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Do surgeons have to take the title of Mr?

Do surgeons have to take the title of Mr?
Original post by SargentZenj2
Do surgeons have to take the title of Mr?


They don't - they take the title of Dr.

I don't think any surgeon would study for 10 years at uni to not use the title Dr!
Original post by SargentZenj2
Do surgeons have to take the title of Mr?


Yes, this is a particularity of the surgical profession in the UK. All surgeons who are senior, i.e. they have completed their training, have consultant posts etc revert to the title "Mr".

This has a historical explanation which is that initially (in the 18th century) the physicians did not want to acknowledge surgeons as "doctors" - they saw them as inferior as they did not have a university degree. This has obviously changed, as now surgeons have to undertake both a university degree as well as a long postgraduate training and they are one of the most powerful group in the medical profession. But after this change surgeons snubbed the title "Dr" and refused to take it on - they insisted on being called "Mr".

Nowadays you would only call a surgeon "Dr" in the UK if they are junior trainees.

Some of this is explained at the royal college of surgeons website:

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/patients/the-surgical-team/qualifications-of-a-surgeon
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
They don't - they take the title of Dr.

I don't think any surgeon would study for 10 years at uni to not use the title Dr!


After getting their medical degree, a new doctor is referred to by the title 'Doctor', but if they choose to join a surgical speciality and thereby join the Royal College of Surgeons, their title is reverted to 'Mr.', 'Mrs.', 'Ms.', 'Miss', 'Mx.'. If then they get a PhD, their title is reverted again to 'Doctor' (likewise for the title 'Professor' if they become a professor, as well as the same for other honorifics e.g. Lord, Lady, Sir, Dame, etc.).
They are referred to as Mr, once they are a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. They cannot then choose to be referred to as Dr unless they do a PhD.
Original post by SummerStrawberry
After getting their medical degree, a new doctor is referred to by the title 'Doctor', but if they choose to join a surgical speciality and thereby join the Royal College of Surgeons, their title is reverted to 'Mr.', 'Mrs.', 'Ms.', 'Miss', 'Mx.'. If then they get a PhD, their title is reverted again to 'Doctor' (likewise for the title 'Professor' if they become a professor, as well as the same for other honorifics e.g. Lord, Lady, Sir, Dame, etc.).


So every surgeons who are Dr. had to do a PhD?

Also, what on earth is Mx? Is that for people who do not wish to disclose their gender?
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
So every surgeons who are Dr. had to do a PhD?

Also, what on earth is Mx? Is that for people who do not wish to disclose their gender?


First question: I believe so.

Second Question: Yes.
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
Also, what on earth is Mx? Is that for people who do not wish to disclose their gender?


Yep.
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Can they not choose to stay Dr?
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
They don't - they take the title of Dr.

I don't think any surgeon would study for 10 years at uni to not use the title Dr!


The most repped post is the most wrong. Typical.

They use Mr etc in the UK.

Medicine is a 5-6 year course, not 10. If you meant overall training in and out of uni that's 13 years minimum, also not 10.

There are doctors who don't use the Dr title outside of work. E.g. me.

Original post by Yellow 03
Nowadays you would only call a surgeon "Dr" in the UK if they are junior trainees.


That is not the case. It is as soon as they start surgical training.

Original post by SargentZenj2
Can they not choose to stay Dr?


Practically speaking yes, no one's going to come and find you. In reality no one does this though. Being 'Mr' is seen as something to be proud of among surgeons and unless they trained elsewhere they never do that.
Original post by nexttime
The most repped post is the most wrong. Typical.

They use Mr etc in the UK.

Medicine is a 5-6 year course, not 10. If you meant overall training in and out of uni that's 13 years minimum, also not 10.

There are doctors who don't use the Dr title outside of work. E.g. me.
.


I meant 10 years like 4-5 years at med school, then usually another 3-5 years specializing in their main discipline; regardless if it's outside of uni - it's still studying. I was making an assumption that it was 10 years. I never stated I was correct.

As for the rest of what you said, I wish I cared a lot more.
Original post by MoshBosh
They are referred to as Mr, once they are a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. They cannot then choose to be referred to as Dr unless they do a PhD.


Surely they could choose to if they want to, no? I mean, it's not forbidden, is it?
Original post by nexttime

That is not the case. It is as soon as they start surgical training.
It's when they've got MRCS. This means that there are F2s out there calling themselves Mr/Ms, despite the fact they couldn't do even the most basic operation solo.

Tbh, you could try to keep calling yourself Dr if you liked, but out of convention most nurses/other doctors will call surgical consultants (and most registrars) Mr/Ms. Plenty of patients don't understand the difference though and will call their surgeons Dr.

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