# Why do we call a doctor "doctor"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531 "2008-12-17T07:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![unclelem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ac91a4/32.png) [@unclelem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclelem)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/21 "2008-12-17T16:58:58Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Doc Martin is a GP, not a surgeon. Doc Martin _was_ a surgeon, developed a problem about seeing blood, and so retrained to become a GP. Arguably he is both. Does the GP title trump the former surgeon title, or is it to be presumed that he chooses not to make an issue of it because he has abandoned that profession? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/22 "2008-12-17T17:29:07Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > That depends on where you are, of course. Here I would call a female medical doctor “Docteur Guérin” or simply “Docteur”; I can’t think of any case where I’d use something like “Madame le docteur”. I’m not sure what the official answer is but I can check. I agree that “Madame le docteur” wouldn’t happen in normal conversation, but it’s the formulation always used on TV, radio etc… when that particular problem is raised, probably because it encapsulates the problem without even having to explain it. And it does have everyday ramifications. Should one say FreudianSlit is “un docteur”, “une docteur”, or “une doctoresse” ? Thankfully, she’s “une psychologue”, unisex word ! Pfeeew, dodged a bullet there. > [@](#): > > “Ministre” and “président” are easy to feminize since they have an obvious feminine form. “Maire” presents the same problem as “docteur”, since the feminine form is longer and was, I believe, traditionally used to refer to the mayor’s wife and not to the female mayor. God, you’re right, I’d forgotten about that. Apparently, in France it’s canonically “madame la maire” should the woman be the actual elected official, and “madame le maire” when she’s merely the mayor’s wife. And in the case of mayors, judges, presidents and their wives “Monsieur le X” is the proper form of formal adress. Which sparked the debate anew back when Ségolène Royal was in danger of becoming France’s first … président ? présidente ? Shit, here we go again. Further inquest reveals that there are actual rules governing the feminization of job titles or absence thereof. But like all rules in the French language, there are more individual exceptions than cases governed by said rules. And people adamantly defending all available positions with equally valid arguments. Oh, and you can insist on being called whatever you damn well want. In short : it’s a huge clusterfuck, genderizations don’t make a lick of sense, and the whole deal is most probably a gigantic shibboleth anyway, linguistics as usual :). I’ll stand by the proverbially golden silence if it’s all the same to you, doc. (Oh, and to all students currently learning French : Mouahahaha. You have my sympathy.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/23 "2008-12-17T17:36:06Z")
I prefer to be referred to as “Doctor” only when I’m at work in front of patients. If patients aren’t around, i don’t particularly care if staff use my first name. I hate being called “Doctor” in social settings. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/24 "2008-12-17T17:48:09Z")
And here I thought this thread would be about why “doctor” is now understood to mean a person with an MD, rather than a person with a PhD as originally used. ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/25 "2008-12-17T17:48:59Z")
G’morning! I’m an ND but not solely an ND so my patients all call me Jesse - everyone does, whether I’m treating a patient, conducting a Bible study, performing in concert, or giving an interview re: one of my books or CD’s. Do I mind? Why would I? I only use the term ‘doctor’ when I need something of a medical nature done and have to talk to the hospital or lab. - Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531/26 "2008-12-17T19:22:36Z")
FWIW, concerning titles, I still call every coach I’ve had since high school, “Coach”. It just feels weird calling them by their first names, and none of them go by their last names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-call-a-doctor-doctor/477531.md?page=1)