Forms of Address
How to address allied health professionals
Most allied health professionals with a doctoral-level degree — dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, veterinarians, psychologists — are addressed as "Dr. [Full Name]" socially, or "[Full Name], [credential]" professionally, the same Dr.-versus-credential rule that applies to a physician. A nurse, pharmacist, or physical therapist without a doctoral degree uses their name plus their professional credential instead.
Checked September 10, 2026/6 min read
Written by Claire PostReviewed against USPS Publication 28
What is on this page6 sections
Every doctoral-level health professional on this page follows the same rule already established for physicians: Dr. socially, the credential professionally, never both together. What changes from profession to profession is only the specific credential abbreviation, not the underlying logic.
Non-doctoral roles, a registered nurse, a physical therapist without a doctorate, sit outside that Dr. convention entirely, addressed instead by name plus their professional credential, the same way a paralegal or engineer would be.
Step by step
Check whether the credential is doctoral-level
Dentists (DDS/DMD), chiropractors (DC), optometrists (OD), veterinarians (DVM), and psychologists with a doctorate (PhD/PsyD) all hold doctoral-level degrees and follow the same Dr. convention as a physician.
DR ANITA R DESAI88 MAPLEWOOD VETERINARY CLINICPORTLAND OR 97205CorrectA veterinarian, addressed socially. Use Dr. for social correspondence, the credential for professional mail
"Dr. [Full Name]" for a personal letter or card. "[Full Name], DDS" (or DVM, OD, DC, PhD) for anything work-related, like a referral or a professional inquiry. Never combine both: not "Dr. [Full Name], DDS."
Use name plus credential for non-doctoral professionals
A nurse (RN, NP), pharmacist (PharmD in some cases, RPh in others), and physical or occupational therapist (PT, OT) are addressed as "[Full Name], [credential]" without Dr., unless they specifically hold a doctoral-level credential themselves, like a Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Confirm the specific credential rather than guessing
The exact abbreviation, DDS vs. DMD for a dentist, OD vs. MD for an eye doctor, matters for accuracy. When in doubt, use the credential exactly as it appears on the professional own letterhead or office signage.
Quick reference
| Professional | Credential | Social title |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | DDS or DMD | Dr. [Full Name] |
| Chiropractor | DC | Dr. [Full Name] |
| Optometrist | OD | Dr. [Full Name] |
| Veterinarian | DVM | Dr. [Full Name] |
| Psychologist (doctoral) | PhD or PsyD | Dr. [Full Name] |
| Nurse Practitioner | NP or APRN | [Full Name], NP |
| Registered Nurse | RN | [Full Name], RN |
| Pharmacist | PharmD or RPh | [Full Name], [credential] |
| Physical Therapist | PT, DPT | Dr. [Full Name] if DPT, otherwise [Full Name], PT |
Special cases
The rule above covers most people. Here is what changes for the rest.
Is Osteopath the same as Doctor for address purposes?
Yes, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) is a fully licensed physician and uses Dr. the same way an MD does. See <a href="/how-to-address-envelope-to-doctor/">how to address an envelope to a doctor</a> for the physician-specific version of this rule.
Does Podiatrist follow the same Dr. rule?
Yes, a podiatrist holds a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) and is addressed the same way as a dentist or veterinarian: Dr. socially, DPM professionally.
What if a nurse holds a doctoral nursing degree, like a DNP?
A Doctor of Nursing Practice does hold a doctoral-level credential and may be addressed as Dr. [Full Name] in appropriate contexts, distinct from an RN or NP without that specific doctoral degree.
Key terms on this page
- DDS / DMD
- Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine, the two equivalent degrees held by a licensed dentist.
- DVM
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, the professional degree held by a licensed veterinarian.