Signing letters/emails with MD after your name?

[namika]

I've recently graduated with an MD but I'm delaying the start of my residency until next June due to personal issues. However, I don't intent to sit on my hands for a full year, so I'm currently applying to several places for some temporary medical work later in the summer.

Long story short, I'll be sending a lot of "cold call" emails to various people and departments. My question is, do I sign the email with "Name, MD"?

I mean, I've already obviously stated my situation and degree in the body of the email, but do I sign it with an MD too? I know common etiquette is 'Don't sign your name with MD unless it's work related'. But this is kind of on the border of that. I guess since it's a professional email about potential employment I should use it?

Vote in the poll if you want, of just leave your two cents. I'm curious what the masses think (even though I know, in the end this is a really minor issue)

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[gutonc]

I'm upset that you don't have a F*** NO!!!!! option.

So I'm abstaining from the pole.

 

[SXMMD]

I'm upset that you don't have a F*** NO!!!!! option.

So I'm abstaining from the pole.

*poll

 

[dozitgetchahi]

I'm far more curious about why you've put yourself in this position in the first place.

 

[gutonc]

*poll

I am well aware of how to spell that word.

But the OP requires mockery.

 

[ProfMD]

What temporary medical work are you planning on doing with no post grad training?

I agree with @gutonc - signing with MD after you name, unless practice related, is lame.

 

[Psai]

Brah don't listen to the haters here

You should not only sign everything with an MD at the end (that you've rightfully earned), you should get a license plate that says MD on it with a caduceus, make an email signature that says Namika, MD PHYSICIAN and a verified physician tag here on sdn (since there's a tiny chance you'll get it by the time you start residency)

 

[Raryn]

My default email signature is:

John Smith, MD
PGY3 Internal Medicine
Name of University Medical Education Program

The vast majority of my emails are work related and get that signature. If I ever have to send an email that isn't work related, I either use it out of inertia or change it to just John Smith (or just John). I don't think it's douchy at all it sign your educational credentials if you're sending emails in a reasonably professional capacity. You earned the degree. Just don't be the douche nozzle that signs a full out "Dr. John Smith, MD". You get *either* a Dr. or a degree, and generally if you're referring to yourself, pick the degree.

In addition, when I graduated medical school, I went from my real-life signature being a full out John Smith in cursive to just a JSmithMD. Saves me time on the wards, and the medical records people wanted an MD appended to the signature that there's no way I was going to start writing in separately as opposed to just integrating it. Now, when I sign a receipt, I usually just do JSmith... but sometimes I put JSmithMD in there automatically. It doesn't matter one way or the other.

Note: Names changed for purposes of privacy. 😛

 

[Crayola227]

My default email signature is:

John Smith, MD
PGY3 Internal Medicine
Name of University Medical Education Program

The vast majority of my emails are work related and get that signature. If I ever have to send an email that isn't work related, I either use it out of inertia or change it to just John Smith (or just John). I don't think it's douchy at all it sign your educational credentials if you're sending emails in a reasonably professional capacity. You earned the degree. Just don't be the douche nozzle that signs a full out "Dr. John Smith, MD". You get *either* a Dr. or a degree, and generally if you're referring to yourself, pick the degree.

In addition, when I graduated medical school, I went from my real-life signature being a full out John Smith in cursive to just a JSmithMD. Saves me time on the wards, and the medical records people wanted an MD appended to the signature that there's no way I was going to start writing in separately as opposed to just integrating it. Now, when I sign a receipt, I usually just do JSmith... but sometimes I put JSmithMD in there automatically. It doesn't matter one way or the other.

Note: Names changed for purposes of privacy. 😛

I ditto Raryn's advice here 100%.

 

[Neuronix]

I sign my emails Dr. Dr. Neuro Nix MD, PhD

 

[SXMMD]

I sometimes add my undergraduate qualifications

SXMMD, B.S. M.D.

Pun intended

 

[Crayola227]

I believe she officially goes by Dr. Stormborn, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, The Unburnt, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, The Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons

You wouldn't believe her white coat embroidery bill.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Wtf

 

[gracie369]

I've recently graduated with an MD but I'm delaying the start of my residency until next June due to personal issues.

You can just say that you didn't match. We're all family here bro.

At the top of every email I send.

•you are about to read an email from an MD•

 

[tkim]

I sign my name Dr. Chen, because every f*cking pt calls me Dr. Chen no matter how many times I correct them. And it's not just one pt - it's every g*ddamn pt. I'm thinking of legally changing my last name to Chen, so I don't have to correct them anymore.

 

[Psai]

I sign my name Dr. Chen, because every f*cking pt calls me Dr. Chen no matter how many times I correct them. And it's not just one pt - it's every g*ddamn pt. I'm thinking of legally changing my last name to Chen, so I don't have to correct them anymore.

Why, is your first name chen?

 

[QofQuimica]

Well, OP, I'm a board-certified MD/PhD attending, and there are only two situations where I ever sign anything with those degrees.

1) charts at work, which get signed "QofQuimica, MD" automatically by the EMR when I hit the "sign" button
2) LORs I write for applicants, which I sign "QofQuimica, MD, PhD" along with my faculty title on university letterhead so that readers will know it's an academic letter

I cannot think of any time I have ever signed an email with either my MD or my PhD in the last five years since I've had both degrees or in the last ten years since I've had the PhD. That includes when I was applying for medical school, residency, attending jobs, fellowships, hospital credentialing, medical licensing, a DEA number, or any other reason. So my vote in your "pole" is no.

 

[keifernny2]

I like to sign my name MD when I write tangential letters to the editor of my local newspaper asking why we still haven't seen Obama' birth certificate and harping on how rude people are to their elders.

Also, on birthday cards I send to my grandma, because she's so proud of me 🙂

Otherwise, I sign with a paw print.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Morzh]

I've heard you should use the "MD" card when dealing with banks/lenders/finances because they'll usually set you up with a personal banker and treat you extra nice if they know you're a physician.

I've heard you should never use the "MD" card when dealing with plumbers, electricians, contractors, etc. because they will try to secretly charge you more since they figure you "can afford it anyway" and are less likely to make a fuss because you're busy.

 

[mpdoc2]

I've heard you should use the "MD" card when dealing with banks/lenders/finances because they'll usually set you up with a personal banker and treat you extra nice if they know you're a physician.

I've heard you should never use the "MD" card when dealing with plumbers, electricians, contractors, etc. because they will try to secretly charge you more since they figure you "can afford it anyway" and are less likely to make a fuss because you're busy.

Unfortunately MD means nothing to bankers if you're not an Attending and aren't bringing in the dough.

 

[MedicalDoctorV]

You got a lot of snarky remarks here - maybe deservedly so.
But, there is a way to write MD without coming across as a total douche.
It does differentiate you from a Doctor Of Chiropractic/Naturopath.

Disclaimer- I have no idea what this means: "I'll be sending a lot of "cold call" emails to various people and departments." I'll assume it's to a potential something that wants to pay you money to do something rather than plumbers/banks etc (that others mention).

End your emails with this to actually establish you've graduated medical school - and establish you as someone that doesn't just have a BA/BS:

"Warm Regards,
Namika

Namika Smith, MD
Class of 2016 middle-America Medical School
Linkedin.com/NamikaSmith

BEST OF LUCK! And ignore the haters.
V

V, M.D.
Class of 2008, somewhere in NJ
Linkedin.com/MedicalDoctorV

 

[wholeheartedly]

So, working in a ridiculously huge medical center with all kinds of health professionals and trainees of various types at various stages, I prefer to see someone's degree (and possibly year in training and field) in work related emails.

It helps me figure out how I need to tailor my response given my audience. For instance if I get a question about a certain diagnostic test or troubleshooting, my response to a nurse is going to be very different than to a pgy 4 pathology resident because of the differences in their background. So I think it's pretty helpful in that regard.

I'm also kinda part of a management team and so I'm involved in a lot of discussions with people all over the health system, so a detailed sig just makes it easier to keep track of who is who and what role they have in whatever we're doing.

 

[QofQuimica]

So, working in a ridiculously huge medical center with all kinds of health professionals and trainees of various types at various stages, I prefer to see someone's degree (and possibly year in training and field) in work related emails.

It helps me figure out how I need to tailor my response given my audience. For instance if I get a question about a certain diagnostic test or troubleshooting, my response to a nurse is going to be very different than to a pgy 4 pathology resident because of the differences in their background. So I think it's pretty helpful in that regard.

I'm also kinda part of a management team and so I'm involved in a lot of discussions with people all over the health system, so a detailed sig just makes it easier to keep track of who is who and what role they have in whatever we're doing.

I have never emailed the lab techs to ask them a question about a diagnostic test. It wouldn't have occurred to me to do that, because who knows when they'd get back to me? If I have a question for the lab tech, I generally want to know the answer in real time. As it happens, I call the lab on a regular basis (probably fair to say once or twice per night on average). I've never found clarifying my identity to them to be an issue even though I identify myself on the phone by first name. Maybe they just know who all the attendings in my department are since they see our names on all the orders, or maybe it's because they quite reasonably conclude that a nurse probably wouldn't be calling them to ask whether obscure test X is a send out, or which variety of test Y in the EMR I need to order. But even if I call to ask them something as simple as where Mrs. Jones's chemistry result is, they always seem to recognize that I'm the attending.

 

[Neuronix]

Shrug, I was kidding earlier in the thread. I like to play on the fact that the German title for MD/PhDs is something like: Herr Professor Dr. Dr. Neuro Nix.

My professional/work e-mail as a resident had a canned sig with
My X. Name, MD, PhD
Radiation Oncology Resident

With a logo of the institution. In case anyone forgot where we all worked.

I found some residents included their PGY year or whatever. In my specialty there's not really a hierarchy, which is kind of scary as a PGY-2 but your seniors will always laugh at you then bail you out.

 

[Law2Doc]

I like the auto signature option Raryn described because then you can still put in your more familiar name as signature above it.

A word of caution though when using MD after your name before you are licensed is that you may be creating the impression in the recipient that you are a licensed physician, which can have legal consequences, and so it may be a good idea to avoid that outside of the professional setting.

 

[mpdoc2]

I like the auto signature option Raryn described because then you can still put in your more familiar name as signature above it.

A word of caution though when using MD after your name before you are licensed is that you may be creating the impression in the recipient that you are a licensed physician, which can have legal consequences, and so it may be a good idea to avoid that outside of the professional setting.

Saying you're an MD does not say that you are a licensed physician. Of course if you're talking with a patient in a clinic setting its probably a good idea to make that point clear but its fine to say that you're an MD in any other setting. An MD states that you have a Medical Doctorate degree it does not state that you are a Licensed Physician.

 

[Neuronix]

I'm not clear on this point anyway--interns and residents do have training licenses.

 

[Moose A Moose]

You've earned it. Use it as you see fit.







Just don't make reservations at a restaurant as "Dr. Namika"... SMH.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I have never emailed the lab techs to ask them a question about a diagnostic test. It wouldn't have occurred to me to do that, because who knows when they'd get back to me? If I have a question for the lab tech, I generally want to know the answer in real time. As it happens, I call the lab on a regular basis (probably fair to say once or twice per night on average). I've never found clarifying my identity to them to be an issue even though I identify myself on the phone by first name. Maybe they just know who all the attendings in my department are since they see our names on all the orders, or maybe it's because they quite reasonably conclude that a nurse probably wouldn't be calling them to ask whether obscure test X is a send out, or which variety of test Y in the EMR I need to order. But even if I call to ask them something as simple as where Mrs. Jones's chemistry result is, they always seem to recognize that I'm the attending.

Since I'm a development tech, not just a regular lab tech, these tend to be higher level questions beyond the usual "hey, I'm waiting in results on jane doe, when will it be done" or "i need this test, what should i order" type questions. We definitely get a boatload of those by phone, too. Plus, and it might be unique to our institution but I do get weird questions from nursing and other allied health staff where other places it might be more heavily physicians.

Also, like I said, as part of a mgmt team there's lots of coordinating huge projects with multiple health system sites, so it helps to figure out everyone's role and background.

We have institutional guidelines for automatic sigs and Raryn's example seems to fit

John Doe, MD PhD
Pathology Resident, PGY3
Dept of Lab Medicine

Man's Greatest Hospital
yadda yadda yadda adress
city, state

 

[Law2Doc]

Saying you're an MD does not say that you are a licensed physician. Of course if you're talking with a patient in a clinic setting its probably a good idea to make that point clear but its fine to say that you're an MD in any other setting. An MD states that you have a Medical Doctorate degree it does not state that you are a Licensed Physician.

To someone not familiar with the nuances of medical training and licensure, yes, putting MD after your name is misleading and people may reasonably think you are a full fledged physician. Use it cautiously.

 

[Raryn]

To someone not familiar with the nuances of medical training and licensure, yes, putting MD after your name is misleading and people may reasonably think you are a full fledged physician. Use it cautiously.

That's their problem.

Mind you, I am a fully licensed and (as of last week) residency-trained physician, but if I were to use MD after my name the day after I graduated (as was my right) and someone assumed that it meant something it didn't, that's not my fault, is it? My signature when I put MD has also always included my full title (as above), but you could also make the argument that someone who doesn't understand the meaning of MD might also have no clue what PGY3 Internal Medicine means. If they thought I was more important than I was and treated me more nicely? Shrug. Good for me, possibly a problem for them.

Basically, unless you somehow lie yourself into a corner and are practicing medicine without a license (which I don't see how a signature could get you there without significantly more action on your part), who cares?

 

[mpdoc2]

That's their problem.

Mind you, I am a fully licensed and (as of last week) residency-trained physician, but if I were to use MD after my name the day after I graduated (as was my right) and someone assumed that it meant something it didn't, that's not my fault, is it? My signature when I put MD has also always included my full title (as above), but you could also make the argument that someone who doesn't understand the meaning of MD might also have no clue what PGY3 Internal Medicine means. If they thought I was more important than I was and treated me more nicely? Shrug. Good for me, possibly a problem for them.

Basically, unless you somehow lie yourself into a corner and are practicing medicine without a license (which I don't see how a signature could get you there without significantly more action on your part), who cares?

I agree, there's plenty of stupid people out there and we are neither responsible nor liable for their stupidity.

 

[Law2Doc]

I agree, there's plenty of stupid people out there and we are neither responsible nor liable for their stupidity.

Actually if they rely on something medical you say under the impression you are a doctor, it might be your problem.

 

[mpdoc2]

Actually if they rely on something medical you say under the impression you are a doctor, it might be your problem.

That is not correct.

 

[Law2Doc]

That is not correct.

It actually is. If the proverbial reasonable person would be mislead by the context of your email and the MD after your name you could be in trouble. Coming out of law school they made a strong point of telling us not to use the JD letters after our names when communicating with lay people until we passed the bar. There's just too much risk someone would not know the difference, and rely on the weight of your presumed professional status to their detriment. And when you got sued the 12 equally uninformed jury members would say "Gee I would have thought that meant he was a full fledged doctor too". Sadly medical schools aren't quite as savvy as law schools. So yes you've "earned it" but it's something to be used carefully and sparingly before licensure. Meaning put it in your CV or email with other professionals, but maybe leave it off email to lay people when saying anything that could be construed as medical advice.

 

[ProfMD]

That is not correct.

It actually is. If the proverbial reasonable person would be mislead by the context of your email and the MD after your name you could be in trouble. Coming out of law school they made a strong point of telling us not to use the JD letters after our names when communicating with lay people until we passed the bar. There's just too much risk someone would not know the difference, and rely on the weight of your presumed professional status to their detriment. And when you got sued the 12 equally uninformed jury members would say "Gee I would have thought that meant he was a full fledged doctor too". Sadly medical schools aren't quite as savvy as law schools. So yes you've "earned it" but it's something to be used carefully and sparingly before licensure. Meaning put it in your CV or email with other professionals, but maybe leave it off email to lay people when saying anything that could be construed as medical advice.

I think we should trust the lawyer on this.

Personally, I use MD and all the titles/affiliations for work related stuff. Otherwise, strictly first name. I actually prefer to remain incognito when not at work.