As someone who has had a changing rank title throughout his professional life, I am enjoying your debate on what doctors should be called. Having retired from the Royal Navy, I am the chief executive of a medical research charity, and I am now a Fellow of the RSM—and there should be another debate on what that title means. But my rank has clearly confused the RSM who now seem to have solved the problem by addressing me in writing as ‘Doctor’.
At the same time, an insurance company I have been in correspondence with addresses me as ‘Rear Moore’, a title that would probably be approved of by the consultant gastrointestinal surgeon with whom I also have dealings—who incidentally calls himself ‘Mister’.
Competing interests None declared.