Effective January 1, 2024, all medical doctors, dentists, and dental surgeons practising in Ghana will adopt new designations, using Dr. (Med) and Dr. (Dent) respectively.

The decision, announced by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), aims to enhance patients’ rights, patient safety, and overall healthcare quality.

The move seeks to distinguish medical and dental "Dr" titles from academic "Dr" titles and the proliferation of honorary "Dr" titles that have become prevalent.

Although not explicitly stated in the GMA press statement dated January 3, 2024, signed and issued 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 with additional academic titles are instructed to prefix those titles accordingly. For instance, those 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 appropriate.

Practising medical doctors and dentists/dental surgeons are required to update their name tags, practitioner stamps, and other relevant materials to reflect the change.

The GMA encourages members to wear their name tags at all times at work for clear and easy identification, contributing to patient and public safety.

The statement concludes by urging medical practitioners to readily share their designations when asked by patients or the public.

It also calls on the media and the public to acknowledge the new designations and refer to medical doctors and dentists accordingly.

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.