<p>This seems to be the right time to mention “Dr. Science,” from Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre. “Dr.” is his first name, and NOT his title. And as the saying goes, “How does Dr. Science know the secrets of the universe? He has a Master’s Degree . . . in Science!” Anyone else remember this?</p>
<p>[Ask</a> Dr. Science!](<a href=“http://www.drscience.com%5DAsk”>http://www.drscience.com)</p>
<p>I can’t believe nobody posted this yet…it’s my Ph.D husband’s favorite New Yorker cartoon.</p>
<p><a href=“http://cartoonbank.com/assets/1/30685_m.gif[/url]”>http://cartoonbank.com/assets/1/30685_m.gif</a></p>
<p>I like that cartoon; think I’ll post in my office.</p>
<p>I was impressed when someone graduated S’s college as Princess YYYYY. I wasn’t sure if her parents gave her that name, e.g. Dr Science, but one look at her family and it was clear she was royalty.</p>
<p>My experience:</p>
<p>If you are a PhD in an academic setting: </p>
<p>Other professors, grad students and postdocs refer to you by your first name, even if you are very senior and they were just hired. Doesn’t matter if you are a nobel laureate and the other person is a fresh grad student, chances are they will call you by your first name, and that is what you expect.</p>
<p>Undergrads and high school students call you Dr. or Prof X.</p>
<p>Secretaries and administration people call you Dr. X unless you know them a while then they might call you by your first name.</p>
<p>If you have an MD (or if you are a PhD who cares for patients)</p>
<p>Physicians in your own practice call you by your first name (unless you are senior and have made it clear that you prefer Dr.X). </p>
<p>Physicians in another practice or specialty will usually call you Dr.X with some exceptions depending on how well they know you.</p>
<p>Residents and students (and of course patients) call you Dr. X.</p>
<p>Again, secretaries and administration people usually call you Dr. X unless you know them a while then they might call you by your first name.</p>
<p>Most important rule:</p>
<p>If you are talking about a Dr. whom you call by a first name, but who is called Dr.X by the person who you are talking to, you always say Dr. X. e.g. “Dr. Smith and I went to the football game”, as opposed to “Vinny and I went to the football game”</p>
<p>Again, you really did nothing wrong in the original situation. The confusion comes from the fact that deviation from the traditional is both accepted and becoming more common. On the other hand, you are doing the right thing (particularly with respect to this woman if you were to invite her to another event) by looking not to offend in the future. This column kind of sums it up:</p>
<p>[Addressing</a> Envelope with Dr. Only for Medical](<a href=“Advice with Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee”>Addressing Envelope for M.D. and Ph.D.)</p>
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<p>Our area high school had the students write out their full names on file cards, to be read out as they walked across the stages at graduation. One student wrote “Baron His-Actual-Name” on the card, and it was read that way by the announcer, before he realized what he’d just done. No hereditary royalty around here.</p>
<p>A few sites recommend using “Dr.” for PhDs and “Doctor” for MDs… odd</p>
<p>Hi Roshke!
Who are “Dr Dave and Dr Dee”? I have to laugh- when I clicked on your link, all the ads on the left were for “medical” things. No surprise to me that they <em>decided</em> that a person with a Ph.D. should be addressed as Mr/ Ms. and only MDs get to use the Dr. title on an invitation. Seems like its back to that “only MD’s are ‘real’ doctors” silliness, which other posters here have dispelled in earlier posts. As we always say, ask 3 doctors, get 5 opinions. ;)</p>
<p>jym, glad to encounter you here.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I never said or implied that MDs were the only real doctors.</p></li>
<li><p>The issue at hand is not about who is a real doctor but about who , MD or PHD, is correct in appropriating the title in a social setting.</p></li>
<li><p>As a matter of fact, I tell my MD colleagues that the PhD is the REAL doctor in the sense that it is given for original research.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As a humorous aside, it is because I consider myself the real doctor that I permit the other false ones, the MDs , to use it. I am serenely secure.</p>
<p>I was not talking to you here rama- Please take your insults and direct them to someone who cares. By the way, secure people do not spend their time hurling insults anonymously at others. That is done by small people why need to build themselves up by trying to step on others. Sad.</p>
<p>jym, reply to my logic or admit you are wrong.</p>
<p>Neither of your requests is appropriate, and neither warrant a response. Please feel free to pick on someone else who wishes to be the subject of your insults. Have a nice, solitary life.</p>
<p>Hey quantmech-
I guess Dr. Science has better credentials than Mr. Wizard :)</p>
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<p>If you would have clicked on their home page link also on the left, you would have found this, FWIW:
</p>
<p>Thanks audio-
Bit I still don’t know who they are. Is there any further description of them, their background, training, practice, etc? Maybe I missed that too.</p>
<p>I didn’t see any, but I do know they both refer to themselves as “Dr.” ;)</p>
<p>L0L audio !! (or should I say, Dr audio)</p>
<p>I think Jym has hit it exactly on the head (posts 47 and 78). If a person introduces themself as Dr., they should be addressed as Dr. until they advise otherwise. When one gets to know that person better then the Dr may say “please, call me Bob” Thats fine. If a guy introduces himself as Dr. Charles Doe, then “Hiya Chuck!” is not an appropriate response.
I think anyone that has earned a doctorate- g.p., dentistry, veterinarian, philosophy, etc. is entitled to be called Dr. They may or may not wish to be called that, but that is up to the individual. I have always heard one should be called by the title earned (upon introductions), until that individual tells one otherwise. I would extend that same courtesy to mailings.
I know reasonable people can disagree, but I am shocked at the personal turn this thread has taken. Particularly given that this thread was intended to ask a question about good manners. I don’t feel the OP addressed the letter properly, but I certainly am not going to attack them or any subsequent posters for offering an opinion. Especially, in a post about good manners!</p>
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<p>It’s obvious the OP had good intentions and was trying to do the proper thing. To me, that’s sound etiquette.</p>
<p>Humility is a virtue, especially for those with great learning. ;)</p>
<p>(No more caffeine for this thread)</p>
![http://cartoonbank.com/assets/1/30685_m.gif[/url]](http://cartoonbank.com/assets/1/30685_m.gif%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
