Why physicians should let patients call them by their first names

Stephanie W. Edmonds and Ginny L. Ryan are both doctors. Edmonds, a registered nurse, has a Ph.D.; Ryan is a traditional M.D. But as part of a fight over “scope creep” in health care, many medical doctors might bristle at the idea of calling Edmonds “doctor.” In fact, Florida legislators recently passed a law that would limit who gets to introduce themselves to patients as “doctors.” It would have prohibited nurses with doctorates from introducing themselves as “Dr. Smith, nurse practitioner” and even blocked ophthalmologists from calling themselves “doctor.” (Gov. Ron DeSantis ended up vetoing the legislation.)

On this episode of the “First Opinion Podcast,” I spoke with Edmonds and Ryan about the health care hierarchy, why calling health care workers by their first names might help patients, the tendency for physicians to mock “noctors,” and much more.

Our conversation was based on their recent First Opinion essay, “No one — M.D. or otherwise — should use the honorific ‘doctor’ with patients,” which they wrote with with Alden A. Bush, doctor of nursing practice.