<p>I was wondering, what is the difference in the use of these two titles, Dr. and Professor, especially in these cases:</p>
<p>(Assuming that the instructor holds both a Doctorate and Professorship)
1. In class
2. Out of class
3. Formal letter
4. Email
5. Research paper header</p>
<p>I always use doctor if not otherwise asked to be called something else. I usually ask politely after class how a professor would like to be addressed.</p>
<p>I do too. Doctor is much easier to pronounce. Professor requires too much mouth-lip movement. hah</p>
<p>I was wondering if Professors generally have a preference in this issue.</p>
<p>An interesting question.</p>
<p>I ask my students to call me by my first name :-) I think it's most common for professors to be called "professor X." This applies in or out of class, in an e-mail, etc. And, remember, if you're writing a letter, you never abbreviate to "prof. X"--always spell out "professor X." </p>
<p>To me "doctor X" always sounds a little funny. It seems to emphasize my degree as opposed to what I do. At any rate, either title is generally fine. Avoid "Mr." or "Ms." (sounds like high school). And it's a good idea to ask "what would you like us to call you?" if you're not told.</p>
<p>I think "professor X" is a more respectable title and it should be used instead of "doctor" except in the case of medical doctors.</p>
<p>Why do you think that it's a more respectable title?, ryu hayabusa?</p>
<p>To me, "Doctor X" seems like flattery. I like "Professor."</p>
<p>Unless it's one of those crazed people who demand you call them doctor, most probably dont care whether you use professor or doctor</p>
<p>at my D school I think most profs either go by just their first names or their last names
In our neck of the woods ( the northwest) I don't know many who use an academic title- it is too confusing .I don't even call my * doctor* Dr. ;)</p>
<p>I believe that only those with the rank of Associate Professor or Professor are entitled to be called Professor. Collegeprof is that your understanding?</p>
<p>I think it has to do with the school and part of the country you are in. At both universities I attended, everyone addressed professors as Dr. <strong><em>. You never heard some one say Professor </em></strong>. However, I know at some schools it is the reverse.</p>
<p>First names...</p>
<p>"Professor X" to me sound pretentious. "Dr. X" does not. They earned a doctorate and are afforded the title of Doctor in an academic setting, I believe. I emphasize "academic setting"; calling a lawyer with an LL.D who doesn't teach to a school but only practices law "Dr. X" does indeed sound pretentious to me.</p>
<p>I always thought that calling someone "Dr." meant that they had a Ph.D (or is a medical doctor) whereas calling someone professor just meant that they were your instructor. I could be wrong, though...</p>
<p>Etymologically, I find "Professor" (someone who professes) to be somewhat more awkward, perhaps a little pretentious. "Doctor" in Latin is simply someone who teaches, although that term has been somehow associated with medicine in modern culture.</p>
<p>I always go with professor. That's mostly because my father's a professor and 1) most of his students call him professor and 2) whenever they call him "doctor" it always sounds so strange to my ears. That might be because when I was growing up, I knew my father was a professor and had no idea that a PhD was also called "doctor."</p>
<p>I write "Prof. Smith" in e-mails.</p>
<p>I always go with "professor" too. Their status as a professor is the reason you're interacting with them, so it seems appropriate to me that that's what you would call them, unless they specify a preference.</p>
<p>If I know they have a Dr. I call them "Dr" just as you would call any other guy who has a Dr. a "Dr" instead of "Mr" or anything else. The ones that don't often have an alternate title like "Coach" but otherwise I just say "Mr" or "Mrs" when in doubt. "Professor" takes too much effort to say, and my pronouncatiation of some words makes Bush look excellent.</p>