Are titles in a professional setting a thing of the past?

I use first names if I know them, I don't address people by any of the above titles.

I only attend my doctor, who I know, so yea first name.

I call my doctor, " Doctor" .

He worked damn hard to get the title, so I have no qualms about using it.

I call my son's neighbour "Father", because he's a priest and because it's absolutely ingrained in me. Anyway, I've no reason to deny him that, I don't believe in tarring all clergy with the same brush, despite encountering a couple of right swines in my childhood.

Went back to college as a "mature" student (27 in 2019), many in the course were older, never once heard a title being used across the 3 years of lectures by anyone, it was first name for all lecturers.

OOJ,

This is the key to the issue

I’m not comfortable at all with that level of familiarity.

Most here think the title pedestals the professional, it keeps it professional unlike the case when the patient says to the dentist:

John, I don't know if I would prefer to have a baby or have this tooth removed.

Mary, make up your mind, need to know how to position the chair.

I do a lot of work with kids and any familiarity in language is very risky these days

With regard to medical professionals, my GP, my pain management specialist (Consultant anaesthetist) my endocrinologist and a few other specialists I see semi-regularly are on a 1st name basis.

Any "new" people I see? What I call them is their choice, if they wish to be called by their title or their name, that's their choice. Similarly, they refer to my as Mr Banie01 unless/until I ask them to use just banie01.

In my academic life, the vast majority of lecturers and researchers prefer their name and again, a person can IMO choose how they wish to be addressed. I'm basing that opinion on 2 degrees, 1 quite recent and quite a bit of experience in dealing with academics in Reg/compliance settings. In my own academic endeavours, despite earning a few letters, it's banie01.

In professional written communication, I open by addressing others by their title/name. That said, many of those same folk are friends or acquaintances that outside of those professional comms, we address each other by our names.

Yeah I'd call a Medical doctor by their title in a professional setting. Our GP was a family friend and I called him by first name when he was off the clock, but by his title in his surgery.

PhDs are different. It wouldn't occur to me to call them Dr. in my work (unless it was an academic setting or their PhD was relevant to the work). I'd do it if they asked me to, but I'd think they're a nob. Much more respect for people who wear a PhD lightly.

A primary school principal in my town used sign their name with BA Hons at the end. Sake.

I remember a few years ago we had a new start at a former work place (biopharmaceutical R&D place). At the morning team meeting, he was introduced as "Joe Bloggs" by the manager. The new start corrected the boss by saying "it's Dr Bloggs". The manager looked at him and said "Joe, there's only two people here that don't have a PhD, and I'm one of them". Needless to say, he didn't last beyond his probation period..…

Every place I've worked, nobody bothered with their titles.

Is this a humblebrag to indicate you also have a PhD? Or are you the other person without one?

Surgeons are Mr's, not all consultants. It harks back to when Surgeons were barber surgeons and weren't qualified gentleman doctors, when Barber Surgeons formed their guild, they awarded diplomas not degrees.

Nowadays the path to becoming a surgeon follows on from gaining an MD. In the past they were completely separate.

The training of surgeons until the mid-19th century was different. They did not have to go to university to gain a degree; instead they usually served as an apprentice to a surgeon. Afterwards they took an examination. In London, after 1745, this was conducted by the Surgeons' Company and after 1800 by The Royal College of Surgeons.

If successful they were awarded a diploma, not a degree, therefore they were unable to call themselves 'Doctor', and stayed instead with the title 'Mr'.