| Do Use My Medical Degree's Initials on My Checks?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
How should my name appear on my checks "Dr. Cynthia Brodart" or "Cynthia Brodart, M.D." ?
--- Cynthia Brodart
Dear Dr. Brodart:
On your checks use "Cynthia Brodart, M.D."
One never gives oneself an honorific, so don't list yourself as "Dr. Cynthia Brodart". Others address me as "Mr. Hickey" but I don't introduce myself by "Hello, I am Mr. Hickey."
That said, sometimes medical doctors do identify themselves as "Dr. (surname)" in medical situations so the patient is certain that he or she is a physician and not a technician in a white coat. It comforting to us patients sitting in a backless gown to know you are the physician when you enter the exam room!
-- Robert Hickey
When to Use The Post Nominals for a Master's Degree?
Are people who have earned Masters degrees in post-graduate school 'entitled' to put that designation behind their names? I am used to seeing Ph.D., but when I see MBA it makes me wonder?
-- Marcia Milburn, Beltsville, Maryland
Dear Ms. Milburn:
Holders of a master degree working in academia or research use their post-nominal abbreviations for their degrees because the degrees are part of the fabric of the institution’s hierarchy.
Holders of a master degree that is essential to their professional practice do too.
Some examples include:
* On an academic paper, an author would put the post nominals for his or her degree after their name, e.g. B.A., B.S., or M.A.
* An administrator at a scientific research facility with a Masters might include those post nominals on his or her card: degrees are pertinent at the institution.
* A psychotherapist will include the post nominals for their degree (e.g., MSW for Master of Social Work) since it defines their credentials to be a counselor, their eligibility for insurance reimbursement, and clarifies their training from those with a "Master of Counseling" or a "Doctorate in Psychology."
Other than those circumstances, noting one’s masters (or bachelors) is infrequent. A degree that does not certify you to a specific profession is rarely used.
Contrast that to including the post-nominal JD (a degree) ... or CPA (a professional certification) – which both are used all the time and denote one’s qualifications to do a certain task.
-- Robert Hickey
How Should Jr., II, III, IV, and V Be Used After After A Man's Name?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I am not sure of the name sequence in the following situation. My son is Walter C. Wentz IV. His father and grandfathers are deceased, his father, the third, just recently. What is the proper designation for him now? What is the proper designation for the son he is expecting next month? I would very much appreciative your guidance and expert advice.
--- Audrey Parker
Dear Ms. Parker:
The name one actually uses is always up to the person: So Mom, you won't be deciding here, you can only advise!
Continued use is often a matter of clarity for those one encounters.
1) Some men drop the sequence post-nominals, Jr., II, or III when their father dies if they think it then unlikely there will be any social or professional confusion.
2) Some men keep the sequence post-nominals if their father was well-known ... or if they work in the same law firm ... or same company ... and they think the friends/clients/customers will find the designation useful and interesting.
3) Other keep using the sequence post-nominals so their wife can be Mrs. Walter C. Wentz IV. to continue the clarification of who is his wife and who is his mother, who could be using the name Mrs. Walter C. Wentz III. However since you are using "Audrey Parker" (rather than Mrs. (name)) it won't be confusing.
One situation is seen with Microsoft's Bill Gates, who is really William H. Gates, Jr., but never used the "Jr." Now his father, born William H. Gates uses William H. Gates, Sr., ... he added the "Sr." to clarify that he is not his much more famous son. He probably did not officially change is name in court ... it's just a informal and unofficial change..
So, if your son names his son Walter C. Wentz V, he's probably going to keep using Walter C. Wentz IV. If he names his son Henry Wentz ... the IV becomes less necessary.
-- Robert Hickey
How to use I, II, III, IV?
Aloha, Mr. Hickey,
We're hoping you can answer a question regarding name titles I, II, III and IV. Is it appropriate for someone to take on a numeric title just because there have been ancestors with the same name. Does a numeric title need to be direct descent, as it would with Sr. and Jr.?
It is our understanding that you can't have a III without a I or II, because they would have been Sr. and Jr. prior to the birth of the third party. Once the III comes along, Sr. and Jr. now become I and II. Is this correct?
Thank you for your assistance. We look forward to your reply.
-- Adrienne in Hawaii
Dear Adrienne:
Here's how these post nominals typically work:
1) Once you get your name it does not change "legally" unless you go to court and have a judge change it. That doesn't mean some people change their name ... an as long as you pay your bills no one really cares!
2) A son who is given the same name as his father is named at birth (Full name), Jr. A boy who is given the same name as a relative (in memory of or to honor that relative) is named at birth (Full name), II.
3) Any boy named after a "Jr." or a "II" is a III. Any boy named after a "III." is a IV. etc.
4) If the person you were named for dies ... e.g., if you are born a III. and your father who was a Jr. dies ... you keep being the name you were given at birth. Many men stop using the Jr. when their father dies -- my brother did -- but if a father was famous ... a son may keep using it for clarity. E.g., if you work in the same business as your father and everyone knew him, it may be useful to keep using the "Jr." with your name so people who knew your dad will be clear who you are. While some "Juniors" use the "Jr." all the time ... many don't.
-- Robert Hickey
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How to Order Post-Nominal Abbreviations?
I've recently switched careers into nursing and have noticed that the order for post nominals, which I had previously thought went in the order of [degree] [licensure] [certification], is frequently violated. The licensure, RN, is placed either before or after the degree, or multiple degrees of the same type are listed. What exactly is the proper way for a nurse to list their degree(s), licensure (RN), and professional certification(s)?
-- Kyle in Chicago
Dear Kyle:
The sequence I use is much like yours ....
[academic degrees] [professional certifications] [memberships/associations]
To determine the sequence of post nominals within a category you'd order them in some logical way ... most important to least important OR alphabetical if you thought they were equal. Alpha is how the British list honors ... and they include many, many, more honors that we do in the US.
-- Robert Hickey
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