While I agree with your sentiment, I disagree wholeheartedly. It is a matter of patient safety. Let me give you an example. A code is called on the floor. Dr. Brown (an MD/DO internist) happens to be somewhat nearby. He/she wanders over to the large crowd gathering outside a room. Dr. Brown asks "is there a physician present?" and is told "yes, Dr. Smith is in the room". Dr. Brown leaves, never realizing that "Dr. Smith" is, in fact, a third year medical student. Now, it was not "Dr." Smith announceing themselves as a physician, but rather a nurse who had heard patients and other staff calling Mr. Smith "doctor" that created the problem. Sound far fetched? Actually happened in Chicago. Used several times at JCAHO meetings to demonstrate the problem of mid-levels being referred to as "Dr.".
Now it is one thing for an elderly patient to continue to call someone "doctor" after being corrected. That is fine, patient's choice. It is fine outside of the hospital for anyone to call anyone "Dr.". But staff in a healthcare facility should realize that word is not an academic title while in the faciltiy, it is a title of legal and ethical responsibility and not to be taken otherwise.
Remeber, for patient safety we should all work to minimize the chances of miscommunication where ever we can, there are enough we can't control...
- H
