Susan Nachman-Srebrnik writes
"I'm beginning to get fed up with receiving messages on my machine similar to this:
"Hello, SUSAN.  This is DR. so and so calling about xyz..."  Now in Israel, where
almost everybody from school teachers to the Prime Minister are called by their
first names, I'm pretty tired of this high and mighty status doctors have."

I work in a family medical practice involving twelve doctors and employing approximately twenty other staff. We have a practice policy of using first names for everyone. The staff all use each other's first names and the patients know all of us on a first name basis. I will occasionally get an older patient who feels uncomfortable with calling me Laureen and will instead call me Dr. Laureen. I am almost never called Dr. Lawlor-Smith.

We do this for several reasons. Firstly we believe that everyone who works in the practice is an equal and valued member of our team. Using "Dr." separates some members of our team from others and suggests a higher level of importance.
From the patient's point of view I believe that communicating on a first name basis aids rapport immensely and helps the patient to feel more comfortable in talking openly with me. I think that this is especially true for children.

I too get ticked off with fellow medical practitioners who insist on being called "Dr.". I believe that the only way to change things is to steadfastly call them by their first names in the hope that they will eventually get the message! 

Laureen Lawlor-Smith
Looking forward to another HOT South Australian Christmas