Is it noble and respectful to call someone by the full word 'doctor'?

Readers believe that all honest professions in society are equally noble, and that one should not force others to call one a doctor, as long as one respects each other.

Doctor advises patient to come for medical examination - Illustration photo

There are many conflicting opinions surrounding the heated debate about how to address a doctor.

Some people think that calling a doctor or not is not important, as long as the person is polite and respectful to the doctor. However, others consider it a polite way of communicating to honor special professions such as doctors, teachers, etc.

You can call me doctor or brother, as long as we respect each other.

Expressing his opinion, reader Viet Ha wrote: "The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment does not have any provision that requires patients to address medical practitioners as "doctor".

Sharing the same opinion, ngan****@gmail.com said that calling doctor is fine, calling sister is fine too, as long as you are polite and respectful to each other. Don't let this issue make you upset or find fault with others.

Continuing, reader Nguyen Van Khanh said he also works in the medical profession, but patients can call him doctor or call him anh, as long as they respect each other.

Reader Nguyen Hoang Vu said that as a doctor, it doesn't matter how patients address him.

“I just feel uncomfortable when talking to me and they call the previous doctors at other hospitals “it”. Maybe they didn’t mean it or disrespect the previous doctor, it was just a habit, but it still sounds weird,” wrote reader Nguyen Hoang Vu.

Reader Trung shared: “There are people who think that when they are doctors examining patients, they are inferior to them or something? Why don’t they think that they are examining people who are much more educated than them, and that they can’t be good if they only have professional knowledge and think they are superior?”

Reader Bui Thi Hai Hanh said she also calls treating physicians by their full professional title, doctor, to show respect.

“But I see many doctors deliberately cutting out the word “si” to address all patients regardless of age, which is not good. We also need to respect the meaning of Vietnamese in communication culture,” this reader wrote.

“Many doctors who are a few years younger than me keep calling me doctor, at first I felt embarrassed,” reader Ba Phi expressed.

"I'm 73 years old, still say hello to the doctor"

Reader Nguyen Kim said: “I am 73 years old this year, the doctors who examine and treat me are all young. The doctors all call me aunt or uncle, sometimes madam and address me as child, I feel very warm.

As for me, I still say "hello doctor" once, "hello doctor" twice, and then "thank you doctor" when I leave.

“I am over 70 years old. I just got back from a general health check-up and greeted all the doctors in the hospital as doctors.

The doctors all said "Hello, what are you looking for?". After the examination, I greeted the doctor and they all said "yes", shared account thie****@gmail.com.

Reader Lan Anh said that calling a doctor is in accordance with the principle of "respectful address" in communication.

“That means when addressing yourself, be humble, and when addressing others, be respectful, putting the other person in a higher position. The way you address others will determine who you are, what your cultural background is, and how successful your communication with the other person is,” this reader wrote.

Agreeing, reader Meo expressed: “I am over 50 years old, but every time I go to the doctor, I still call them doctors, whether they are younger or older than me... Simply because I respect the profession of treating and saving people's lives of those doctors.”

Reader Tran Chan cited a story from abroad: “I went to see a doctor abroad, specifically in Canada, and still used the word "doctor" and often heard native speakers use "doctor" normally.

That is a polite, professional way of addressing each other, showing mutual respect in a civilized country".

Call the doctor "anh" and "em" to be satisfied?!

Reader Han noted: "People can call me doctor to show respect, but doctors who are younger should know how to be humble. Because doctor is a professional title, not a sign of seniority in the family.

For example, with older people, you should call yourself "em", and with older people, you should call yourself "con" or "grandchild".

In response, reader Minh Tu shared: "When meeting a doctor, you have to call him "bac" (address yourself as "con/toi"). You should call him "bac" (doctor). Now the word "si" has been removed, but people still want to remove the word "bac" and call him "em" (younger brother) to be satisfied?

Just like when meeting a teacher, you call her "I"/"You". It's said that in highly respected professions, people use "I"/"You" to be polite, not in the market or at home where there's no need to differentiate between who is older".

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-phai-cu-xung-ho-day-du-hai-tu-bac-si-la-cao-quy-va-ton-trong-20250225212910522.htm