervalued trait these days.
It’s another thing if someone insists on being properly addressed among friends, family, or peers at work. I recall an example from the New York Time Magazine’s Ethicist column where a judge insisted that all correspondence to him, even from friends and family, be addressed “To the honorable so-and-so”, which is a bit ridiculous.
Well, for one thing, when you see your doctor, it’s not always good if it’s like a visit between two friends. A certain difference in levels should probably be present to keep that idea, that s/he knows more about medicine than you, in mind. For most routine checkups it’s probably not a big deal, but say you have a smoking habit that’s seriously affecting your health - who will you listen to more, Dr. so-and-so, or Bill the guy I play golf with?
I just use it out of tradition. I always introduce myself to my patients as Dr. P, and refer to them as Mr. or Mrs. Whatever. The few times that I have had a patient who was a Ph. D and I knew it, I did refer to them and Dr. Soandso. I have a few patients who call me Jonathan, and I don’t have a problem with that.
If I were taking a college class taught by a Ph. D., I would refer to him as Dr., but I would not expect him to do the same for me, since I’m not in my professional capacity.
At work, I use Dr. P with the staff because it confers authority; if you start a phone call with “This is Dr. P” things have a tendency to get done. I’m not saying it’s right, it’s just how it is. Interestingly, as a resident, we call our attendings (our faculty) Dr. Rogers. Dr. Cykert, etc., while they refer to us by our first names. They are all the sort of people who wouldn’t care in the least if we called them Stewart or Sam, but it has just sort of evolved that way.
My impression is that only in medicine (and the military, a separate question) are there circumstances where instantaneous awareness of who is in charge may be a literal life-or-death (or permanent-disablement-or-not) situation.
Hypothecate a multi-vehicle traffic accident or a catastrophic disaster – building collapse, etc. – and the nearby emergency room. Health care professionals of all sorts will be converging on that emergency room from various departments of the hospital, etc., and will not know each other. That Doctor A., doing a residency in pediatrics and not familiar to Nurse B. from long-term geriatric care, has authority over her as they man an emergency-room treatment station, may be essential to save Patient C., on the stretcher in front of them. The honorific may not be essential 99% of the time – but its consistent use makes clear to all and sundry who has the expertise to take charge of treatment when seconds count.
This will not be the case at a biology lab, sociology research center, etc.
I prefer to use social titles if I’m not really close to the person; but I’d prefer they use my title, in that case. Unless it’s teacher/student or (possibly) pastor/congregant, people should really be on terms of equal formality. I also dislike situations in which one person calls the other “vous” and that person calls them “tu.”
Wow. I truly appreciate that distinction from your side of the aisle, because we very often have MDs who want to see scientific research and work in a lab for a bit, and STILL expect to be called “doctor” and to call us by our first names. And, WOW does that irk me.
I remember a few years ago, there was actually a push among medical students (not yet MDs) to be allowed to use the title “doctor”.
I don’t want this to come across as overcompensating whining; I’m not taking the position, “PhDs are doctors too!” and I often see PhDs getting overly sensitive about the issue. I’m taking the position that we should all drop the honorifics.
I think I disagree with the contention that a doctor/patient meeting should not be between friends, but between unequals. Do draw an analogy, I have to take my car in today. By making the appointment, and bringing my car, aren’t I already acknowledging that the mechanic knows more about cars than me? I don’t have to call him “Mechanic Bob” to get that across. Just because I call him by his first name doesn’t mean that I’m going to argue that I know more about spark plugs than him.
In this limited situation, and ones like it, I will yield that the honorifics are required. But, I would argue that they aren’t honorifics in this case, but necessary labels that will help sort things out. But, I would argue that saying this is 1% of the time is a pretty serious overestimate.
Honey! What’s wrong! Speak to me! Are you having a heart attack! Oh my God! Someone help us, my husband can’t breathe! Is there a Bob in the house, a Jane, a Mohindar?
I think that in a professional setting, an MD (or DO) should generally be addressed as “Doctor”. I also think that said “Doctor” should generally address the patient with the honorific “Mr.” or “Ms.” or whatever the patient prefers. I think it adds to professionalism, and encourages all involved (doctor, patient, nurse, clerk) to remember what the focus of the duty should be: Patient care.
I address my fellow docs by their first name, unless we’re in front of patients. Then I refer to them as “Doctor”.
Personally, I do not like being addressed as “Doctor” outside of work. I encourage staff to call me by my first name at social functions. Some of them don’t seem comfortable with it, though. Usually either the much younger or much older ones. Frankly, doctoring is what I do, it’s not who I am.
I don’t mind my patients addressing me as “Doctor” outside of work, but these days I don’t see many of my patients on the “outside”.
If I were consulting a Ph.D professionally, I would address them as “Doctor” unless told otherwise. If I were to see them socially, or work alongside them, I would not be nearly so likely to address them as such.
Outside of a formal occasion, for me to address anyone as “Doctor”, they’d best be using their Doctoral degree on my behalf at the time.
A friend of my parents got his PhD in some liberal arts study and he absolutely insisted on being called Doctor. I didn’t know him all that well, but I did know a pretentions ass when I saw one.
At my work, I’m one of the very few with only a BS, and there are quite a number of PhDs, although very few refer to themselves that way. I worked for one, but in the office, he was Phil. When he did presentations, he was Dr. Lastname. (Yeah, we’d have called him Dr. Phil, had it had meaning back then.) As in any large group, we’ve got a few who are just a bit too full of themselves, but most are reg’lar people. Like me!
