<p>I'm working in a lab with a grad student and of course the prof and the grad student keeps referring to the prof by his first name. It's been bothering me lately since I had him for 2 classes and I always address him by Dr. or Prof. The grad student has sent out emails using only his first name and has mentioned him to me in an informal way.</p>
<p>I guess what I'm trying to ask is, when I'm talking to her about the Prof. do I use his first name or Dr.? The prof hasn't invited me to use his first name, but when I talk about him to the grad student and use Dr., it feels weird.</p>
<p>I don't think anyone here can tell you the answer; the cultures in different institutions and departments differ widely. If you're uncertain, it's always better to err on the side of caution and use Dr./Prof. He/she'll tell you to use the first name pretty quickly if that's what they prefer in their interactions with undergrads. In the presence of the grad student, I don't think it's crucial, maybe stick to pronouns or do whatever feels natural.</p>
<p>The relationship between graduate student and professor is sometimes far more informal than that of a undergraduate student-professor relationship. That professor may be that student's mentor. </p>
<p>In LACs and smaller universities, an undergraduate calling a professor by his or her first name is more common. It's all about the context and closeness of the relationship between student and teacher.</p>
<p>use Dr. when talking about the prof. A grad student is a future peer of the prof and will be working closely with him for the next 3-7 years. I'd bet the prof has encouraged him to call him by his 1st name.</p>
<p>An undergrad, on the other hand, is presumed to have a more formal relationship with the faculty. Your advisor or a teacher you get to know well may invite you to use their first name, but you need to wait until you get that invitation. Since that hasn't happened, it's Dr. X or Prof. X to you.</p>
<p>jags861 - most professors have PhD's and are therefore "doctors" (doctor of philosophy). If the professor doesn't have a PhD or you're unsure, you can always just use "Professor __" to err on the side of caution.</p>
<p>I know how to address a professor lol. I am asking when the grad student keeps referring to the prof as Joeschmo when we are having a conversation, do I refer to the prof as Joeschmo or Dr. Joeschmo?</p>
<p>In that case, I'd still go by "Dr. Schmoe", as it just might seem weird to the grad student if you, someone who does not know the guy as well, are calling him by his first name. Unless the prof and you are on a first name basis, I would stick with "Dr." even when speaking to the grad student.</p>
<p>Virtually every professor with a research lab outside of a medical school has a PhD. Most professors prefer to be called Professor rather than Doctor, as the latter feels pretentious unless they are MDs.</p>
<p>My advice to call your professor Professor X when you are with the professor (unless invited to do otherwise), but you can use the informal name when talking with the grad student.</p>
<p>Stick with Prof. X or Dr. X, even when talking to the grad student or your friends. Referring to him by his first name implies a false sense of familiarity. To the grad student, Dr. X is familiar and it's ok for him to talk about the prof that way. To you, he's not. </p>
<p>And as a more practical matter, if you get in the habit of talking about "Joe" instead of Dr. Schmoe I can almost guarantee you that sometime in the prof's presence you're going to slip up thru force of habit and refer to him by his first name. Major faux pas.</p>