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?

DH, who worked in hospitals for may years, refers to physicians as "medics", he never calls them doctors. A friend of mine always points out that the medical Dr is a 'courtesy title'.

Go for it RevoltingPeasant. After all, your title is not Mrs/Ms!

Good point habbibo it does piss me off massively that people (lots of people) have that impression, especially with some of the fantastic people I work with but that's a whole other thread!

DH has one and uses it a bit eg, it's on his cheque book etc.
I'd like it if the DCs school used it since they did ask us for our titles on admission form but they just send out letters to Mr and Mrs
Obviously not that sad - because that would be really sad !

Veronica aaaaaaaaaaagh me too - MS due in end Dec, right after Christmas (impeccable timing!!). PM me if you ever want to bitch in a drunken rage about editors.

If there is a new series of Doctor Who there should definitely be an episode where the Doctor has to rescue children from The Nursery of Dr Megatron.

The other question of course is what exactly is Doctor Who's PhD in?

Dr RevoltingPeasant I might just do that. Dr Megatron makes me sound a kind of no nonsense thrusting superhero, don't you think? Maybe I should change it by deedpoll and insist that everyone call me that, especially my own children.

By the way that Dr Love gets about a bit doesn't he ?!!

not pretentious at all

i'd use it if i had one!

Why does putting 'Dr' help when dealing with banks, airlines etc? Do you get a better service?

Expect some incoherent late night rants in your PM box, DrRP . Unfortunately I can't even get through this one wine as am pg, but this will probably make me more addled rather than less.

that's a tremendous idea Calatalie. I could be terrifying.

Why does putting 'Dr' help when dealing with banks, airlines etc? Do you get a better service

Banks - bit like medics, takes out any tendency to 'little woman' you. I don't have it on my cheques etc but roll it out if I need to make a complaint or suchlike.

Airlines - no no no, all it would get you is woken up to deal with a sick passenger!

one on wine

Dr RV PhD

There's a time and a place for everything. On Christmas cards - no! On academic journals and applications - yes!

Our neighbours over the road are both Drs in chemistry, my next door but one neighbour is a PhD in physics and his son in engineering. My OH's got a masters and all I've got is a measily BA. They do talk to me occasionally and let me serve the drinks

Arf @ picturing Megatron's DCs frustratedly whining "Mum?... Mum?... MUUUUMMM?..." then giving up when met with no response... only to concede to attempting a begrudging "Doctor Megatron?"

I'm currently one year into my PhD and too right I'll be calling myself Dr if I ever finish, mainly to annoy DH who likes to think he's cleverer than me

I just opened a new bank account and finally got round to putting Dr on my debit card. Only taken me 8 years. Since I work in a university, nearly everyone I know is Dr so the only person who is actually impressed by the title is my FIL.
OP, use it and be proud.

I use mine when I am using my maiden name- but somehow when I use my married surname (more often now I have a ds) I don't use it. My PIL, SIL and dsis refused to use it at all. I have been known to use it if someone has been getting snotty with me. People def. treat you with more respect - or maybe I just generally look like a total waste of space.

I do like Dr Megatron :o. You'd really need a cape, though.

Years ago at a Parents' Evening Ex-H and I were talking to DS1's Biology teacher, who was a patronising git who for some reason I don't now remember we had both taken against. At one point he said "Look, Mr Ex" and Ex said "actually it's Dr Ex. Microbiology, Local University". Teacher was considerably less patronising from that point on.

Airlines - DH got upgraded once and is convinced it was because he used Dr so always books as doctor now! Agree on risk of passenger becoming ill though.

If it is pretentious that suggests that it somehow worth less than a medical degree, which seems a bit judgmental! I'd probably use it if I had one. Instead I just feel a bit wistful that being a lawyer hasn't given me a pretty title to show off with ;-)

Oooooo I'd love a cape. DS looking a bit worried now as I've asked him to refer to me only as Dr Megatron. He doesn't look impressed.

Agree with the cape for Dr Megatron, perhaps combined with a large pair of elaborate metallic pants.