It may seem odd to you, but it is quite common and not incorrect, albeit on the slang side; a spoken language thing rather than proper, written, grammatically flawless language.
It's just a variation, people might just as well say 'the' doctor or 'my' wife. It's simply a way of putting it, neither wrong nor right nor weird.
'The doctor' is more impersonal than simply 'doctor', because in the latter case 'doctor' replaces the name, suggesting that everybody present knows him/her and knows who is being fetched. However, it's a form less likely to be used by people who are aware of their grammar and their appearance (unless they want to create an air of intimacy and familiarity, as, for instance, in a hospital, as a means to help people stay calm).
The kids frequently refer to me as 'teacher', rather than 'the teacher', as in "Go ask Teacher" or "Teacher said...", and when everybody present knows whose family is being discussed, we may say "I've spoken with Mom" rather than "I've spoken with his/her mom"
(Remember the song 'be prepared' from Disney's "Lion King"? Scar sings 'just listen to teacher')
Edit: The same goes for 'the wife' vs 'my wife'. The former implies familiarity (even when talking to a stranger), plus: everybody knows you're going to go home to your wife and not someone else's; so, technically, 'my wife' is redundant (in most cases).
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It's just a variation, people might just as well say 'the' doctor or 'my' wife. It's simply a way of putting it, neither wrong nor right nor weird.
'The doctor' is more impersonal than simply 'doctor', because in the latter case 'doctor' replaces the name, suggesting that everybody present knows him/her and knows who is being fetched. However, it's a form less likely to be used by people who are aware of their grammar and their appearance (unless they want to create an air of intimacy and familiarity, as, for instance, in a hospital, as a means to help people stay calm).
The kids frequently refer to me as 'teacher', rather than 'the teacher', as in "Go ask Teacher" or "Teacher said...", and when everybody present knows whose family is being discussed, we may say "I've spoken with Mom" rather than "I've spoken with his/her mom"
(Remember the song 'be prepared' from Disney's "Lion King"? Scar sings 'just listen to teacher')
Edit: The same goes for 'the wife' vs 'my wife'. The former implies familiarity (even when talking to a stranger), plus: everybody knows you're going to go home to your wife and not someone else's; so, technically, 'my wife' is redundant (in most cases).