To correct this?

[TrainsandDiggers]

If your title was Dr and your child’s teacher kept referring to you as Mrs (a fair enough assumption on their part), would you correct them? And if you did, would you sound like you’re a bit up yourself? I’m aware of people correcting to Ms, Miss or Mrs, but not to anything else. TIA

@BertrandRussell Or, a thread about use of the title 'Dr', is attracting a fair few people who themselves are 'Dr'.

Whoever said there were some inferiority complexes on this thread, was right.

I've had it used in what I felt an unnecessary context before (being announced in church as taking that morning's Sunday school) and found that intensely embarrassing (and it was also the first a lot of the congregation had heard of it). But school's an educational context and on that basis I absolutely agree with TheOrig.

@Havaina Is it "arrogant" for a Reverend to use their title? That IS their title! They have no other!

What are doctors supposed to do 'outside of work'?

"Is that Miss or Mrs?"
"Uh actually, it's neither at the moment because my car insurance is nothing to do with work. Therefore it would be arrogant of me to tell you my actual title. Can I be title-less for the purposes of this call?"

@SenecaFalls Why on earth are people going on and on about the U.S.? This is a British website with majority British users. In the UK therefore, @DeltaG is entirely correct.

But a Reverend is also a job title. A Dr of philosophy isn't.

It's not an inferiority complex. I had the greatest of respect for my professors at uni and was more than happy to refer to them to Dr xx (even though they were experts in very obscure subjects). I went to a top London uni, I work very happily in a very corporate environment and don't know any Phd holders. So I'm very far removed from academia and have no reason to feel inferior.

I sometimes see my GP out and about and I tell her 'Hello Dr x'. But if I was working as a teacher and a parent asked me to call them Dr xx I would think they were arrogant yes.

"Is that Miss or Mrs?"
"Uh actually, it's neither at the moment because my car insurance is nothing to do with work. Therefore it would be arrogant of me to tell you my actual title. Can I be title-less for the purposes of this call?"

You do realise you can use titles interchangeably, right?

I'm Ms or Mrs depending on my mood. I'm not obliged to use either all the time and neither are you.

Why do you feel the need to tell strangers that you are a Phd?

If it's not in a work context I would think you were unduly status conscious to insist on being called Dr and would think you were trying to prove superiority.

I bet most of them are Oxbridge graduates too.......

State school educated followed by redbrick university in my case.

I would think you were unduly status conscious to insist on being called Dr and would think you were trying to prove superiority.

I use it because it's gender neutral and I can therefore avoid all the "is that Miss, Ms or Mrs" which can become more and more pointed. I wouldn't assume anyone was using it to feel "superior" as having a PhD doesn't make me feel superior. If I get called "Mrs" anything I fucking hate it. So I just say "it's either Ms Lan, Dr Lan, or Gabi, you pick, but it isn't Mrs". Generally people opt to ditch the title and just use my first name, which is fine by me and makes much more sense.

We get called Miss all the time, very rarely Mrs, and quite often Mum!

You must be like my DDs' teachers spaniel. Mine have all called at least one of their's Mum at some point - otoh when parent helping I quite often get called "teacher" by the pupils, which I do correct to protect the Teacher's authority.

My lot are terrible at distinguishing between Mrs / Miss and Ms. In the last year more than half a dozen of their teachers have married and changed surnames (including the men). The DDs are at the stage of feeling pleased with themselves if they remember the surname let alone the title. When I go to parents' night at secondary I am meeting upwards of 14 teachers who I have no day to day contact with. I have no interest in their title just I am sure they have none in mine. For a primary teacher with 60 parents to meet (more if there are steps and GPs etc) I am gobsmacked anyone expects them to have any interest in anychild's DM's title.

Amazing how many Doctors of various sorts there are on Mumsnet.grin. I bet most of them are Oxbridge graduates too.......

Nope

Why do you feel the need to tell strangers that you are a Phd?

Until you brought this up, I never really thought about it. I don't FEEL the need to tell people anything and don't bring it up in routine conversation because I don't expect anyone to be interested. However, my correct title is doctor so if I'm specifically asked then that's what I say. I have a medical degree and a PhD as I chose to undertake several years of research. In the professional role I'm in now, it's just assumed I have a medical degree because that's a basic requirement of the role.

You lot should move to Austria. I'd like to see you cope with people having their Masters and engineering degrees as part of their official titles - and expecting their use.

(And I suppose, if one felt so inclined, one could wonder why someone using the title Mrs felt the need to tell strangers they were married...)

www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/635111835/its-dr-actually-45mm-pin-badge-phd

I'm not sure if this was OPs point but the general gist seems to be not about being superior or flaunting qualifications but having a title that does not reflect martial status - something men don't have to consider. So if a title needs to be used, then I completely understand why women would prefer to be referred to as doctor rather than Miss/Mrs. Correcting to Ms can also across as being rather pointed even though it shouldn't.

And I suppose, if one felt so inclined, one could wonder why someone using the title Mrs felt the need to tell strangers they were married.

Oh, I expect they just want to feel superior.

I'd find it curious why It was important to you in this context. I can understand in professional capacities, but for kids when volunteering at school, I don't really see it, but I'm not you and for you it is important.

I have a couple of folks I work with who do it, their jobs are not related to their educational achievement or in the same field. They even sign their emails with it. I don't really get the point of it. But do understand it's important to them that people know. I guess they perceive status associated with it. Which is interesting as we also work with plenty others who are also entitled to use it, but don't.

And I think it's likely the same for you, it's important to you people know. So just correct her gently and then it's done.

Titles are totally unnecessary anyway

I'm totally with you Sister
If people feel an absolute need for a way of addressing someone formally then we should have a single form of address to cover this.

There is no necessity to involve marital status or educational achievement or a random few professions.

I am a retired (medical) Dr. I only used the title professionally. Absolutely never on flights as I figured they could ask the people who registered with the title to assist first. Some airlines just make an announcement though as they are obviously wise to people registering with Dr who can’t help and can’t be bothered to weed them out in an emergency. 99% of the time other people get up if there is a call out so no need anyway.

Never used the title outside of work. How is it relevant that I am a Dr if I am picking up a cake I have ordered in my name? Unless the person handing it over to me keels over at that moment in which case I would obviously assist anyway. It’s also of benefit in that if it’s common knowledge every friends parent will want to show you their new rash, ask about their sore throat or try and discuss their foot injury that no Dr believes is injured (supposedly they have not been able to walk on it properly for a year yet seem to be doing a remarkable job of it). I won’t even go there with being asked to look at every kid who has tripped over (and is absolutely fine, itching to run off to continue playing) “just to be sure/just in case”. After often working back to back shifts in A&E the last thing I wanted was to do more of the same for people who were not actually sick in my off time so no way was i advertising my services with the title.

I expect to be addressed as Dr BGDino at work but will answer to Mrs Dino elsewhere

You could say titles are totally unnecessary anyway when you don't have one!

I don't but the whole Miss/Ms/Mrs thing has given me food for thought. Men are just Mr. I'm obvs not a Miss anymore, the Ms thing isn't for me and I dislike being called Mrs (it makes me feel old).

I still refer to parents of my school friends as Mr and Mrs So and So. I would have saluted the Doctor as Dr So an So.

The OP has stated that she would rather be called by her first name but if formalities are to be used then her correct title is Dr.

I have great respect for anyone who has gained a Dr title. They have put in years of work for it.

(And I suppose, if one felt so inclined, one could wonder why someone using the title Mrs felt the need to tell strangers they were married...)

Unfortunately there are times when it's easier to use 'Mrs', especially whilst travelling alone. No feeling of superiority involved.

If people feel using the Dr title gives them an advantage, then that's fine.

Perhaps academia is more elitist? At my company directors don't have offices, earn £300k pa but sit next to grads on £20k, in open plan offices. And everyone is called by their first name, including the CEO.

Perhaps academia is more elitist?

It's less goady.