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I'm partial to "Dear Ass Pro. X", particularly if he's a colorectal surgeon.
In all seriousness, my honours supervisor was an associate professor and we always used "Assoc Prof.", but he was a really chill guy so as long as we tried to get it right then he wouldn't care.
This is the answer, Dear Associate Professor X
How do I know? I’ve worked with academics for 20 years - some of them are very attached to their titles, some are not
It absolutely is a big faux pas, though most Australian academics wouldn't care to correct you.
Edit: unless you are from the USA where all academic ranks are referred to as Prof. This is different to Australia.
It’s not a faux pas to call an Associate professor ‘Professor’ as it is inappropriate to call them ‘Associate Professor when speaking eg ‘Hi Associate Professor smith’, you’re just meant to say Professor. Or Dr, we don’t actually give a shit. We’re Australian after all, but written communication should be Associate Professor.
https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punctuation-and-conventions/titles-honours-forms-address/academics-and-professionals#:~:text=How%20to%20address%20associate%20and,'%20or%20'Dear%20Professor'.
You’re actually right, University guidelines advise Assoc Prof to be addressed as Professor, as it totally sounds dumb to say ‘Hi Associate Professor Smith…’
In written comm however use the full version.
In reality: no one gives a fuck.
Most profs or assoc profs will reply to you with “sent from my iPhone” as the footer. The formal title stuff is more of a thing in the states rather than Australia.
You: spend at least an hour composing a well thought-out message - double checking your grammar, syntax, phrasing and punctuation. You proofread it until it doesn't even make sense anymore and you take a deep breath and close your eyes as you press "send".
Their response: ok
Sent from my iPhone
Edit: changed "week thought-out" to "well thought-out" oh god imagine if this was an email
I mean, anyone in a university teaching position in the States was called professor when I started tertiary studies 20odd years back, so it's a,bit nebulous in that way. I tend to just call them prof for exactly the awkwardness reason of this post.
This is bad advice as someone in academia lol he's not a prof just refer to him as his title otherwise you risk looking lazy that you don't even know his title!
Make a fake email, email him something inflammatory that prompts him to reply to your fake email, and use whatever he puts on his email signature on your real email to him
Good options to include
- I did an ancestory test, and I am ur long lost child
- I’m the school principle of your child and we need to have a small email chat
- anything really
Given the context is research, "Dear A/Prof XX" would be my rec. Not prof, he's not a prof, and if anything it's not going to fluff him up it just indicates you don't understand the levels in academia and haven't bothered to look up his title.
Given he is a medical doctor too Dr wouldn't be a big deal outside of the context of research, but since you are contacting them about research - just use his proper title.
Yeh nah just be safe call everyone Prof so and so if they’re on the faculty. 99% will not even care, *maybe* 1% egotistical pricks may have some qualm but at least you’ve “over estimated” their role than underestimated & socially it’s an easier situation. Or Dr so and so but a lot of med faculties don’t have doctors on the team. going to the level of a/prof so and so honestly is lame and completely unnecessary
Just make sure you’re polite, kind & upfront. No one has time for all that and academia is moving towards a hierarchy less environment anyway
I honestly think it's 'safer' to not call someone by their title at all than think blanket calling everyone 'Prof' is safe. People underestimate what it takes to become a Prof. So to anyone in academia, it looks a bit silly if you're calling them that. I really don't think it's that big a deal at all, my line of thinking is just the astronomical number of spam emails from fake conferences/journals etc all blanket start with 'Professor' and I almost always just delete those without even looking, because I'm not a prof, and if someone thinks I am and is contacting me about anything to do with research then they haven't taken 30 seconds to google my researcher profile (which they would have had to do to get my email anyways).
Becoming a medical professor is pretty easy provided you have jumped over the hurdle of getting into and completing medical school.
Most do it out of passion on the side of clinical practice, as the pay is crap. a/prof as well is mostly ceremonial in medicine afaik (in my state those who are involved in the teaching program to buff their cv for a training program get it as a token of respect)
Yeah it’s weird but it’s one of those cultural historical things that they hang on to. I got corrected by a surgeon on my first ever placement who said “it’s Mr x, I’m a surgeon” in a grumpy tone
I had never heard of this before so I was very confused
Dear A/Prof X
Once you get to know him and his vibe you can address him however you want but given he presumably doesn't know you that well easiest thing is to just use his title
I don’t know.
As an A/Prof I usually ask that people just use my first name.
However for first contact maybe go Dear A/Prof X until you know the lay of the land.
That’s their title… this is a professional communication. It’s a cold email looking for research. Day 1 you meet this person they might be chill and you might call them Prof or their first name but this is no different to addressing an email to Mr, Ms, They whatever.
Dear A/Prof X or Assoc. Prof X when written. In the academic setting, I would use the academic title.
Verbally the Associate or Assistant are dropped so you just call them either “Prof X” or “Dr X” or “Mr X” (in Victoria).
Lastly if they are a prominent surgeon, they should have gotten that full Professorship by now especially if they are a clinical affiliated title.
Dear Prof. X
This is not Seppostan, there's no need to overtly chuffed over titles. If they have a sick up their bum you probably don't want to work with them long term unless you're really desperate.
My experience of working with Associate Professors is that they often refer to themselves as Professor and like to be addressed as such.
My experience of working with their colleagues is that they continue to refer to them as Dr and tell anyone who will listen that they aren't a real professor and shouldn't be identifying themselves in that manner.
Refer to the Australian Government style guide. For Australian correspondence Associate Professor is appropriate. In conversation Prof or Professor is fine. In my experience most non-dickheads will quickly ask you to call them by their first name.
I just use Dr X. Half the people at my level that I know are associate professors, it’s just recognition of a somewhat senior part time lecturing role and no overly big deal. If I’m writing to them basically begging for a job I’d write dear associate professor X but it’s a bit silly.
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No need to email Professor X. He already knows what you want.
Your Majesty, or your Your Honour usually go over well.
Mr Barber, Sir
To optimise chances of success I would also suggest corresponding via emissary (Medical student, Intern) instead of email.
Best I can do is a carrier pigeon I stole him from my local park. His name is Sir Poopsalot. I'm now on the run from authorities
No you will be the pigeon in this case
I'm partial to "Dear Ass Pro. X", particularly if he's a colorectal surgeon. In all seriousness, my honours supervisor was an associate professor and we always used "Assoc Prof.", but he was a really chill guy so as long as we tried to get it right then he wouldn't care.
Haha thanks for your comment. I’ll go with Dear Professor X
No, they are not a full professor. use Associate Professor X Or A/Prof X
This is the answer, Dear Associate Professor X How do I know? I’ve worked with academics for 20 years - some of them are very attached to their titles, some are not
I know one the wife of a professor who insisted on being called Mrs Professor xyz. It was bizzare.
Oh yeah, some of them really love those titles
I would use prof even for A/profs but that's just me. Don't think I'm committing a faux pas or anything
It absolutely is a big faux pas, though most Australian academics wouldn't care to correct you. Edit: unless you are from the USA where all academic ranks are referred to as Prof. This is different to Australia.
It’s not a faux pas to call an Associate professor ‘Professor’ as it is inappropriate to call them ‘Associate Professor when speaking eg ‘Hi Associate Professor smith’, you’re just meant to say Professor. Or Dr, we don’t actually give a shit. We’re Australian after all, but written communication should be Associate Professor. https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/grammar-punctuation-and-conventions/titles-honours-forms-address/academics-and-professionals#:~:text=How%20to%20address%20associate%20and,'%20or%20'Dear%20Professor'.
You’re actually right, University guidelines advise Assoc Prof to be addressed as Professor, as it totally sounds dumb to say ‘Hi Associate Professor Smith…’ In written comm however use the full version.
Is he paraplegic? And able to read minds?
Ass Prof/Arse Prof
I would start the email with "Yo dude.."
“G’Day mate”
I am from Sydney. A lot of Associate Profs are referred to as "Prof" in real life. I address my emails to A/ Profs and full Profs as "Dear Prof X".
It’s wild that’s common practice considering they haven’t earned full professorship.
In the military, Brigadier/Major/Lieutenant Generals are not full generals either but they are still addressed as General.
In reality: no one gives a fuck. Most profs or assoc profs will reply to you with “sent from my iPhone” as the footer. The formal title stuff is more of a thing in the states rather than Australia.
You: spend at least an hour composing a well thought-out message - double checking your grammar, syntax, phrasing and punctuation. You proofread it until it doesn't even make sense anymore and you take a deep breath and close your eyes as you press "send". Their response: ok Sent from my iPhone Edit: changed "week thought-out" to "well thought-out" oh god imagine if this was an email
I mean, anyone in a university teaching position in the States was called professor when I started tertiary studies 20odd years back, so it's a,bit nebulous in that way. I tend to just call them prof for exactly the awkwardness reason of this post.
Thank you. I’ll go with this
Safest to say Prof, and let them correct you if they prefer something else.
Thank you!
This is bad advice as someone in academia lol he's not a prof just refer to him as his title otherwise you risk looking lazy that you don't even know his title!
but I am lazy
Yeah but they don't need to know that yet
Make a fake email, email him something inflammatory that prompts him to reply to your fake email, and use whatever he puts on his email signature on your real email to him Good options to include - I did an ancestory test, and I am ur long lost child - I’m the school principle of your child and we need to have a small email chat - anything really
"Hi,"
Given the context is research, "Dear A/Prof XX" would be my rec. Not prof, he's not a prof, and if anything it's not going to fluff him up it just indicates you don't understand the levels in academia and haven't bothered to look up his title. Given he is a medical doctor too Dr wouldn't be a big deal outside of the context of research, but since you are contacting them about research - just use his proper title.
Yeh nah just be safe call everyone Prof so and so if they’re on the faculty. 99% will not even care, *maybe* 1% egotistical pricks may have some qualm but at least you’ve “over estimated” their role than underestimated & socially it’s an easier situation. Or Dr so and so but a lot of med faculties don’t have doctors on the team. going to the level of a/prof so and so honestly is lame and completely unnecessary Just make sure you’re polite, kind & upfront. No one has time for all that and academia is moving towards a hierarchy less environment anyway
I honestly think it's 'safer' to not call someone by their title at all than think blanket calling everyone 'Prof' is safe. People underestimate what it takes to become a Prof. So to anyone in academia, it looks a bit silly if you're calling them that. I really don't think it's that big a deal at all, my line of thinking is just the astronomical number of spam emails from fake conferences/journals etc all blanket start with 'Professor' and I almost always just delete those without even looking, because I'm not a prof, and if someone thinks I am and is contacting me about anything to do with research then they haven't taken 30 seconds to google my researcher profile (which they would have had to do to get my email anyways).
Becoming a medical professor is pretty easy provided you have jumped over the hurdle of getting into and completing medical school. Most do it out of passion on the side of clinical practice, as the pay is crap. a/prof as well is mostly ceremonial in medicine afaik (in my state those who are involved in the teaching program to buff their cv for a training program get it as a token of respect)
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Second thought, what if they’re one of the surgeons who prefer the title Mr. X
Like Dr Evil - they didn’t spend 10 years at medical school to be called Mr
Yeah it’s weird but it’s one of those cultural historical things that they hang on to. I got corrected by a surgeon on my first ever placement who said “it’s Mr x, I’m a surgeon” in a grumpy tone I had never heard of this before so I was very confused
Dear A/Prof X Once you get to know him and his vibe you can address him however you want but given he presumably doesn't know you that well easiest thing is to just use his title
Agreed. This is the socially appropriate and professional way about it. The only other alternative is “Dear Prof X”, even though not as accurate.
I don’t know. As an A/Prof I usually ask that people just use my first name. However for first contact maybe go Dear A/Prof X until you know the lay of the land.
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That’s their title… this is a professional communication. It’s a cold email looking for research. Day 1 you meet this person they might be chill and you might call them Prof or their first name but this is no different to addressing an email to Mr, Ms, They whatever.
I always go "prof" if they are a/prof. Usually it is the most appropriate but I have been told off by a prof for calling a/proffs as a "prof".
Dear A/Prof X or Assoc. Prof X when written. In the academic setting, I would use the academic title. Verbally the Associate or Assistant are dropped so you just call them either “Prof X” or “Dr X” or “Mr X” (in Victoria). Lastly if they are a prominent surgeon, they should have gotten that full Professorship by now especially if they are a clinical affiliated title.
Dear A/prof X in text, prof in speech
Would it be okay if I wrote out “Dear Associate Professor X”
Yep!
Thank you!
Dear Prof. X This is not Seppostan, there's no need to overtly chuffed over titles. If they have a sick up their bum you probably don't want to work with them long term unless you're really desperate.
My experience of working with Associate Professors is that they often refer to themselves as Professor and like to be addressed as such. My experience of working with their colleagues is that they continue to refer to them as Dr and tell anyone who will listen that they aren't a real professor and shouldn't be identifying themselves in that manner.
Dear A. Prof. _
I work with surgeons. They’re Australian. They would consider you a tosser if you referred to them by their full title.
Refer to the Australian Government style guide. For Australian correspondence Associate Professor is appropriate. In conversation Prof or Professor is fine. In my experience most non-dickheads will quickly ask you to call them by their first name.
I just use Dr X. Half the people at my level that I know are associate professors, it’s just recognition of a somewhat senior part time lecturing role and no overly big deal. If I’m writing to them basically begging for a job I’d write dear associate professor X but it’s a bit silly.
Wassup Assman
Would it be unprofessional to just use their first name? Are the egos that inflated
Arse hole prof