Pharmacists...Doctors

[Hope_ful_Pharm]

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I am starting pharmacy school this coming fall at HSOP at Auburn University, and this is probably the stupidest question coming from a pre-pharm student:

I realized that I have never met a pharmacist (with a PharmD) that goes by Doctor XYZ. They are always called, and referenced to by their first name. Is there a reason for that, or are pharmacists just too humble to be called Dr. XYZ, or is Doctor of Pharmacy not worthy of being recognized for being a doctorate degree?

Not that it really matters, I was just curious, and thought I'd ask.

 

[oldstock]

I am starting pharmacy school this coming fall at HSOP at Auburn University, and this is probably the stupidest question coming from a pre-pharm student:

I realized that I have never met a pharmacist (with a PharmD) that goes by Doctor XYZ. They are always called, and referenced to by their first name. Is there a reason for that, or are pharmacists just too humble to be called Dr. XYZ, or is Doctor of Pharmacy not worthy of being recognized for being a doctorate degree?

Not that it really matters, I was just curious, and thought I'd ask.

I see a lot of that too. My guess is that they do not want to confuse the public / patients as "doctors" generally are referred to medical doctors.

 

[NejixRockS]

For me it really depends. I work in a pharmacy within a hospital and I call the pharmacists by their first name. That changes when the "boss" comes along and then I call him Dr. XYZ

 

[Digsbe]

Depends on the person and what they want. In an academic setting you will always refer to a PharmD as Dr. soandso. In practice you might call a pharmacist with a PharmD Dr. soandso, but many people feel as if it comes across as arrogant and some physicians may get peeved. You earn the title of "doctor" by having a PharmD, but with anything someone may or many not want to be addressed as such.

 

[oldstock]

For me it really depends. I work in a pharmacy within a hospital and I call the pharmacist by their first name. That changes when the "boss" comes along and then I call him Dr. XYZ

you kiss @ss lol 🙂 jk

 

[BidingMyTime]

I think its generally practical reasons, rather than reasons of humility. Generally, to avoid confusion in the hospital setting, only physicians are referred to as doctor. In a hospital, there can be a lot of people who have a doctorate in their own area, patients are going to think of anyone called a doctor as a MD/DO, so its easier to not refer to yourself as a doctor, then try to explain to a sick person that you aren't that kind of a doctor. In the retail setting....nobody cares, and if you refer to yourself as a doctor, then people are likely to start harassing you to prescribe narcotics for them, so generally its better to lie low. In professional meetings, academic settings, etc., its much more common to hear doctor used.

 

[oldstock]

I think its generally practical reasons, rather than reasons of humility. Generally, to avoid confusion in the hospital setting, only physicians are referred to as doctor. In a hospital, there can be a lot of people who have a doctorate in their own area, patients are going to think of anyone called a doctor as a MD/DO, so its easier to not refer to yourself as a doctor, then try to explain to a sick person that you aren't that kind of a doctor. In the retail setting....nobody cares, and if you refer to yourself as a doctor, then people are likely to start harassing you to prescribe narcotics for them, so generally its better to lie low. In professional meetings, academic settings, etc., its much more common to hear doctor used.

lol 🙂

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Personally, I just don't care.

 

[Old Timer]

Personally, I just don't care.

I'm Shocked......

 

[oldstock]

I'm Shocked......

lol 🙂

 

[SoylentGreen]

People seem to use doctor to mean someone who can prescribe drugs. A PA or an NP is referred to as "doctor" by the general public, in my experience, but a pharm d is not.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I am starting pharmacy school this coming fall at HSOP at Auburn University, and this is probably the stupidest question coming from a pre-pharm student:

I realized that I have never met a pharmacist (with a PharmD) that goes by Doctor XYZ. They are always called, and referenced to by their first name. Is there a reason for that, or are pharmacists just too humble to be called Dr. XYZ, or is Doctor of Pharmacy not worthy of being recognized for being a doctorate degree?

Not that it really matters, I was just curious, and thought I'd ask.

If it makes you feel better, your bills will probably be addressed to you, the Doctor 🙂

 

[Marcus X]

I always introduce myself by my first name, because anything else sounds bafflingly insane to me. When I see patients in clinic or out on the floors the physicians generally introduce me to them as "Dr. Lastname, one of our pharmacy residents." It makes me feel awkward.

 

[Wheresmyaricept]

That's not entirely true. People address pharmacists as doctors. Like when you get a letter from your school's alumni association asking for money, they always title it Doctor soandso.

 

[KidPharmD]

I have had patients address me as both Dr. KidPharmD and just Doc without me asking them to. I do not introduce myself as Dr. in the hospital because of the aformentioned confusion with prescribers.

I do not ask students on rotation to call me dr. but I have definately been introduced as such in the academic setting.

 

[oldstock]

I always introduce myself by my first name, because anything else sounds bafflingly insane to me. When I see patients in clinic or out on the floors the physicians generally introduce me to them as "Dr. Lastname, one of our pharmacy residents." It makes me feel awkward.

That's not entirely true. People address pharmacists as doctors. Like when you get a letter from your school's alumni association asking for money, they always title it Doctor soandso.

lol 🙂

 

[BestDoctorEver]

@BidingMyTime .... Podiatrists are called doctors as well in a hospital setting...

 

[trailerpark]

I make everyone call me Dr, including family.

 

[oldstock]

I make everyone call me Dr, including family.

lol 🤣🤣

 

[oldstock]

@BidingMyTime .... Podiatrists are called doctors as well in a hospital setting...

I always introduce myself by my first name, because anything else sounds bafflingly insane to me. When I see patients in clinic or out on the floors the physicians generally introduce me to them as "Dr. Lastname, one of our pharmacy residents." It makes me feel awkward.

it is weird that I can envision a PharmD addressed (or want to be addressed) by name but I cannot see that with podiatrists in any setting. Maybe podiatrists are involved more with hand-on/direct patient care ??

 

[sakigt]

I joke with my husband that if/when our son gets married my name will get to go first on the announcement because Ill be Doctor sakigt.

 

[Digsbe]

it is weird that I can envision a PharmD addressed (or want to be addressed) by name but I cannot see that with podiatrists in any setting. Maybe podiatrists are involved more with hand-on/direct patient care ??

Their technical title is a podiatric physician. They are "doctors" in the sense that they still diagnose, treat disease and perform procedures, just not MD/DO and their scope is limited to podiatry. That's probably why they are also called "doctors" in healthcare settings.

 

[DesiRX]

I am liking this topic, in my opinion, I don't care whether or not someone calls me doctor, however, my ego does get a super boost when someone does refer to me as Dr. XYZ at home or at work - LOL (I am sure many of you feel this way!)

 

[BidingMyTime]

@BidingMyTime .... Podiatrists are called doctors as well in a hospital setting...

Good point, I think SoylentGreen explained it better, people who can independently prescribe drugs and order treatments are referred to as "doctor" in hospitals (whether or not they have an academic certification of doctor) and people who can't prescribe aren't referred to as doctors (pharmacists may often prescribe/order under protocol, but they can't independently.)

 

[Sparda29]

At our hospital we have the DR then name on the ID badge. We have another thing that goes with the ID badge that is lowered below the ID badge level and it could say either "attending physician, resident, chief physician, pharmacist, registered nurse, patient care associate, child life specialist, etc".

 

[VCU07]

At our hospital we have the DR then name on the ID badge. We have another thing that goes with the ID badge that is lowered below the ID badge level and it could say either "attending physician, resident, chief physician, pharmacist, registered nurse, patient care associate, child life specialist, etc".

Why would you put Dr. X, registered nurse?

 

[zelman]

Why would you put Dr. X, registered nurse?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Nursing_Practice

 

[Ackj]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Nursing_Practice

Then why not put NP? Why Dr. RN? That's a little odd. And how do you explain Dr. patient care associate?

 

[Sparda29]

Then why not put NP? Why Dr. RN? That's a little odd. And how do you explain Dr. patient care associate?

You wouldn't have Dr. Patient Care Associate. The Doctor part on the ID only gets put on people who actually have doctorates. Everyone gets a title card.

 

[zelman]

You wouldn't have Dr. Patient Care Associate. The Doctor part on the ID only gets put on people who actually have doctorates. Everyone gets a title card.

Well, I suppose if they had a philosophy phd or something they might be Dr. PCA.

 

[kendrick lamar]

Like above posters meant, I think it has just been traditionally customary in a retail setting to not refer to anybody as "doctor". I know there most pharmacists just go by first name. As far as hospital, sometimes when somebody is doing a presentation or cited in a paper or article, they will be refered by their title, but as far as generally addressing somebody, you generally go by first name and this is probably bc in hospital it's customary to refer to physicians as only doctors. It's kind of like doctor of physical therapy; I ran into a DPT while I was on the floors once but nobody addressed her as doctor either.

 

[gwarm01]

As far as hospital, sometimes when somebody is doing a presentation or cited in a paper or article, they will be refered by their title, but as far as generally addressing somebody, you generally go by first name and this is probably bc in hospital it's customary to refer to physicians as only doctors.

This is the only circumstance that I see pharmacists referred to as "Doctor" aside from students rotating through, or when we are being cute with each other in the pharmacy.

 

[womp]

In English there's a difference between the title conferred to someone with a doctorate degree and the common noun (priest --> healer), both have their own separate history going into Canterbury Tales era. This is why in Great Britain, doctors are still called doctors even though they only have a bachelor's degree (MBBS). Has nothing to do with the degree. Barefoot doctors with an 8th grade education are still doctors. It's a misunderstanding of the English language to think that American physicians are called doctors because they got their MD first.

See: http://bma.org.uk/

 

[oldstock]

In English there's a difference between the title conferred to someone with a doctorate degree and the common noun (priest --> healer), both have their own separate history going into Canterbury Tales era. This is why in Great Britain, doctors are still called doctors even though they only have a bachelor's degree (MBBS). Has nothing to do with the degree. Barefoot doctors with an 8th grade education are still doctors. It's a misunderstanding of the English language to think that American physicians are called doctors because they got their MD first.

See: http://bma.org.uk/

physicians/medical doctors (or specifically someone who graduates from a school of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine) will be addressed as "doctors" regardless of the degrees they receive (e.g. MBBS or MD/DO). (Podiatrists also are called podiatric physicians http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podiatrist ) For the general public, the term "doctor" usually means medical doctor (e.g. MD/DO), someone could diagnose, prescribe, and devise their own course of patient care/treatments.

An American physician, who graduates from a U.S. school of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine, does indeed receive a doctor of medicine degree (MD) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree (DO). MD/DO is the first professional degree that U.S. medical schools award to their medical graduates. There is no lower tier degree than a doctorate degree to be awarded in this case, unlike in the case of UK and some other countries.

talking about degree, MBChB/MBBS or Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery in UK, Ireland, and some other Commonwealth countries is equivalent to MD in America in terms of education and training. The only difference is that they admit students right after high school while N. America system of medical education would only admit students after they done certain college work/prerequisite.

from Wikipedia, "Doctor of Medicine"

"UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries

The entry-level first professional degree in these countries for the practice of medicine is that of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB, MB BCh BAO, BMBS, MBBChir, or MBChB). This degree typically requires between four and six years of study and clinical training, and is equivalent to the North American MD degree. Due to the UK code for higher education, first degrees in medicine comprise an integrated programme of study and professional practice spanning several levels. These degrees may retain, for historical reasons, "Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery" and are abbreviated to MBChB or MBBS.[13]

In the UK, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries, the M.D. is a postgraduate research degree in medicine. At some universities, this takes the form of a first doctorate, analogous to the Ph.D., awarded upon submission of a thesis and a successful viva. The thesis may consist of new research undertaken on a full- or part-time basis, with much less supervision (in the UK) than for a Ph.D., or a portfolio of previously published work.[14]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Medicine

by the description above, in the absence of a research thesis + thesis defense, U.S. (or N. America) MD is only equivalent to the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery in the UK, Ireland, and some other Commonwealth countries.

different countries and different education systems vary on the exact definition of "doctor", at least for professional doctorate degrees. But almost all agree that a doctorate esp. in the case of research doctorate degrees (e.g. PhD degree) should require the completion of an independent research thesis + research and the successful defense of the thesis (in person, oral, and live 🙂 ) in front of a thesis committee + audience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate

http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~saul/wiki/uploads/Chapter1/NastyPhDQuestions.html

 

[Dred Pirate]

most people that insist on being called Dr have inferiority complexes, most of the MD's that I work with and I are on a first name basis. I have never had a MD insist on being called DR, I will just say "Kenny, Dave,, etc"