To wonder why we always call doctors by their last name

[Loveandpeace56]

In any other profession this wouldn’t be the case. Even teachers do often refer to themselves by their first names but with a doctor this would never happen.

We are lucky to still have a family doctor at our little gp surgery, and by now we are on first name terms with him. But only after he started announcing himself by first name on the phone. I think it’s whatever both parties are comfortable with. I like it when people coming into contact with me ask if I want to be called Ms Y or just X.

I use my consultants first name last name or Dr last name when talking about her but her first name when speaking to her but she's been my consultant for 15yrs (long term condition see her regularly) so it's a very easy going relationship and she knows me, my husband and kids in fact she's even met all of them now

@ButwhereisMYcoffee in my experience drs have asked how I want to be called eg is it ok to call you Pink or Mrs Fancy. When my kids have been at hospital it's been Dr First Name as the intro. I get more confused when I get an email from their consultant signed off as first name then I'm never sure to reply addressed to 'first name' or 'Dr Surname'.

@MustardMitt

My doctor introduces herself with her first name. But I think it’s odd you think it’s odd for the norm to be Dr Jones or whatever.

I don’t, but if they want to call themselves by title and surname, then I expect them to call me by my title and surname in return.

This has all been exacerbated by moving back to a very sexist part of the U.K. and discovering that all the phenomenally wonderful and educated women doctors have no airs and graces, but seemingly the men (or the secretaries who look after them), are gods who must be revered and bowed and scraped to.

Tbh in an NHS setting it bothers me less, but as a private client it pisses me off.

Where I used to work it was Dr whoever until consultant level when it was Miss/Mr whoever.

I don’t know why you think this as it’s not been the case in my experience. At my GP surgery the doctors are always referred to by by both first and last names, Eg: Dr John Smith on the website/ appointment reminders etc but in practise they’ll use their first names. Every time I’ve been to A&E the doctors have always introduced themselves by their first names only and haven’t even given a surname.

Last time I had a hospital appointment with a Consultant, Dr Fred Bloggs, he walked through the door, held out his hand and said "Hello, I'm Fred". Not being comfortable in formal environments and having spent 18 years working with doctors all on first name terms, I much prefer this.

It's a professional relationship, not a personal one. I would never address my consultants by their first name in front of patients and preferred to use surname even when I'm the staff room.

DD1 goes to special school and they don't use names so that it's easier for the student. All female teachers are 'Miss' and all male teachers are 'Sir'. The teachers themselves refer to each other as 'Miss' and 'Sir', too.

We refer to some of our consultants by first names.

Where I used to work it was Dr whoever until consultant level when it was Miss/Mr whoever
Can I ask why that is? I noticed it when I was pregnant that I saw several doctors but then when I got transferred to consultant care it was Mr X's clinic.

I think it's very old fashioned to call a doctor by their surname. I work in healthcare and I dont think this is the norm any more. Patients and staff use first names.

I have a new dentist who calls herself "Helen" - not even "Dr Helen", which I would probably find equally infantilising. I like to know who is who in a healthcare setting - and titles are reassuring. There is nothing reassuring to me about being on faux-chummy first name terms with them. We are all adults.

It's more common in the US to call Drs by their first name. I find it a bit weird. I'm overseas and my hospital is American. I always call them by their last names.

Btw, I also agree with the PP who said that doctors should also call patients by their titles and surnames. It is also somewhat infantilising to be called "Melisande", unbidden, by the person you have been calling "Dr Smith".

I don't call any teachers by their first names, I have never heard anyone do that in any of the schools my children have attended. Unless I know them out of their work capacity. Although we are friendly, their role is teacher and mine is parent.
I think Drs should use Dr and then either first or second name, it makes clear that they are interacting as Dr, the advice is in their professional capacity.
eg if they say losing weight will help the deterioration in your joints long term - it is not "Simon" saying this it is Dr Simon in his learning and experience knows this is likely to be the case.

Mine is Dr. First name

I like addressing doctors as Dr Brown or whatever. It's purely psychological but to me, it gives them a bit of distance in the relationship which I find reassuring. I don't want to feel like I'm having a session with a friend, I want to feel that I'm with a caring but impartial and non-judgemental, qualified professional. That method of address gives me that feeling.

I think titles are reassuring and remove the personal element. I don't want to be palsy and then ask them to check out a health thing 2 minutes later!

Yes, if I'm having an intimate examination or discussing something embarrassing, I feel much better knowing the doctor has a degree of professional distance from it. Calling them Dave or even Dr Dave would ruin that for me.

They can call me by my first name, I don't mind (although I find they don't unless I ask them to) but I much prefer to call them Dr or Nurse Surname.

????? For several decades GP's here (Scotland) routinely use their first names. Regular patients address them by first name and vice versa.

I’m a doctor and am only ever called by my first name or nickname .

By every single member of staff and ever single patient.

I am not alone.

The doctors i work with dont mind being first named. When discussing the dr to patients I usually use their surname as I figure that's what the patient probably know them as. I guess it's just a bit old fashioned and most patients are older so old fashioned works for them...

Plenty of professions did away with the formality years ago, such as solicitors, accountants, architects, etc. First names are the norm in most professions these days. It's no different to the likes of doctors wearing jeans and t shirts in consultations - they can hardly insist on being called Dr Smith if they're not "formally" dressed can they?

As as teacher I would prefer not to work in a setting where pupils call staff by their first names, but that is my preference.

I had a wonderful GP who insisted I call him by his first name. It made it much easier to talk to him, for some reason. I'm still sad we moved away from that surgery.

Emails bother me, when I email a company, for example, and sign off with my full name and put my title in brackets afterwards, then they reply with the shortened version of my first name just because that's part of my email address. I just sometimes want a more professional relationship with a company!

@LolaSmiles

Where I used to work it was Dr whoever until consultant level when it was Miss/Mr whoever Can I ask why that is? I noticed it when I was pregnant that I saw several doctors but then when I got transferred to consultant care it was Mr X's clinic.

Surgeons use Mr/Miss instead of Dr, it’s just a historical thing! Obstetricians are surgeons that’s why they use Mr or Miss.

I’m a junior doctor and mainly use my first name. Consultants are Dr surname, anyone below consultant level usually goes by first name to both patients and colleagues. Although a lot of the nursing staff just address us as ‘doctor’ because it’s (understandably) hard to remember the names of the frequently rotating junior staff!