It’s an uphill battle just for some people to even acknowledge that women are physicians. D1 has a male PA and when both go into a patient’s room, inevitably, the patient will look at the man and call him “Dr” even if D has already introduce them as “I’m Dr. WOWD and this is my PA, John Smith.”
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As of 12/31/23, Arizona allows PAs with more than 8000 clinical hours to practice collaboratively w/a physician instead of a supervising physician role.
More info:
I never know what to call APRNs, so I ask them and they just tell me to call them by their 1st name. Since we are generally much older than they are, I’m generally comfortable doing that. The staff refer to them by 1st name as well. I try not to call them doctor since they aren’t and readily acknowledge that.
Mine is too except to the insurance company. They list my PCP as Dr. Tim something, who I’ve never met (and never will). The insurance company accepts claims from the NP and that’s who I see but on my ID card it lists Dr. Tim Something.
Our insurance company lists “NO ELECTION REQUIRED” in the space for PCP on our claims, etc.
They made a big thing about the name on the cards last year because I guess too many people were requesting new cards when they switched PCPs and it was costing the insurance companies too much to keep replacing the cards. I think I was wrong and my card doesn’t list him but my online portal does. Dr. Tim is not even at the same office as my PCP.
I had always assumed that PCP meant Primary Care Physician, but I just looked on my insurance’s web site and yes, indeed, it means Primary Care Provider and there are both NPs and PAs listed as options for one’s primary care. I currently have an MD for primary care, but I would not be opposed to having an NP or PA next time I have to switch. For me, having a provider who actually listens and takes me seriously is the most important criteria. I have had way too many negative experiences with doctors who are condescending or “don’t suffer fools lightly.” I think highly of my current PCP, and the various specialists whom I see, but more than once over the years, I had difficulty finding a doctor with whom I’m comfortable and trust and was taking new patients. Perhaps I am not as confident or pushy as I should be, and I could probably be a better self-advocate, but I’ve sometimes wondered why some of them want to be health care providers when they seem to dislike interacting with patients.
I don’t think we should dismiss people who have positive experiences with other types of clinicians as just wanting a warm and fuzzy bedside manner at the expense of expertise. Sometimes people just want a clinician who doesn’t write you off as soon as they see you are black or overweight. And yes, I’ve also met some rude nurses over the years, but it has been rarer. Ideally one can get both expertise and good manners in the same person. But all the expertise in the world is useless if the health care provider is too domineering or just too busy with their patient load to hear out your concerns.
ETA: Sorry, I didn’t mean to reply to @abasket specifically. I don’t know how to fix this to make it a general reply.
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cost savings allow PAs and NPs in primary care. I never call them doctor. only MD/DO deserve that title. not even PhD 
This x 1000. I prefer providers who are willing to listen to my questions or concerns. Providers who don’t blow me off.
One MD I saw for several years had a philosophy of “You spend far more time with yourself than I do. So if you come to me and tell me that you’re concerned about something, I’m going to take it seriously and I’ll figure out what’s going on.” He’s now retired. He was a phenomenal doctor.
Friend of mine endured a rude butthead of a family practice doctor for ~ 2 yr. Friend also sees an endocrinologist regularly for something. Dr. Butthead got offended that Friend was actually seeing an endocrinologist for her condition, told her it wasn’t necessary to see a specialist, and also told her that she didn’t “really” have that condition. Meanwhile, the endocrinologist she saw literally wrote a book on the condition she has. Friend took her PCP business elsewhere. Dr Butthead actually said OUT LOUD in an appointment that he prefers elderly patients “because they do whatever I say and they don’t talk back.” 
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PCP = Primary Care Provider.
PCP used to mean Primary Care Physician, but the increasing prevalence of non-physicians in those roles presumably is the reason for it meaning Primary Care Provider now (although Primary Care Physician is still commonly used).
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OK, I’m curious. Why doesn’t a PhD deserve to be “Doctor?”
Depending on the context, people tend to make different assumptions about the meaning of “Doctor [name]”:
- Academic: can mean PhD.
- Most health care: usually seen as meaning physician only.
- Dental office: can mean dentist.
- Optometry office: can mean optometrist.
I once had a college instructor mention declining to indicate the “Dr.” when given the option of “Mr.”, “Ms.”, etc. for something like an airline ticket because of the possibility that indicating “Dr.” may result in being asked to help in a medical emergency.
I agree that in medical situations, Doctor should be reserved for MDs, DOs and podiatrists.
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Not optometrists, veterinarians, …? Aren’t there more who are properly called Dr?
Why include podiatrists in this group? They don’t go to medical school.
D2 has a doctorate in Occupational Therapy. She CAN refer to herself as “Doctor/Dr. in written communication (though she doesn’t) but she must use her proper credentials in that signature OTR/L, OTD to distinguish that she is NOT a medicaL doctor.
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Same with DS, who has doctorate in Physical Therapy. He does not use “Doctor” introducing himself to patients..just his first name!
Podiatrists are doctors of podiatric medicine and have 4 years of podiatry school and years of residency, similar to MDs abc provide primary care to many patients.
in Utah, DPTs are legally considered primary healthcare providers.