Addressing doctors - Dr or Mr / Mrs / Ms - Confusing !

[hub2dee]

bluebear clarified in one of emkana's threads that a certain consultant was a Dr not a Ms... I thought the distinction was based on seniority etc. and the all consultants were addressed as Mr / Mrs etc. but it turns out the differentiation is on whether they are a physician or a surgeon (if I have understood things correctly from my googling).

Quite interesting (if a tad pedantic)...

"In the UK, the division of physicians and surgeons into `doctor' and Mr derives from the medieval origins of physicians as educated graduates, and the surgeons as apprentices (usually for 7 years) of barber-surgeons... In France, the first official organization of barber-surgeons was founded in Rouen in 1096. A similar organization was formed in London in 1308,5 and it was not until 1745, that George II separated the barbers and surgeons by an act of parliament, and in 1800 that the Royal College of Surgeons was formed in England."
\link{http://www.jrsm.org/cgi/content/full/99/4/197\Source}

Did everyone else know this ? I've always been highly unsure of the distinction between the two titles !

Excuse me for being dim, but I still don't get this.

So I should address all consultants as Dr. something, is that right? How come then that in my notes and on letters I have received for appointments the consultants have been called Mr. X and Mr. Y and not Dr.X?

Totally confused now!

Have also now realized that I did address Bristol consultant as Mr. X - maybe that's why he didn't say goodbye to me in person, I annoyed him too much!

I use doctor. I trained for 5 years (same as someone studying medicine) and earned my degree, so feel I should.

Consultant obstetricians are usually Dr.

Don't know the answer Emkana.

Emkana, I really wouldn't worry about this. In the grand scheme of things it isn't important, plus I'm sure any doctor/consultant/specialist worth their salt is not going to hold it against you when they know what you are going through. Good luck for tomorrow btw.

Dentists are addressed as Mr/Mrs/Miss. IIRC.

Thank you.

Will address them as Dr. in the future just to be on the safe side.

I am kicking myself for starting this - so sorry Emkana - no idea why letters may say Mr rather than Dr. Most Dr's aren't that fussy but you do get the occasional one who gets shirty about it.
Will crawl under stone now.

Wishing you all the best for tomorrow.

emkana - don't worry what you call them.... I inevitably use their first name, LOL... creates rapport (and surprises them)...

I think the essence is, if they do surgery they're a Mr, if they do research / treatment they're a Dr.

BTW I have googled Chitty, and in most references (including UCL directory listing) she is Dr, but I saw her as 'Mrs' in a medical conference. When you phone you'lll probably find she's got a secretary, and you can talk to that person and find out her title ! But don't worry, I very much doubt she will be offended despite what you call her LOL ! Good luck for today.

And bear - don't you go getting in a tizz and make me repeat myself. This is an interesting linguistic dwelling point for the obsessive. (BTW v. glad the cave is looking more or less sorted ! It truly does one's head in living in rubble...)

Emkana - hope everything is ok. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter and to be honest most doctors don't give a monkeys (and those that do are just being pretentious for the sake of it). Dh and most of his colleagues only use Dr at work and not anywhere else e.g. bank accounts.

O&G consultants are Mr or Miss. Even more confusing, women are called Miss Maiden Name. I agree that it's not important.

I knew this, but am I right in thinking that it is different in US?

O+G consultants can be Mr/ Miss or Dr depending on which postgraduate qualification they have. Women can be Mrs(Married name) or Miss(maiden name)depending on what they want to be called.

Wallace: "There is another important derivation of the distinction; in the UK, unlike many other countries, MD is not a licensing qualification to practise medicine. The typical double bachelor's degree, MB BS or equivalent, does not, strictly speaking entitle the holder to the title of doctor. In the USA, doctors, dentists, vets and non-medical PhDs all qualify with a doctorate, hence the plethora of `doctors'." (from my original source).

I have a doctorate in advanced mouse clicking (single).

Ahhhh, thanks :)

Did you ever track down a tummytub, W ?

You have a worryingly good memory

My mum wants to buy me (a new) one as her present for the baby :)

Actually I have a crap memory for certain things (faces mainly) and a good memory for weird bits of trivia like this !

It's just that when you posted you were thinking about one I was wondering if I should give / sell you ours as we've only used it a few times (we're all at home at bath time, so we just dive in, LOL), but it would be a pain to post etc. Glad you've got one coming. Hope baby enjoys it !

Thanks for the thought :) If my mum forgets/chooses something else I'll let you know.