This is a formal, professional relationship, and a measure of respect is needed.
DEAR ANNIE: You told a reader to call doctors by their last name until invited otherwise. Your writer had called the doctor by the first name on the first visit. Had she never been to a doctor before? No one should think this is appropriate!
The health care environment has multiple providers, such as nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and physical therapists. It is important to understand who is delivering your care and the expectations of that provider’s role, which includes using the term doctor or nurse, or, if the provider prefers only a first name, informing the patient of this preference.
DEAR DOCTOR FOR 30 YEARS: Thank you for your letter. Several other doctors wrote in expressing similar thoughts, including this one: I disagree with one thing. I have been a physician for 39 years and would NEVER address an adult patient by their first name unless they specifically invited me to use it. The patient’s mistake was awkward. The doctor’s was rude. -- Manners Matter
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