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?

I only use it when necessary at work, ie I put it in an alternate email signature for sending to anyone who is treating me like a little woman (and anyone from Certain Other Government Departments), and also when I'm trying to build credibility with scientists.
Otherwise I'm not fussed except when people whine 'is that Miss or Missus' and I usually say 'neither' and if they don't put Ms down I'll go for Dr.
On forms I go with whatever is on the end if I can't omit titles totally, so get Ms or Dr.

MrNC is also a PhD and a bit precious about it - he's got nursery referring to him as DrNC which I find very silly! But I'm told it does reduce the risk of anyone using my credit cards after stealing them, and a couple times I have had to point out that I do have a doctorate in [medically-related field], thank you, in order to get taken seriously.

I wonder if people think of Mrs as being 'wankerish' in the same way?

What did he call you gasman?

Well, I do roll my eyes a bit when people roll it out to me in a school setting (sorry cory!).

I think wanky to use it outside work, whether PhD or medical, and by work I mean relevant work. Not teaching in schools for example.

notcitrus - v funny. I was just about to ask the same thing. If you announce through your title that you're married, is more or less acceptable to announce through your title that you have a PhD? Which is more acceptable for women - to be married or educated???

I use Dr when the context is relevant: at work (university) and when dealing with official bodies (this includes the NHS, why not). When it's not relevant ie a social or informal context, I am ghislaine. Dr is my personal title so why wouldn't I use it? What I do think is wanky is academics who use Professor outside of work as that is not a personal title so shouldn't be able to be transferred with them to the personal arena.

Most medical drs I meet respond with "oh, a real dr!". A SHO did once rather nervously confess that he thought I might catch him out. I do always make it clear I am not a medical dr. I did have a midwife tell me today that I was throwing my weight around when she referred to me as Miss and I said "No, Dr".

I use mine not all the time but most of the time.

DH uses his Dr title when it suits him. spam mail / phone calls will ask for Mr DH, they get ignored as there is no one of that name. People that know him tend to call him first name, or maybe first name surname. Official stuff like school/ travel etc then its Dr DH.

yes I think it is, all the academic Drs I know only use it at work.

I have a DR in the family, happens to be MD but people who don't know that seek him in medical emergencies - say out for a meal booked for Dr and Mrs_ or on flights etc, or even in shops after say reserving something as Dr. It happens way way more than you'ld think! Seriously WAY more! and even neighbours knocking on the door when they should have called 999 (who didn't know which discipline the Dr was for). I wouldn't use an academic Dr outside work because I would be worried about that happening

I use Dr and don't currently work in academia. I worked for 10 years to get my PhD and feel I've earned it - I only had to marry DH to gain the title Mrs!

Hi ghislane Well, if you can't throw your weight around when you're expecting (presumably ?) when can you ?!

Maybe I'll tell the DCs school that it's Dr and Mrs Juggling. As I mentioned they did ask for our titles on admission form so don't see why they can't use them !
I'll have to find a good moment though I guess !

When I got my PhD, DS1 was very worried and came to talk to me. "Mum," he said, "does this mean you are going to be like Dr X?"

I use mine all the time on gender equality grounds. Love it. Want another one, so I can make people call me Dr Dr.

Use it OP, I use my Dr for work and bank but it spills over into other things and I'm much happier with that than using Mrs. I have never yet had the nerve to say 'actually it is Dr Procrastinating' when called Mrs though.

If you use Dr do you not find people presume you are a medic and start asking you medical questions? I am a medical dr but only use dr at work as I get fed up being shown rashes, asked about medication etc etc!!!

It is pretentious.

The only non medical Dr's I know certainly don't use it in RL, although I presume they use it at work.

When I got married, I found Mrs got me better service over the phone than Miss. Which is why I've never bothered doing a Phd.

SardineQueen you can buy 'em I think. Say £500 and I'll make you a certificate? Another £200 for a degree ceremony programme if your bank decides to ask for that as well. Lemme know.

Hmm, DH has a PhD, as does pretty much everyone where he works (not academia, but research) and none of them use 'Dr', it's just not the done thing apparently! - Maybe because it's assumed that for that environment it's the norm? He certainly doesn't use it outside work either.

I don't have a PhD - was too busy out working to support him whilst he did his!

You should use the title, you worked for it

I think it's wankerish to use it outside of work/academia
My father is Prof/Dr and only uses it in work situations..granted work and social often cross over. I would never address anythig to him as Dr or Prof.

Of course you should use it if you want to, and not just in an academic setting if that's what you want. You worked bloody hard for your PhD. Yes, many people will find it "wankerish" but who cares!

I've only really been embarrassed by my title when my proud father always addressed letters to me as Dr BsshBossh followed by all my qualification acronyms (I have a few). But I forgave him as he was from India and all my family there are ridiculously show-offy about academic achievement.

What's pretentious about it? That's your title.

What's pretentious is that in my line of work, people put all the letters after their name, even though most of them come from crappy one month long courses.

Ridiculous.

Thread abotu a thread I know ... but mitzi, how do you square saying using your title is pretentious if it's 'dr', but it was rude of school not to call you 'mrs'? Surely if insisting on using one title is pretentious, so is insisting on using another?!

Eh?

When you have a doctorate, Dr. is your personal title. Just like when a woman gets married, Mrs is (traditionally) her title. You don't have to use it of course, just like plenty of married women prefer Ms. - but there's nothing 'wankerish' about it. The 'Dr.' describes what you are, whereas for a medical Dr., it describes what you do - hence (though it's a bit more complicated than that) consultants becoming Mr./Ms./Mrs. again. Unless they have a PhD!

Anyone getting het up about it just sounds a tad chippy, I have to say. Now. Next question. 'Married women using 'Mrs.' -wankerish?'

If i'd done all that hard work I'd sure as hell want to be recognised for it. My mum finished her Masters degree last year and I saw how hard she worked for that. I imagine a PhD is much, much harder.

As they say in the movies "It aint bragging if you've really done it"