Starting January 1, 2024, a new nomenclature will be adopted by all medical doctors, dentists, and dental surgeons practicing in Ghana, as announced by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). The updated designations will utilize Dr. (Med) for medical doctors and Dr. (Dent) for dental surgeons. This decision aims to strengthen patients’ rights, enhance patient safety, and improve overall healthcare quality.
The GMA’s initiative seeks to distinguish between medical and dental “Dr” titles from academic “Dr” titles and the prevalence of honorary “Dr” titles. While not explicitly detailed in the press statement released on January 3, 2024, and signed by GMA President Frank Serebour, the decision was made during the 65th Annual General Meeting held in Takoradi in November 2023.
Medical doctors and dentists holding additional academic titles are instructed to prefix those titles accordingly. For example, individuals with a professorial rank appointment and/or a PhD qualification may use designations such as Prof. Dr. (Med), Prof. Dr. Dr. (Med), Dr. Dr. (Med), Prof. Dr. (Dent), Prof. Dr. Dr. (Dent), or Dr. Dr. (Dent), as appropriate. Practicing medical professionals are required to update their name tags, practitioner stamps, and other relevant materials to reflect these changes.
The GMA encourages its members to wear their name tags consistently at work to ensure clear and easy identification, contributing to patient and public safety. The statement concludes by urging medical practitioners to readily share their designations when queried by patients or the public.
Additionally, the GMA calls on the media and the public to acknowledge and use the new designations when referring to medical doctors and dentists in Ghana.
Read the statement below:
PRESS RELEASE
NEW DESIGNATION OF MEDICAL DOCTORS AND DENTISTS IN GHANA
Members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) at the 65th Annual General Meeting held in Takoradi in November 2023, having deliberated extensively on issues of patients’ rights, patient safety and quality healthcare among others, decided on new designations to be used by all Medical Doctors and Dentists in Ghana effective 1st January, 2024.
The designations are as follows:
Dr. (Med) for Medical Doctors
Dr. (Dent) for Dentists/Dental Surgeons
Medical Doctors and Dentists with additional academic titles will prefix these titles with their academic titles as appropriate. For example, Medical Doctors or Dentists with a professorial rank appointment and/or a PhD qualification may be designated Prof. Dr. (Med), Prof. Dr. Dr. (Med), Dr. Dr. (Med), Prof. Dr. (Dent), Prof. Dr. Dr. (Dent) or Dr. Dr. (Dent) as may apply.
All Medical Doctors and Dentists/Dental Surgeons practicing in Ghana are therefore to take note and change their name tags, practitioner stamps and other relevant materials to reflect the change.
Members are encouraged to wear their name tags at all times at work to ensure clear and easy identification in the interest of patient and public safety.
All Medical Doctors and Dentists should readily show their designations when asked by patients or the public.
We implore the media and the public to take note of the new designations and refer to Medical Doctors and Dentists as such.