<p>padad: Good for you! I don’t want to offend people here, but really, some people take themselves (and their titles) too seriously. It would be nice if people were judged more by their words and actions, and less by their titles.</p>
<p>^^^ Agreed… I always try to follow the mentality of ‘impress me by what you do, not who you are.’</p>
<p>The only time I ever make a fuss about using my title in informal social situations is if I encounter someone that’s being a bit snobbish and I feel the need to put them in their place. (e.g. the whole ‘I’m Dr. X, nice to meet you Myfirstname’ type situation) ;-)</p>
<p>I truly don’t care that much about my title (and for the mostpart go by “Mr and Mrs Husbandsname” on social stuff), but I DO care about my income, and if the AMA tries to limit the use of the Dr. title, which could then have a potential impact on insurance (third party) reimbursement, I would get a little bothered.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’m snobbish, and I do pay more attention to accomplishments than to status or titles . . . but when it comes to ignoring my title, I’ll be standing in line right after the physicians.</p>
<p>If the AMA is so concerned about following ‘traditions’ then perhaps they should adopt the tradition of surgeons rejecting the vanity use of the scholars Dr. honorific and go by ‘Mr.’ (as it is in the UK and other places). Somehow I think they’ll just causally overlook that one ;-)</p>
<p>I don’t care for the AMA at all, but I do see a reason to let patients know exactly who is functioning as a caregiver and in what capacity.</p>
<p>
What’s wrong with simply saying “I’m so and so and I’m a (insert their capacity in regards to the patient’s care) and will be assisting you with (insert function) today.” ? Seems to take care of that issue quite easily.</p>
<p>As we’ve already heard though their ‘resolution’ really has nothing to do with patient care and everything to do with an infighting turf war that has always existed between various branches of the medical community.</p>
<p>^^ I have no problem with that. I am thinking of a scenario where someone who got a PhD on the fruitfly brain later trains to become a nurse and insists on being called “Dr.X” in the health-care setting. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if someone is a PhD clinical psychologist or geneticist or microbiologist it would only be appropriate to call that person Dr.X in the health-care setting.</p>
<p>VC-
As I mentioned in post# 128, a person has to be credentialled to practice in a hospital or clinic setting. So, if a person has a Ph.D in basketweaving and then gets a nursing degree, they would be credentialled as a nurse, and only permitted to use that title. They could not use their Doctor title in that environment.</p>
<p>Dont make a simple problem more complicated. Heres a simple solution to whos a doctor in a clinical setting put the caduceus on your white coat. Only MDs who deal with patients can wear one. Everyone else, MDs, PhDs, or whatever Ds, Ms, or Bs can wear a white coat but without the caduceus.</p>
<p>Hi John, Im Dr. Soandso means Im your doctor today and Im here to help you, John. A PhD is a doctor and she can insist on others calling her that, they may not. Id call that gray-haired Nobel Laureate in Medicine, a PhD researcher in a large hospital, Dr. Soandso each and every time I met him.</p>
<p>I have not read all 10 pages of this thread, but I’ll make my contribution anyway. I have a Ph.D., and like most people with this degree I do not want or expect to be addressed as “Dr.” in a social situation. From my experience, most people with M.D. degrees do want to be called “Dr.” in all situations. </p>
<p>German conventions on this issue are interesting. My husband has a Ph.D., and he had it before I did. His grandmother addressed letters to me as “Frau Dr. Lastname,” and after I got my degree, I became “Dr. Frau Dr.” In Germany, if you are “Dr.” and I am “Dr.”, we will call each other “Mr.”, although everyone else must call us “Dr.” If I have two doctorates, or MD/PhD, then I call you, with only one doctoral degree, “Mr.”, but you call me “Dr.”</p>
<p>In Europe, Ph.D.'s are usually referred to as doctors. In the US, hardly ever. MD’s are virtually always called doctor. The only time I’ve received mail calling me doctor was from my daughter’s school when they are looking for money.</p>
<p>I recently received a formal wedding invitation where the parents (father a dentist, mother a PhD) were referred to as Dr. …husband and Dr…wife. Years ago a close -friend w/ an EdD didn’t insist on being called Dr…by my children (it was Mr…)until he earned a PhD. Then it was Dr. so-and-so all the time.</p>
<p>My sister in law has a doctorate in nursing. She supervises surgeons who implant devices manufactured by her company. I asked her what she is called in the operating room and she said it is never Dr.</p>