Wording: Physician vs. Doctor

[str8flexed]

Is physician generally preferred to the word doctor in a PS?

In one area, I was considering using "doctor", b/c it is 2 syllables vs. 3. At that place, 3 syllables would disrupt the flow of the sentence more.

Assuage my fears...

Adam

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[Law2Doc]

Is physician generally preferred to the word doctor in a PS?

In one area, I was considering using "doctor", b/c it is 2 syllables vs. 3. At that place, 3 syllables would disrupt the flow of the sentence more.

Assuage my fears...

Adam

Both are fine. Under some state laws, I believe, certain other health professions (chiropractors, podiatrists?) aren't allowed to use the word "physician", so it carries more specific meaning. Additionally, folks with PhD's and certain other doctorate degrees can use the term doctor, so it is more generic.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

I have a different question but still on topic.

A friend of mine once said that the only people who are truely supposed to always have Dr. in front of their name are MDs. In other words, it is not politically incorrect to call a PhD "Mr. or Mrs Smith" but it would be wrong to call an MD "Mr. or Mrs. Smith"

Is this true?

 

[quanct]

..."doctician"

You're welcome.

 

[Law2Doc]

I have a different question but still on topic.

A friend of mine once said that the only people who are truely supposed to always have Dr. in front of their name are MDs. In other words, it is not politically incorrect to call a PhD "Mr. or Mrs Smith" but it would be wrong to call an MD "Mr. or Mrs. Smith"

Is this true?

Your friend is wrong. It is inappropriate and politically incorrect to call an MD, DO, PhD (and some others) by other than Dr. in professional letters, wedding invites etc. They have a doctorate and have earned it (they didn't go to 6 years of evil medical or graduate school to be called Mr...). Similarly, the proper way to address correspondence to a lawyer is to put Esq. after the name. That is the general convention.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Your friend is wrong. It is inappropriate and politically incorrect to call an MD, DO, PhD (and some others) by other than Dr. in professional letters, wedding invites etc. They have a doctorate and have earned it (they didn't go to 6 years of evil medical or graduate school to be called Mr...). Similarly, the proper way to address correspondence to a lawyer is to put Esq. after the name. That is the general convention.

ok, this was my suspicion because I have never heard someone call a PhD by Mr. or Mrs. I need to tell him this so he doesn't look like an ass

 

[joanofarc0907]

Doctor, physician...all the same thing

I even go so far as to use practitioner every once in a while just to spice things up

 

[AggieJohn]

...In one area, I was considering using "doctor", b/c it is 2 syllables vs. 3. At that place, 3 syllables would disrupt the flow of the sentence more...

Hmm. If you are trying to freak me out and make me feel like I didn't spend enough time on my PS, then job well done

 

[braluk]

Esq is pretty much out of practice, i think. At the very least, that convention was never really used in the US. Well according to the wiki anyways.

one thing i wondered, does being knighted a sir have priority over the dr title?

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Esq is pretty much out of practice, i think. At the very least, that convention was never really used in the US. Well according to the wiki anyways.

one thing i wondered, does being knighted a sir have priority over the dr title?

If i was a knight, I would DEMAND "Sir"

 

[braluk]

Excuse me, I am sir dr lord brandon

you kno i always wanted, just for kicks, to get every title

Sir Lord Brandon, MD, DMD, DPod, PhD, MBA, Esq, MS, MA, BS, BA, AA, Pharm.D, FACC(fellow of cardiology), CPA(certified public accountant), CMath, PE (engineer)

And also throw in the title of MVP for the NBA, NFL, Hockey and Baseball. Twice.

 

[njbmd]

I have a different question but still on topic.

A friend of mine once said that the only people who are truely supposed to always have Dr. in front of their name are MDs. In other words, it is not politically incorrect to call a PhD "Mr. or Mrs Smith" but it would be wrong to call an MD "Mr. or Mrs. Smith"

Is this true?

Hi there,
The correct manner to address someone with a doctorate, is John Smith MD, or John Smith, DO or John Smith Ph.D or John Smith, Pharm.D. or John Smith DDS or John Smith DPM or John Smith DVM etc.

In the salutation, you may use Dear Dr. Smith for any and all of the above.

njbmd

 

[sscooterguy]

I once learned in a medical anthro class that physician was the correct term actually. When I applied many moons ago, we all used the word physician or if we used doctor, we clarified it as medical doctor. Most people won't care, even most admissions people as not all are physican or even if they are they don't know. However, we all stuck to the general rule above just in case we ran across the person that did care. Good luck.

sscooterguy

 

[braluk]

Yea doctor is very general

-A person, especially a physician, dentist, or veterinarian, trained in the healing arts and licensed to practice.
1. A person who has earned the highest academic degree awarded by a college or university in a specified discipline.
2. A person awarded an honorary degree by a college or university.

 

[Blue Planet]

There may be a slight difference between the words "doctor" and "physician." "Doctor" can refer to any practitioner who went to MD/DO school and received a degree. However, some authorities reserve the word "physician" for medical practitioners, not surgeons. A good example of this comes from Columbia's med school name - Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.

But, in 99.99% of cases, the two are interchangeable.

 

[Law2Doc]

Esq is pretty much out of practice, i think. At the very least, that convention was never really used in the US. Well according to the wiki anyways.

Um no -- this is way wrong. Every practicing lawyer in the country will get and send literally dozens of letters referring to attorneys as Esq, and many many business cards, door plaques etc in this profession indicate this as well. Do a search on the web for lawyers and you will see Esq. on many many websites. Esq. also used to be used for nonlawyers, and is no longer used and never was in the US (unless you are a fan of Bill & Ted's excellent adventure). But for lawyers it is very very much in vogue in practice and is in fact the politically correct convention for addressing correspondence to lawyers. If wikipedia says anything to the contrary, it is simply garbage on this topic - that is the danger of an encyclopedia made up by lay web users and not professionals.

 

[braluk]

Um no -- this is way wrong. Every practicing lawyer in the country will get and send literally dozens of letters referring to attorneys as Esq, and many many business cards, door plaques etc in this profession indicate this as well. Do a search on the web for lawyers and you will see Esq. on many many websites. Esq. also used to be used for nonlawyers, and is no longer used and never was in the US (unless you are a fan of Bill & Ted's excellent adventure). But for lawyers it is very very much in vogue in practice and is in fact the politically correct convention for addressing correspondence to lawyers. If wikipedia says anything to the contrary, it is simply garbage on this topic - that is the danger of an encyclopedia made up by lay web users and not professionals.

point noted. I've never really dealt with lawyers, so my knowledge towards the field is few and far between

 

[Law2Doc]

point noted. I've never really dealt with lawyers, so my knowledge towards the field is few and far between

Given that everyone on the medical path will have to deal with lawyers in one way or another -- hopefully in setting up your practice and not defending it -- you should be sure to use Esq. when you do.

 

[braluk]

Given that everyone on the medical path will have to deal with lawyers in one way or another -- hopefully in setting up your practice and not defending it -- you should be sure to use Esq. when you do.

Haha yea , ill make sure i get that LLC added onto the end of my practice name also, lawyer repellent lol

 

[Captain Fantastic]

There may be a slight difference between the words "doctor" and "physician." "Doctor" can refer to any practitioner who went to MD/DO school and received a degree. However, some authorities reserve the word "physician" for medical practitioners, not surgeons. A good example of this comes from Columbia's med school name - Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.

But, in 99.99% of cases, the two are interchangeable.

My state grants one medical license and it reads "Physician and Surgeon." You are licensed to do both, although only a fool would try.

 

[Law2Doc]

My state grants one medical license and it reads "Physician and Surgeon." You are licensed to do both, although only a fool would try.

Since most surgical residencies included an initial internship year of general medicine up until about the 80's most older surgeons will have practiced both and many still do. I don't think they are fools.

 

[Kuba]

..."doctician"

You're welcome.

Why did noone else find that funny

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Since most surgical residencies included an initial internship year of general medicine up until about the 80's most older surgeons will have practiced both and many still do. I don't think they are fools.

I understand your point, but when it's so easy to call for a consult why accept risk of taking on something outside of your specialty? So much has changed in the last 20 years in the treatment of many chronic illness. Also, it could just be the culture taking hold of me, but every surgery patient here gets a medical consult (and that's more often than not a good thing).

 

[sentrosi]

Yes...language evolves. I think either is fine. People will understand you.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Is physician generally preferred to the word doctor in a PS?

In one area, I was considering using "doctor", b/c it is 2 syllables vs. 3. At that place, 3 syllables would disrupt the flow of the sentence more.

Assuage my fears...

Adam

uh layne?

 

[MaKaye55]

"They have a doctorate and have earned it (they didn't go to 6 years of evil medical or graduate school to be called Mr...)."

If you speak of this whilst one is in a professional setting then I agree; however, I for one wouldn't be hung up on the whole "Dr." title outside of that as some professionals I've seen are.

Me: Hello Mr. Braxton
Instructor: You mean doctor Braxton
*rolls eyes* give me a break

Personally the whole prestige factor is not a concern of mine. I'm pretty sure my ultimate intention is that thing, you know, that...shoot...that helping thingy, well...you get what I'm saying