Stumbled across this thread because the "MD's and DO's" part of the title caught my eye on the main SDN page.
There are a few black pearls getting passed out around here. First of all, residents don't work 10 times harder than attendings. If that was ever true, then it's been erased by ACGME work hour restrictions. I work appreciably harder as an attending than I did as a resident, even though I work at a teaching program, and I'm not an outlier. Secondly, ENTs are perfectly capable of handling facial trauma. In fact, at my medical school - a large university level I trauma center - facial trauma call rotated between OMFS, ENT, and ophthalmology. I'm not suggesting that OMFS isn't critical; it is, but let's not act like physicians are completely helpless when someone fractures their jaw. Besides, half of the OMFS surgeons I know are both MDs and DDSs.
As others have said, "doctor" is a title. "Physician" or "dentist" is a profession. When someone asks me what I do at a cocktail party, I never say "I'm a doctor." I say that I'm a physician; most physicians I know do the same.
Referring to oneself as Dr. So-and-so is all about context. That's why physicians lose their **** about nurses who want to be referred to as doctors. In a hospital or medical clinic, if you call yourself doctor in front of a patient, you better be a physician. Some states even say as much to prevent PharmDs and nurses from misleading patients. The same is true in a dental clinic or on an OMFS ward regarding DDSs.
Did I read somewhere on this thread about how someone would never "belittle" themselves by claiming to be a "doctor"? Come on, man. That's no better than the DB physicians that say that dentists aren't "real doctors".
Okay, everyone. Group hug. Now, let's sing kumbaya.
