I hate being called "nurse"!!!

[Jen Jen]

I worked with a guy at one time that was so impressed with his RDH (registered dental hygienist) title, that he had it on his credit card. I anyone gave a rat's hind side. Then, there are the dentist that go to a restraunt and give there title as dr. Again! I'm considering Pharmacy school. I can't imagine being called Dr. even though I will have a doctorate degree (unless you make me mad, then you will call me Dr.)

If I suffered through that much school, I'd train my pets to call me Dr, LOL!

When I had my master's ceremony, I was really disappointed. Those crazy caps I always saw professors wearing, I thought I'd get. Turns out they are for doctorate graduates, not master's. Too bad I'm all school-ed out! No crazy beanie thing for me!

[Lise]

I should make a flow chart of when I use the title "Dr." Sometimes it's to show respect, and sometimes the opposite. The older docs I'll always call "Dr." The ones my age or younger I'll call by their first name unless I'm trying to get their attention in some way, as in, "I really need your help right now" or "straighten up and fly right, doctor". In front of a patient, I'll usually say "Dr." I'll always refer to them as "doctor" when talking to a patient.

It's funny when I read a medical article published in anoher country, and the letters after their names mean nothing to me! I can put six sets of letters after my name if I want. But why? CNM is what tells you what I do. That's the national certification. I doubt you care what degrees I have or licenses the state gave me. And no, it's not on my credit cards or checks!

[KnottedYet]

I can only put 3 sets of letters after my name. Must go to school MORE! (ha ha!) It does amaze me how the title thing can become such a huge deal. And unfortunately sometimes you have to play the title game just to survive. And, also unfortunately, I think women have to play the game harder.

Now, I think we gotta start giving titles to folks with Master's degrees. I want to be MASTER Knotted. (first I gotta get a Master's, but that's just a minor detail)

Yes, Master.....

(my ex played with the idea of using the title "Dr." socially. It's one thing to use it professionally, but socially ya better be in some sort of medicine for me to call you Dr.) (and yes, in my mind pharmacology counts. y'all are stud muffins for understanding all that biochemistry. I'll call ya Dr. and sweep your floor, too.)

[betagirl]

I'm surrounded by MD's, PhD's and PsyD's (doctors of psychology) on a daily basis. Depending on how well I know them, I either refer to them by their first name or Dr. so and so. Like my advisor and dissertation chair, she goes by first name now, but initially it was doctor. Professors I have for a class, Dr. I work for a physician for the research I do, he goes by his first name. Same for the PhD psychologist. But other doctors in the practice, they go by doctor so and so. I just don't know them well enough in my book to call them by their first name. I don't think any would be offended if I used their first name, for me it's just a matter of respect. It has nothing to do with MD, PhD, PsyD, etc. Technically they're all doctors. For whatever reason most people assume you have your MD when you go by "doctor so and so." Is that your fault if you have a different doctoral degree? In my opinion, no. When I have my doctorate (in 3 long years) I won't take offense if people call me by doctor or my first name. I won't go out of my way to address myself as "doctor" but I won't hide it or be ashamed of it either. I hear using it for restaurant reservations can get you a good table time though

By the way I have 2 masters degrees, so you can call me "master squared" around here

Or maybe that just makes me double the a-hole

[Nanci]

I've always called my dentists Dr. So and So. I think that's the correct title for them! What else are you going to call them, Mr. Dentist???

Same with vets.

[DebW]

Yeah, I get that too. I work in a bike shop. When I answer the phone, there are certain customers who immediately want to talk to one of the guys. Doesn't matter what the question is. Doesn't matter that I know more about riding and bikes and mechanics than half our staff. They insist on speaking with a guy.

Now, just to be a tool, I'll tell them that none of the guys are available but that I'm happy to help them.

Yeah, I used to get that too in 1973. As soon as they'd hear a woman's voice on the phone, they'd say "Can I talk to a mechanic." Happened several times every day. Guess things don't change as fast as we'd hope. I'd usually say "What do you need?" and answer all their questions. But sometimes I just couldn't take it anymore and would hand the phone to a guy.

[Bron]

Well where I work I think more than 50% of people have a PhD, so they came up with a solution to the title problem - nobody is allowed to use their title at work. No titles on doors, id cards, letters, anything. It's then up to us to use surnames or first names as we feel fit (my department is a first names and informal "you","tu","du" depending on the language we are using).

The only thing that annoys me about the title is when people call my husband "Dr" and me "Mrs". Either use it for both of us or neither. I hate being patronised just because I am a woman.

Bron

[KnottedYet]

As far as I'm concerned vets, dentists, psychologists, etc are all "Dr." And durn tootin' I'll use that when addressing them professionally and probably socially as well.

My beef with the ex was the social use. Yup, that PhD in physics is mighty impressive, but SKnot's friends and their parents really don't need to address ya as "Dr. Booger."

[Bad JuJu]

This whole thread just supports the idea that feminism is still an important and necessary movement. I teach college, and so many students think of feminism as a bad word and something that's no longer needed. They buy into the idea that we're in a "post-feminist" period. Well, we have "come a long way, baby," but we still have a long, long way to go before we can call patriarchy and masculinism a thing of the past.

[betagirl]

really don't need to address ya as "Dr. Booger."

That's going to be my official title when I'm done

Hmmm, what are the qualifications to get a "Doctor of Cycling" - CycD....

[Triskeliongirl]

I think this is an interesting thread. I personally don't care if folks call me by my first name or doctor, in fact I am most comfortable with my first name, but I had to react to that earlier post that only MDs deserved the title Dr. But, its also important to not overinterpret someone's reasons for correcting someone. For example, if someone wants to formally address me and calls me Mrs. L, I will correct them that it is Dr. L, not to be snooty, but because Mrs. L is my mother, not me. That is, I kept my maiden name, and Mrs. L implies that I am married to Mr. L which I am not, so either call me by my first name, or if you insist on formalisms, use the accurate formalism. Everyone who works for me in my lab, my grad. students, etc. call me by my first name, but med students call me Dr. L. since that is the covnention in the medical school courses (I run a research lab and teach medical students biochemistry). And I definitely correct people when they send an invitation to Dr. and Mrs. .........

[SadieKate]

I simply think use of the title "Dr" should be inconformance with the cultural setting. For example, an attorney also has a doctorate. It is customary to use the title in an academic setting but not in any other setting that I can think of. Matter of fact, in court the title is Ms, Mrs., Counsel or whatever, but not Dr.

In my corporation's culture where the MDs and all but one Ph.D do not use their title when introducing themselves, it is presumptious for this one and only Ph.D to use his. For heaven's sake, I know Ph.Ds who drive trucks for a living because they decided they liked the open road better. Can you imagine what would happen if they introduced themselves as Dr So and So?

If I meet someone in a casual setting, for instance at a bike club ride, it tells me a lot about a person if he or she introduces themselves as Dr. So and So rather than just a first and last name; the fact that they have earned a doctorate has no bearing on our mutual participation in cycling. If I met the same person in his or her professional capacity and the culture of that industry or business was to use the title, it is absolutely appropriate.

[Trek420]

from my big brothers website:

"Piano players are often refered to as "Doctor" or "Professor" a tradition dating back over 100 years to the role of piano player as parlour entertainer in the great mansions of Storyville, New Orleans legendary red light district."

But my bro has a Phd so he really is "Doctor", also sis and neice here on TE and many others in the family.

Just not me, humble art major.

Ya' know what really tics me off? Don't call me "Operator". I'm not an operator, neither was the service rep who ticked you off when you called yesterday.

Now, how can I help you?

Nothing wrong with being an operator but not everyone who answers the phone at "da phone co" is an operator.

There's repair administrators (when you call 611), DSL repair, all kinda folks.

What's the difference? Well, being an operator is a pretty good paying entry level telcom job, repair-more complex and higher paying, etc. Our jobs are not piece-work. I'm paid for what I know and what I *might need to know* to help you out today, and I make a good 25-30k *more* than they do.

[Aggie_Ama]

This goes back to the vet correcting someone on the first page. Seeing what my friend Johnny is studying in vet school, I put him on the same level with other MDs. I trust my vet as much as my own doctors. I think he deserves to be addressed as Dr. D___ as much as my family practice, dentist, neurologist.... The funny thing is my vet returned my call last week and referred to himself by his first name! My other vets always said "This is Dr. ___." It felt so informal, of course my furbabies do go visit him a lot maybe we are on a first name basis now.

I hated being in a college town and having PhDs getting snotty in public if you called them Mr. or Mrs. I worked retail and had to refer to the customer by name, how am I to know you have a PhD? A lot of MDs have it on the credit card, but not PhDs.

[pooks]

I know a woman who was interviewing for a job as an engineer, and was told to meet the interviewer in the company cafeteria at the door. She stood there looking around, waiting for someone to approach -- only to have a man walk up to her and hand her his tray as he was leaving.

Not only did it never occur to him that she was an engineer -- it also never occurred to him that an African American could be anything but a cafeteria worker.