There's a group of docs who work one day at a clinic where I rarely see pts. One day I spotted a doc I hadn't met. I walked up, stuck out my hand, said, "Hello, I'm Lise H--, one of the midwives." She looked at me and said, "Dr. R---." Turned away. Never touched my hand.

ooooookay, DOCTOR. I've been put in my place!

The patients loved me, the staff seems to like me, and this doc rolled right over the chance to have a friendly, collegial (if only I could spell that) relationship with me. To what end? That title will not be your friend when you've ticked off everybody else.

That said, I read a note in a patient's chart which one of the residents referred to me as L.H., RN. You'd best believe I cleared that up. "But I thought you were a nurse!" he said. "I am. A Certified Nurse-Midwife, Advanced Practice Nurse. Please refer to me as a CNM." Interesting.