A note on terminology

In the United States, the term ‘operating room’ or ‘OR’ is used, while in Australia and the United Kingdom, it is referred to as an ‘operating theatre’. In the author's opinion, the word ‘room’ is probably more accurate. Unfortunately, however, if you use this term in Australia, listeners may think that your only operative experience has consisted of watching American television programmes.

Confusion sometimes arises over the correct way to address surgeons. That is, some surgeons use the title ‘Mister’ while others use ‘Doctor’. Since all surgeons are doctors, it might seem logical that they should all be addressed as ‘Doctor’, and indeed, in the United States and Canada this is the rule. However, in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and some Commonwealth countries, the title ‘Mister’ is usual. This custom arose for a good reason: until the nineteenth century, most surgeons were not doctors at all. That is, in the present–day system, in order to train as a surgeon, one must first graduate from medical school. Previously, this was not required; an apprenticeship system existed. The title ‘Mister’ is simply a customary reminder of those earlier times (Loudon, 2000). (Although some surgeons might argue that surgeons calling themselves ‘Mister’ are more correct than other medical practitioners calling themselves ‘Doctor’. This is because the word ‘doctor’ is Latin for ‘teacher’, and there are those who argue that the title should therefore properly be reserved for people holding a doctorate degree, i.e. a Ph.D. or similar qualification.)

To make matters more confusing, the broad geographical rules described above are subject to much regional and even local variation.