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?

Oooh, I like the idea of being Admiral. (Why settle for Vice Admiral when you could be an Admiral!) I think I might use that from now on.

Should I change my name on here to AdmiralVermiciousKnid?

Congratulations and I wold certainly not have a problem with you using the title 'Dr'.

I do however have a problem with people who, when addressed as 'Mr', 'Miss' or 'Mrs' or even 'Ms' say: "I'm sorry, but it's actually Doctor".

That, to me is being pretentious.

Pendeen why would it be different from someone who is called Miss saying 'but it's actually Mrs'.

Not pretentious to use 'Dr', but it is pretentious to insist on it being used, and pomposly correcting people.

I work with plenty of non-medical Drs, and most of them use the Dr title but only formally. I once knew one academic, who on getting his PhD, phoned up BT to ask them to change the phonebook entry.!

I do however have a problem with people who, when addressed as 'Mr', 'Miss' or 'Mrs' or even 'Ms' say: "I'm sorry, but it's actually Doctor".

Would you have a problem with someone who, when addressed as "m=Miss" said "I'm sorry, but it's actually Mrs"?

Exactly, Wottinger.

I often get asked 'Is that Miss or Mrs?' It is the questioner who is asking for the title. I'm not even discussing it, until they start asking about it, out of nowhere.

Trills

No

grumpystilskin I have a D. Ed. Psy. Not a courtesy title believe me :)

It's a professional doctorate.

So Pendeen why can you correct your title to Mrs but not to Dr?

sharkie wasn't meaning to offend, just never heard of it! Well done Dr Sharkie.

That Gillian McKeith. She's got the best doctorate in the world.

But if you are asked whether it's Miss or Mrs - do you actually tell them? I jusat say it doesn't matter, and move on. No-one yet has demanded that I tell them!

why thank you! no offence taken :)

I was about to say exactly what ItWasABoojum said. Medical doctors use their title at all times, so why can't PhDs? I have a PhD and I use mine as my title exclusively. I am not Mrs notpodd, that is my MIL. I am Dr notpodd and if you don't like - boosucks to you.

I have asked 'Why do you require my marital status?'

LineRunner fingers crossed she's on my aeroplane when I need CPR at 30,000 feet!

if i was a doctor i;d use it all the time, i;d change my first name so people would refer to me as doctor doctor

on the WANKER scale, i know of a woman in another organisation to me who has an email signature thus

Sarah Smith
BA (Hons) wanky studies
Organisation title

i mean PUrleeeeeeeeeeeease

Doctor doctor
Can't you feel I'm burning burning

I remember that from when I was writing a million words on the history of renaissance bricks.

Custardo at the uni where I did my masters there was a Dr Doctor. As in Doctor was her surname.

Imagine being Lady Garden - I would love to have that name

I have two doctorates - does that mean I'm allowed to call myself Dr Dr?

I use it to sign stuff at work, but nobody calls me Dr Carve, just first names for colleagues and clients - too easy for clients to get confused with the medical docs I think.

Outside of work I use with with the bank (you get better service - shame but true), but not on stuff like Tesco clubcard/Boots advantage card - this really would be pretentious IMO. DH reckons you shouldn't use it when you buy a used car - harder to negotiate the price down.

I wonder if some of us know the same Dr Love??

Thinkingof4 I don't mind PhD dr's using Dr

Really?

Is that why Graeme Garden's wife wouldn't let him accept the knighthood?

I often wondered.

If my title is combined with my RL first name I share a name with a rather well-known sexologist... always causes amusement, that one.