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Do You Address Your Professors as Doctor?

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Andrew Korenchkin

Andrew Korenchkin

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This term and its usage is interesting to me, and personally I find myself always using it if my professors have a PhD. I never felt comfortable using their first name because I know that I don't know more that them. Of course, people think differently. If they don't have a Ph.D. I just use professor.
 
Call them by their first name. Might be a UK thing. Call them anything else and it's a bit odd. International students always try to call them sir, professor, Mr/Ms. something and they always correct.
 
Most of my professors, including all of my advisors and the ones I knew somewhat well, had PhDs. Generally they preferred "Doctor" to "Professor" in the classroom and I continued to call all of them Dr until after I graduated. I'm still in touch with a few of them socially and have started to use their first names (after being invited to) though it took me a couple years to stop feeling weird about that.

Edit: ^ dunno if this varies from country to country, but FWIW I'm American and went to university in Maryland.
 
Yes, always. Even the ones I know well. Unless they tell me otherwise, I'm going to call them Doctor if they have a doctorate. Everyone else is just Professor Whatever. My US Presidency professor chewed this guy out in the middle of class for not calling her Doctor.

The whole "Wait X amount of time for Doctors and X amount of time for Professors" is bullshit though. If you're 10-15 minutes late with no word, I'm dipping out.
 
I've never done it, it just sounds weird unless I'm writing an email about them to a third party. E.g. "My supervisor, Dr/Assoc Prof XYZ, informed me that [...]".

I don't think I've heard anyone else do it either. Just call everyone by their first names, they're people just like us.

Professor and Doctor are different titles too; Professor implies seniority and a great deal of experience.
 
There are one or two professors though that I call by their first names, though. Probably because anything else feels weird. What a strange thing.
 
Yes, I do. Doctors are few and far between and is just not something tacked on, so it commands some respect. Some are cool and tell you to address them on a first name basis but I find it better to err on the side of cautious. Even with a PhD and meeting peers, it's better to just address them by the title at first and after you have made an acquaintance with them, change the addressing.

It's very strange sometimes when I see undergraduates on a first name basis with professors. I understand the lack of formality breeds trust, but still finds a little bit too up-in-your-face.

Also, here professor is given to teachers from elementary grade all the way up. It doesn't command as much respect.
 
Hypron said:
Professor and Doctor are different titles too; Professor implies seniority and a great deal of experience.
Click to expand...

This is true, though in the US it's common to say "Professor" even if someone is technically associate, assistant, or even adjunct. I know that in some other countries like the UK there are separate terms like lecturer for such positions, though, and "Professor" is limited to what we'd call "full Professor" in the US.
 
Jacob said:
This is true, though in the US it's common to say "Professor" even if someone is technically associate, assistant, or even adjunct. I know that in some other countries like the UK there are separate terms like lecturer for such positions and "Professor" is limited to what we'd call "full Professor" in the US.
Click to expand...

Ha, that makes sense. In NZ we also call the people that teach us in class "lecturers" so that would explain the difference.
 
For me, most tell the class what they want to be called on the first day. If they like the Dr. title I'll call them that.
 
I found it so strange when I moved to the UK and every professor wanted to be called by their first name

In Italy I've always used Prof. + Last name and addressed them with the third person.
 
I was caught off guard and said "Hi" to a Dr. adjunct Professor in the hallway before class and got an earful for not being "proper".
 
LeroyPantwether said:
Who gave you the earful ? The professor ? You know they don't grade you on how proper you are right ?
Click to expand...

Yeah, apparently he only wants to be addressed as "Dr." and how I wasn't his friend and he deserves to be addressed properly.


and yeah, I know. I usually just stick with professor and haven't annoyed anyone else.
 
location and culture has a lot to do with this.


In the US, I had a person ask me to stop saying "doctor" once and to call them by their first name. i don't think i've ever heard anyone else here say "doctor" except for a formal introduction for a speech or something.

In Europe there were parts, where it seemed like it was almost expected.
 
I work around actual MDs and unless they introduce themselves as 'Dr. whatever' then I don't default to addressing them as such. I applied the same rule when I was in school still.
 
Generally Professor _____

I have a Ph.D but I don't teach. I would hate to be called Doctor. Would rather be professor.
 
I can't imagine calling anyone with a PhD by their first name unless I was very close to them for some reason or unless they asked.
 
Persona7 said:
Yeah, apparently he only wants to be addressed as "Dr." and how I wasn't his friend and he deserves to be addressed properly.


and yeah, I know.
Click to expand...

It's weird, where I go to school I do everything to make sure I keep them at a professional distance, and most professors are cold as a result to me. Oh well.
 
Maybe its a Canadian thing, but most of my professors preferred me to call them by their first name. Of course in emails, and assignments I would give their proper title of "Dr.X"
 
If they don't have a doctorates in a medical field or specifically ask me to call them "doctor (name)" then I don't.

Had this teacher with a doctorates in teaching or botany or something who demanded she be called "doctor" at all times. Nobody did.
 
Germany, always just called them Professor ___.

Professor Dr. ___ if it's in a professional mail, or when they mention that they would like to be referred to by their full title (has happened before).
 
Andrew Korenchkin said:
This term and its usage is interesting to me, and personally I find myself always using it if my professors have a PhD. I never felt comfortable using their first name because I know that I don't know more that them. Of course, people think differently. If they don't have a Ph.D. I just use professor.
Click to expand...

Don't all professors have to have PhDs?

Anyway, here in the UK, we just call them by their first name as anything else just sounds awkward and not at all in tune with the environment they're trying to cultivate.
 
I called them by either their first or last name, depending on the teacher.

For my Latin and Japanese professors I used Magistra and Sensei, respectively.
 
Because I went to an alternative high school where the student base called the teachers by their first names, it prepped me for a similar environment in college, which was maintained because it was a small music school.
 
Yeah, I almost always go with Dr. My school is laid back enough that most of my professors will say that first name is fine on the first day of class, but I like to do it anyway.
 
Yeah in Finland too every professor or doctor is called by their first name and it would sound very awkward to call them professor or even more so a doctor.

Similar thing applies for emails too. When you send an email to a professor, you don't use any "formalities", you just say Hi. Even if it's very professional. Even if you just started your studies and you have never talked to this person before.

It can be pretty hard for some foreigners to grasp.
 
During my studies I don't think I ever used any titles like professor or doctor. Some exchange students did and it was always extremely awkward, it just seems to come off as very old fashioned here in Sweden. I think the only time I've used doctor as a title is when messing around with a co-worker who has a PhD.
 
Nah. I have always addressed my professors by their first name. Even if I had a doctorate, I think I would just prefer if people did the same for me. Otherwise feels ostentatious to me, but... that's just me.
 
In France nobody cares about your PhD, you call everybody "Mr/Mrs YourNameHere". "Professor" is barely used either, unless maybe in official situations, or if you're getting interviewed on TV.
"Doctor" is only (and always) used for medical doctors.
 
Oh I guess I'll default to calling them Dr. Surname if they have an awesome sounding surname. Like there's a Dr. Blood at the hospital I work at. It's much more interesting sounding than their typical given name.
 
My uni is in Long Beach California and pretty laid back. Never been chewed out or seen it happen for not using the preferred title. Everyone uses professor, doctor, and first or names interchangeably. There's no sweat really.
 
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