Do the British call medical practitioners as doctors?

The British have a different set of terms for their medical practitioners, and some of them might surprise you! If you watch any British television shows, then you most certainly will pick up on some of the differences, and might often wonder what they are referring too. When we discuss going to the doctor’s office here in the United States, our British counterparts will talk about going to the “surgery,” which is their label for the doctor’s office.

Most general doctors, which we refer to just as a doctor, would be called General Practitioners in Britain. Now, there are variations of course in doctors. Specialists, such as surgeons are referred to as Mr/Mrs/Miss as this falls back to medieval times when doctors were referred to as “Mr.” given their professional standing in the wealthy communities. Whereas, in the United States, they are simply doctors.

When traveling overseas it can be a bit daunting to hear some different terms, but there are rich histories in their backgrounds. It is fun to learn all the differing names!