What’s up Doc?
Last night I got a small thrill from a piece of mail. We received a wedding invitation that addressed HB and I by our proper titles! You see, my last name is hyphenated, so it throws people off on what to do with us. We were never Mr. and Mrs. HB’s-last-name. Technically we were Mr. HB’s-last-name and Mrs. my-last-name. Although we told everyone that for social purposes, they could call us Mr. and Mrs. my-last-name.
But now, Now, that I have my Ph.D. I sooooooooo love getting mail with Dr. Danielle my-last-name on it. Because now we are technically Mr. HB’s-last-name and Dr. my-last name. If you wanted to stick with the way we were letting people address us in the past, we would be Mr. and Dr. my-last-name.
I don’t get much of the Dr. mail. I did receive a Christmas card or two with my title on it. And this wedding invitation really nailed it! So, I was excited.
As I was reflecting on this mail thing I started thinking about how the insurance company can never get my hyphenated name right. They are always chopping it off at my maiden name. You’d think an insurance company, of all things, would get it straight. After all, they are receiving all kinds of medical bills and such with my correct name on it. The credit card companies sure have that one figured out. Of course, they never use titles anyway, so it isn’t really right or wrong in the whole Dr. aspect.
At school, when I was a graduate student, I would get junk mail addressed to Dr. Danielle my-last-name. You see, the companies always erred on the side of giving someone the Dr. title because they didn’t want to offend anyone who _did_ have their Ph.D. But the ironic thing is that now that I _do_ have my Ph.D., I don’t get junk mail at school. I haven’t had to request anything from a company yet, so they don’t have me in their system at my current locale. But isn’t that ironic?
I usually just look at it, see that it is wrong, and after a small sigh of disappointment, get on with opening the mail. But seeing it correct last night reminded me just how new my Ph.D. is and how I’m not yet used to having a new title.
Dr.
It has a nice ring to it.
Oh, and as an aside, when I go to a medical doctor and an M.D. comes into the examining room, he or she always introduces him or herself by Dr. so-and-so. I go ahead and introduce myself as Dr. my-last-name too. I kinda blush when I do it, because it seems a bit officious. But I’ve noticed that they treat me a bit differently when they know. I’m more apt to get the medical explanation for my condition or drugs that they are prescribing for me. And it is nice to have that info. It saves me a trip to Wikipedia when I get home. 