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.

"So they can be Miss/Miss/Mr for some time before becoming a consultant."

Can't they be Ms and if not, why not?

"I realised because of this thread that I didn't actually know my GP's first name, so I looked up the practice. Now I know why the two senior partners are always called Dr Surname! One is a Kirsten and the other is a Kristen! The confusion would be fairly amazing if they used their forenames."

That's interesting. I looked up the first names of the doctors at my practice because I wanted to see which were female.

"I'll give up arguing now because clearly people don't agree with the point I'm trying to make but

I am NOT saying that being a Dr makes me inherently more worthy of respect or that I want to boss people around

I AM saying that it is a well acknowledged psychological aspect of medical consultations that the power dynamic is skewed and that good Drs will be aware of that and try to correct it."

I agree with you that doctors have power over patients.
I think Roses has been able to take some of that power back to herself because she is rich, but the rest of us cannot.
This is regardless of whether a doctor is called by first name or title and surname.

@Gwenhwyfar - yes they can be Ms if they wish. My mum's oncologist is Ms X.

Three of the four doctors there are women, and all but three of the other twenty-one staff are also women, including the two admin staff who are not receptionists.

It's a rattling good surgery, too.

As everyone else has said upthread!

I'm a teacher, and I've only ever once been addressed by my first name by a parent...which actually grated on me! Not because I'm fussy or demand respect or anything, but because this was (is...it's still happening) a man who I've never met and who keeps emailing me starting 'Dear Bumble'...like he's my best mate!

Not quite sure why it's grating so much...it just is 😫 I'm a primary teacher...so not even college/high school, where I know some teachers prefer to use first names.

I know...I need to get over it 😂🤦‍♀️

" including the two admin staff who are not receptionists."

I've never seen a male GP's receptionist. Or a male GP nurse actually.

Being 'rich' has nothing to do with it. I'm far from 'rich'. I take as much power as I am entitled to and will address a doctor with courtesy, expecting the same in return. I don't believe they know everything and are infallible.

Being described as 'you lot' and 'once again slowly for those who don't understand speaks volumes.

I’ve known a few younger doctors introduce themselves as their first name and surname, generally at consultant/specialist level. So you walk into the room and shake their hand and they say “Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Louise Brown” rather than Dr. Brown. I wouldn’t then refer to them as Louise later (if talking to their secretary, for example, I would say “Dr. Brown asked me to call...” rather than “Louise asked me to call...”)

I am a teacher and have always felt very silly/a bit supercilious introducing myself to parents who are often older than me (and certainly were considerably older than me when I was an NQT) as “Miss Leeds”. My workaround with this is to introduce myself when we shake hands on parents evening, or when they answer the phone, with “Hello I’m Jane Leeds” or “Hello it’s Jane Leeds here from the Art department at Riverside Academy...” Thinking about it though, even to parents, I would never refer to a colleague as anything other than Ms./Mr. Whoever.

This always bemused me I don't call my doctors Dr surname. My gps are Paul and Andreas. Thats how they introduced thenselves and that's what I call them. Receptionist- who are you here to see today? Me- Andreas. Telephone consultation...I'll get Paul to call you back. Hospital Dr is Amir.

"Being 'rich' has nothing to do with it. "

In Roses' case she said she wouldn't use the NHS again, which implies she will go private. She also spent a long time talking about how professionals to whom whom she is a client should speak to her. I'm pretty sure she's well off.

"Being described as 'you lot' and 'once again slowly for those who don't understand speaks volumes."

I don't know who this is a reply to, but nothing to do with me.

" I don't believe they know everything and are infallible."

This is obviously true.

@DougRossIsTheBoss

I hope I do not come into contact with you in your professional capacity because, while I do not question your qualifications or competence, the patronising and condescending attitude you have displayed on this thread indicates that you and I would not get on.

[quote AgeLikeWine]@DougRossIsTheBoss

I hope I do not come into contact with you in your professional capacity because, while I do not question your qualifications or competence, the patronising and condescending attitude you have displayed on this thread indicates that you and I would not get on.[/quote]
I totally disagree. Doug, or should I say Mr Ross? has shown that he/she understand the dynamic between doctor and patient very well.

I never said I was infallible or knew everything

I made one post that was
admittedly patronising and condescending when I said (in frustration that the point I'd tried to make was being totally misconstrued) that I'd repeat my point slowly.

I do not think the rest of my posts on this thread or on Mumsnet in general can be seen in that way.

If we ever do come across one another IRL the nice thing is that neither of us will have any idea.

I always just assumed that there are a larger pool of surnames, so it's easier to differentiate. If you are in a large hospital and say my doctor Paul, potentially there's several. I guess it's more professional as well, and I do think psychologically it maintains some professional distance, the same with teachers.

"I always just assumed that there are a larger pool of surnames, so it's easier to differentiate."

Ok, well I'm Welsh so that probably explains why I'm not used to 'a larger pool of surnames'.
I don't think Dr Jones or Dr Smith would really identify you any better than Dr Paul.

I do agree that patients can be very vulnerable compared with the medical staff. I have never felt so exposed as when I had my egg retrieval surgery for IVF.

My legs were in stirrups and my naked bottom half was on display to the whole room (it wasn’t even covered with a paper towel). There were three men in the room, two of whom I had never met before, (there was also a female nurse, presumably as a chaperone). I was then given sedatives that wiped out my entire memory of the procedure. I’m still worried that I might have said something inappropriate while the doctor was fiddling about down there. But I will never know.

Haha @backbee and @Gwenhwyfar - I have a very unusual and admittedly v Scottish/English first name and a v v unusual albeit vv English surname. And am sick and tired of HCP's saying "ooh that's really unusual, where does that come from - is it Irish?". The comments are boring and wholly unnecessary. And just as unacceptable as when made about my maiden name which was Germanic.

DougRossIsTheBoss
I think you've put many things across well.
However equal I am with my doctor as human beings, when I am unwell and needing treatment or potentially intimate care then the dynamic is different to two people having a coffee together. Acknowledging this relationship and dynamic is not making me less human, and it doesn't mean my doctor is on a power trip for keeping things friendly and professional.

The very fact there are rules and guidelines and professional standards focusing on patient care, respect and issues of power dynamics is a sign that the dynamic between a doctor and a patient isn't the same as two mate having a chat, or getting your car fixed at the garage.

The plane example someone gave up thread sums my feelings up as a patient.

gwenhwyfar there's a male GP Receptionist in my GP surgery. I was quite surprised as it's so out of the ordinary. It's not a job only females can do it's a job that it seems only females choose to do. It's just admin and customer service at the end of the day.

Haven’t read the full thread but I always introduce myself as Dr Firstname Surname Consultant in role relevant to patient (have a few roles at work some of which are non clinical).

When I know patients well we often talk on first name terms and I have no problem with that at all but it would feel a little odd for both of us I think at the first appointment! Having said that I’d never correct someone who referred to my by my first name only.

Gwenhwyfar
I don't think Dr Jones or Dr Smith would really identify you any better than Dr Paul.

Dr Jones the Quack, Dr Jones the Knife, Dr Jones the Hearts...

Sorry. Sudden childhood memory. For years we had a postman who was called Mr Jones the Post by everyone.

In Reading.

And he wasn't Welsh.

Dh is a consultant he introduces himself as Dr surname, he calls every patient by the title and surname on their notes. He likes to keep things professional.
He says the juniors all use their first names and often patients get confused about who is who in terms of roles.

@RosesAndHellebores

Haha *@backbee and @Gwenhwyfar* - I have a very unusual and admittedly v Scottish/English first name and a v v unusual albeit vv English surname. And am sick and tired of HCP's saying "ooh that's really unusual, where does that come from - is it Irish?". The comments are boring and wholly unnecessary. And just as unacceptable as when made about my maiden name which was Germanic.

Well yes I get this all the time as well, but it makes no difference whether I/they use my first/last name.