Academics using 'Dr' - wankerish?

[RevoltingPeasant]

On the day I got my PhD, the first thing my mum said to me when I rang to say I'd passed was, 'Oh, I do hope you won't call yourself Dr, it's so pretentious...

...and congratulations!'

Anywho, I never get called Dr except on my office door and in rejection letters from journals. But I think most academics do use it in civilian life. I kinda want to. Does this make me a smug git, especially because my subject specialism is in something entirely useless to humanity literature?

Well as a doctor of Sociology, I'm going to leave this one to someone else. I don't agree that we get better treatment.

Regular life - we're Mr& Mrs. Professionally - whatever, most of the time Dr is a given so don't need to bother. But for dealing with patronizing men - oh yes, a doctorate is a wonderous thing and oddly enough does seem to impress such people. Though even then I guess I'm more likely to tell them what I do than that I've a PhD. Ever had one of those 'And what do you do my dear' conversations with a bloke?

Trills - have just read the last few pages and it's obvious to me what point EFA is making. It had nothing to do with permission.

Why so strange when I am KING fatty acid? (you never asked)

Trills

I still want to know why people with phds get 'better' treatment!

Medical doctors are less inclined to treat you like an idiot if you've got a PhD (well, a scientific one anyway). They may realise you can understand complicated terminology; are capable of finding information on the internet, sorting out proper peer reviewed stuff from the dross, understanding the data and statistics and discussing it sensibly. Not saying people without PhDs can't, but you can cut through the crap easier.

Trills - people with phds further up ths thread saying that if they mentioned they are a dr then attitudes change , i was surprised and wonder why this would happen

In a work context, if it's relevant to the job then it's fine. I have a friend who is an accountant with a science Phd - she doesn't use it at work as essentially she feels that would be wankerish as the Phd has nothing to do with her job. However, my DHs Phd is (vaguely) relevant to his job and I made him use it . My boss has "Dr" on his security pass and I'm a bit about this as everyone else just had their christian name and surname...

EFA- do you want to talk about it?

Sorry, you sound like a chippy arse. Fascinating though. Why on earth does it bother you so much? Do any other personal titles have the same effect? How do you feel about Reverends? Medical docs are clearly fine - that's great, you do see that lots have people have pointed out that they're two completely different titles, same letters, but describing different things, yes?

Great that you laud and respect those who save lives through medical expertise, a bit sad and twatty that you turn into a frothing beserker at the thought of those who contribute to the world by undertaking original research. Weird weird weird.

Thinking about it, my friend's DH is a professor and he gets upgraded on flights all the time - go stick Dr on everything!

My husband is an assistant professor and he gets loads of agro when he flies. But that's probably down to his choice of reading materials. I'm forever telling him to leave the books on expolosives at home.

Well shouty I think it's great when people make useful contributions to the world of science.

I just think using the title dr in everyday life is unecessary and invites people to laugh at the social ineptitude of it. If you are one of the people who does this then of course you may be feeling very chippy about my posts. I honestly don't care what folk call themselves, but The OP asked if it was wankerish and in my opinion it is. That is all. I can reassure you that this issue doesn't rule my life.

It's not socially inept though, it's conventional.

It's fine if you like to challenge conventions - I do, I use Ms and that's not conventional. But it doesn't IMO make any sense to say it's 'socially inept' to follow conventional etiquette.

Wankerish, yes, that's up for debate. Socially inept, not so much.

Oh, next time i book a flight or hotel, DH will be Prof, i will be Dr and our DS will be little prince HRH and I'll see where that gets us! Kicked out probably...

After seeing how hard a close relative worked for her PhD, I'm all for using the title when deemed necessary. She only uses hers outside academia in dire emergencies..(!)

Wankerish = socially inept

if it wasn't socially inept it wouldn't be laughed at by so many people. I realise you don't want to hear this so I am going to stop telling you now

I use Dr if people ask for title. Most people don't use their title (regardless of what it is) everyday.

It's only wankerish if you drop it in whenever you can, but that's the same for most things.

I do find I'm treated (not medically but personally) with all medical bits now from receptionist to GP to pharmacy. However its probably more to do with the fact its clear I'm not a student (I look quite young for my age, plus I'm youngish anyway). Finally enough I find DH is more insistent of it's use than I am (getting bills changed if its wrong etc, where I tend to change it if I'm changing other details as well)

what LRD said.

To describe a convention as 'socially inept' sounds pretty errr... inept. And wankerish.

It's odd and revealing that it bothers you so much, that your posts are so Frothing. That's all

My DH has a PhD but only uses it for work (he is a teacher) as it impresses the parents :) I don't think it is pretentious if people want to use it all the time but some people can see it like that and it can get their backs up iyswim.

Oh, I don't especially care since I don't have one. I just think you're not making a lot of sense.

I expect medics to use their title too - don't care if it's 'honorary', it's nice to know! I've never met a medical doctor who didn't use it, either - makes sense, it is how they are addressed much of their lives.

and if people say Ms I'm normally unfussed if they say miss or mrs then I normally correct, but would do so if wasn't a Dr

I save mine for wankers people who insist on asking if its Miss or Mrs and hotel bookings. Vair, vair important for hotel bookings.

YANBU
heleninahardcartD.Phil

if i had one i'd use it all the time

am quite tempted to sign myself 'southeastastra O level - one'