To sign up at the surgery as ‘Dr’

[Chocolatebutton43]

I got my PhD two months ago, moved to a new place and signed up to a new doctor’s surgery and dental practice.

Filling in the forms, I got a bit carried away with my new title and ticked the ‘dr’ box! I’ve been doing it a lot lately for silly little things partly ‘cause I’m just happy to have finished and passed my degree and also because I relish that I am no longer defined by my marital status.

But, I now need to visit the surgery and I feel like an idiot. The form also had occupation so the doctor will know I’m not a medical doctor. Is he/she going to think I am a total prat for using Dr outside my work and at the doctor’s surgery of all places? Cringe

@CountFosco I was saying the same thing as you! :) Nothing to do with it being the 1950s

Uni 'staff profiles' online have titles like Dr etc , and so do lists of staff in schools (many private schools use the DR label in staff listings)

My BIL has a PhD and an MBA and they aren't on his LinkedIn account as a heading but are there in the Education section.

3 out of 4 of my immediate neighbours have PhDs and we are all graduates of one level or another- I never knew until I looked at their LinkedIn accounts ( nosy!) and post we might take in for them is just John Smith etc.

In the old days people used to address letters as Mr John Smith B.A. or John Smith Esquire.
That's died a death thank goodness.

IMO no one should use Dr day to day unless medical simply because it causes confusion. It's an indication of passing an 'exam' at a high level, it's not a professional title.

How much confusion do you think there is for someone to use 'dr' for the GP or at the bank? It so rarely comes up. Who are all these confused people thinking that people with PhDs are medical doctors and apart from the plane scenario where if it did happen they'd just say 'I'm not a medical doctor' what scenario has actually occurred where it is a problem? (Not just hypothetical because we can all make shit up)

@RattleOfBars Yes it does. I guess that clinical psychologists keep being used as an example here, as they work in medical settings.
But it has nothing to do with the fact that they work with patients or their clinical status. Educational Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists are also Dr. And Other kinds such as Forensic or occupational can be, if they do a PhD (but they don’t have to).
Chartered Psychologist referrs to any kind of professional psychologist. Some of them are qualified to do tiral level, others have a Masters (so couldn’t use the title)

Typo sorry- qualified to doctoral level

Chartered Psychologist referrs to any kind of professional psychologist. Some of them are qualified to do tiral level, others have a Masters (so couldn’t use the title)

Thank you. My friend has a PhD in Chartered Psychology and works in research, so he uses his Dr title when he publishes a paper. He doesn’t use it outside of his professional context though. Apparently he had the option of going into clinical psychology or research but chose the latter as it’s apparently less competitive for jobs.

IMO no one should use Dr day to day unless medical simply because it causes confusion.

This is horseshit. There is no confusion, unless people are also barging in to treat people, in which case, it’s not the title using that’s the problem.

I've come across 2 situations where non medical drs use the term dr and it seems odd. The first is in school, ds has 2 teachers who absolutely insist on being called dr X. They get very angry if a student or parent calls them Mr/ms X.

Secondly, I know girl who studied dentistry and now sells skincare and refers to herself as dr in real life and on social media to sell the skin care she promotes. For me this is slightly deceptive because when selling the skin care she clearly identifies herself as a dr and followers think she is a medical dr for the purposes of advising on their skin care regime.

@NerrSnerr

How much confusion do you think there is for someone to use 'dr' for the GP or at the bank? It so rarely comes up. Who are all these confused people thinking that people with PhDs are medical doctors and apart from the plane scenario where if it did happen they'd just say 'I'm not a medical doctor' what scenario has actually occurred where it is a problem? (Not just hypothetical because we can all make shit up)

Exactly. If there is any confusion its harmless and not putting anyone at risk. It's not like all these PhD educated people are trying to pass themselves off as medical doctors. I really don't see why it is an issue.

It's anti-intellectualism plain and simple.

Of course you can. My NHS consultant doctor sibling is both a medical doctor and has a PHD and is a professor (not a surgeon - those are addressed as Mr, very confusing......)

Another issue is I don't like those I do not know calling me by my first name. Never assume when you are on the customer help desk your customer wants to be called Jane rather than Ms Smith.

*I've come across 2 situations where non medical drs use the term dr and it seems odd. The first is in school, ds has 2 teachers who absolutely insist on being called dr X. They get very angry if a student or parent calls them Mr/ms X.

Secondly, I know girl who studied dentistry and now sells skincare and refers to herself as dr in real life and on social media to sell the skin care she promotes. For me this is slightly deceptive because when selling the skin care she clearly identifies herself as a dr and followers think she is a medical dr for the purposes of advising on their skin care regime.*

I don't get why the teacher one is an issue. I went to secondary school in the 90s and we had 2 science teachers who were doctors. We all knew it was because they'd done a PHD. Why would we have called them Mr or Mrs because we knew they were dr?

The skincare one, she should be clear that she's not a doctor in that capacity. That's taking the piss (but not at all comparable to someone wanting to register as de' at the GP)

This is horseshit. There is no confusion, unless people are also barging in to treat people, in which case, it’s not the title using that’s the problem.

Horseshit You don't hold back do you!

Of course it causes confusion because that is the whole point of the OP's post SHE asked! Or had that evaded you?

The only people I know who use Dr day to day when they have a PhD are a bit up their own . It's an academic qualification often in a niche topic of no relevance to their work anyway, and it's really just showing off that they are capable of learning to that level.

That is your well deserved title. Use it and be proud

I've come across 2 situations where non medical drs use the term dr and it seems odd. The first is in school, ds has 2 teachers who absolutely insist on being called dr X.

There’s nothing odd about that at all. My very academic grammar school had a number of Drs on staff and were very keen to publicise that as it was a big selling point to parents.

It's anti-intellectualism plain and simple.

Hardly.

It's anti- conceitedness.

@JinglingHellsBells ok, so the OP goes the the GP. They say 'what are you a doctor in' and she says 'psychology'. That's it in that scenario. Confusion over.

What are all the other confusing situations?

It's an academic qualification often in a niche topic of no relevance to their work anyway, and it's really just showing off that they are capable of learning to that level

So, nothing to do with confusion, but you don’t like people ‘showing off’. Yep sounds like anti intellectual to me. Gotta love the U.K. for that.

The only people I know who use Dr day to day when they have a PhD are a bit up their own . It's an academic qualification often in a niche topic of no relevance to their work anyway, and it's really just showing off that they are capable of learning to that level

Are you married? Do you use Mrs? Isn’t that just showing off that you are capable of “catching” a man?

Why not carry on using Miss, or use Ms? Why is it so important people know you’re Mrs?

This is what is boils down to. Women know your place. Learning is bad when you should be flaunting your Mrs title and capabilities as a wife and mother...

Fuck that shit.

@bluebluezoo Someone else raised that earlier on. It's not a similar thing at all.

Not worth engaging with you on it.

More to the point why do people WITH PhDs not use the title as dr?

Now, that would be an interesting discussion.

I expect their answer is it's not relevant in day to day life and can cause confusion.

Secondly, I know girl who studied dentistry and now sells skincare and refers to herself as dr in real life and on social media to sell the skin care she promotes. For me this is slightly deceptive because when selling the skin care she clearly identifies herself as a dr and followers think she is a medical dr for the purposes of advising on their skin care regime.

Yes, that's the type of case where using Dr is wrong - maybe not quite as bad as 'Dr Gillian McKeith', mentioned upthread, whose qualifications were in something like linguistics plus a dodgy diploma in nutrition. The advertising standards people made McKeith stop it.

There's nothing wrong with teachers using Dr though. It adds a small point of learning for the pupils re educational possibilities, if anything.

The only people I know who use Dr day to day when they have a PhD are a bit up their own . It's an academic qualification often in a niche topic of no relevance to their work anyway, and it's really just showing off that they are capable of learning to that level.

'Showing off' - and you say it's not anti - intellectualism 🙄

Mine is very relevant to my work and I refer to the research and subsequent research regularly - does that mean I'm permitted to call myself Dr?

My husband doesn't refer to his as often in his work ( I use it quite a bit though) but his research contributed to the sector he works in so is relevant. Does that count?

Who gets to decide???🤷🏼‍♀️

Someone else raised that earlier on. It's not a similar thing at all

Why isn’t it similar? It’s changing your title to represent your status.

Exactly the same thing IMO.

More to the point why do people WITH PhDs not use the title as dr?

Because they think people will judge them for “showing off”, or think they are trying to misrepresent themselves as medical dr’s? And all the other negative comments on this thread about it being a “dick move” etc.

Are you married? Do you use Mrs? Isn’t that just showing off that you are capable of “catching” a man?

Why not carry on using Miss, or use Ms? Why is it so important people know you’re Mrs?

This is what is boils down to. Women know your place. Learning is bad when you should be flaunting your Mrs title and capabilities as a wife and mother...

Fuck that shit.

I completely agree!

This is horseshit. There is no confusion, unless people are also barging in to treat people, in which case, it’s not the title using that’s the problem

It does cause confusion, and often embarrassment on both sides when somebody says ‘oh so you’re not a REAL doctor’ (which they undoubtedly do, as a large majority of people don’t realise academics with PhDs can use the title).

Say you book a taxi or reserve a table in a restaurant or insist on being addressed as ‘Dr’ when you’re a patient in hospital or on a coach trip or cruise. Be prepared for people to keep asking you about their in-growing toenails/sore throats/infected piercings and explaining over and over you’re not a medical doctor! Or rolling their eyes at you when you say you’re a Doctor of Dance Studies not medicine.

Clinical Psychologist is a bit different as many people hear Psychiatrist (or don’t realise they’re different professions). Although then you get questions about people’s mental health, their friend’s drug addiction or comments like ‘does that mean you can read my mind?’