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

It doesn't cause confusion at all in our day to day life. We wouldn't book a table for Mrs and Dr Snerr we'd just book it as him and Nerr (although once again surely they'd ask what kind of doctor and he'd say PhD and that'd be that?)

On holidays no one has ever mentioned his title even though he books at Dr. He got his PhD in 2009 and no one has ever asked him for medical advice. Most people in general are not that daft.

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

In the modern world, you book these these things digitally and I don’t understand how you think ‘people’ will get hold of the information. I’ve never been asked about anything by a maitre d, other than am I having a nice evening. Ditto holiday organisers. It sounds like you’re living in the 1950s

If you’ve been admitted to hospital, you are a patient first and foremost. Or how do medical doctors cope with being admitted to hospital, are they having to hold off the boards as they’re wheeled to theatre?

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

So you have a PhD, use it, and this happens to you a lot?

Because it has never happened to me in 25 or so years. And I don’t care if people roll their eyes or think i’m not a “real” dr. That’s their opinion and it doesn’t bother me. It just shows their lack of knowledge of academia.

It doesn't cause confusion at all in our day to day life

That’s not the case for everyone though.

Many of our close friends (and my DH) have PhDs but choose not to use the title outside of their work settings. Due to people getting confused or thinking they’re trying to pass themselves off as medical doctors. Or simply because they don’t see the point. My friend with a PhD once commented it’s like writing ‘BSc, MSc’ after your name to advertise your academic superiority!

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).

Are you one of those people who gets confused about this? Is this the issue here?
On the very, very odd occasion someone has asked me if I'm a medical doctor they've understood what I've meant when I've explained. Nobody has been embarrassed and nobody has ever said ' oh so you're not a REAL doctor'. Who would be so rude?

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

Nobody is booking a taxi using the title Dr. Do you use titles when booking taxis? You sound ridiculous now.

The discussion is about situations where you are required to use a title - Mr, Miss, Mrs, Dr are all legitimate titles to use. Where not talking about introducing yourself as Dr..... and if a medical doctor can't figure out the difference between their job and someone with a PhD should they really be practicing medicine?? As for people bringing their medical problems to you on holiday because they can't understand the difference- well, your assuming the general population aren't that bright.

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?’

Haha so we should all refrain from using job titles because the general population are too stupid to understand and will ask you awkward and silly questions. How ridiculous

It just shows their lack of knowledge of academia

A large number of people (yes even in 2020) don’t have the opportunity or means to go to university let alone do a PhD. Why would they have knowledge of academia?

*We're not talking about introducing yourself as Dr...

• 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).

Nope. Never. Nor being asked about ailments.

I have very occasionally had the 'so you're a real doctor' though.
When I got my PhD , my Rev Dr uncle (retired medical missionary) sent a card saying it was nice to have a real doctor in the family at last. (My older DB is a GP). Of course, it's just a pleasant joke, but one which can perhaps only be made by someone who doesn't have any sort of silly chip on their shoulder.

A large number of people (yes even in 2020) don’t have the opportunity or means to go to university let alone do a PhD. Why would they have knowledge of academia?

Maybe i should have said it shows their unwillingness to learn about academia. Most people are generally interested and will ask about the process, how do you get a phd, how does it differ from a medical dr etc.

If they just want to roll their eyes and carry in in ignorance that’s up to them.

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,

Mine is a professional requirement for my job. Without it, I wouldn't be able to register with my professional regulatory body and practice using my job title (which is a protected job title that can only be used by those with the relevant Doctorate and professional registration). Mine is therefore crucial to my job role. And I'm not a medical doctor either.

Ok, so no actual examples of causing confusion then. Guess we’re just left with ‘showing off’

A large number of people (yes even in 2020) don’t have the opportunity or means to go to university let alone do a PhD. Why would they have knowledge of academia?

They all go to school, and as noted upthread teaching staff often include a few Drs. It's really not an arcane concept.

You are definitely over thinking, you have a doctorate and are therefore entitled to use Dr. It's not a title just to be used by medical doctors. I'd definitely use Dr if I had a Phd.

Chartered Psychologist referrs to any kind of professional psychologist.

The title Chartered psychologist is not really used in clinical practice anymore. It's an old term from when the British Psychological Society (BPS) used to regulate the profession and practice of psychology. You had to be "chartered" with the BPS to practice and use the title. Now, the HCPC regulates all applied psychologists in the UK, so the title used is usually either "Applied Clinical Psychologist", or more commonly "HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist". Or replace clinical for whatever the person's specialism is, eg forensic, educational. "Chartered" is a largely redundant in most settings.

I have a PhD. Some time ago I did the experiment of calling myself 'Doctor' in various (external, public but non-professional) situations, to see if it made any difference to how I was treated.

Mostly, no difference at all. Occasionally, people treated me a little less well, probably on the basis of 'He's a bit up himself, isn't he?' Fair enough, really.

So I stopped calling myself 'Doctor'. Except in one particular set of circumstances, where I was treated better, listened to more, taken more seriously: this was in circumstances around healthcare. I rationalised this result on the basis that people working in healthcare are used to being told what to do by old men called 'Doctor'.

I told my children this, after one of my daughters complained in conversation about being patronised by a (male) paediatrician. (My children all have PhDs too, a stealthy boast if you like.) Such patronising behaviour, it seems, is not uncommon.

Anyway, my daughters, in particular when young(ish) mothers, found the same thing I had; possibly even more so. Talked down to, patronised when 'Mrs' or 'Ms' (they have different takes on marriage and consequential female titles), treated as just-another-know-nothing-mummy, they found their concerns about their own health and that of their children taken much more into account, and with more seriousness, when they changed to being 'Dr'. This, in several different countries, but including NHS in UK.

Sad, perhaps. But true. Make of it what you will.

your assuming the general population aren't that bright. the general population are too stupid to understand and will ask you awkward and silly questions

I’m not assuming anything about the general population, just pointing out the title ‘doctor’ means ‘medical doctor’ to the majority of people who haven’t been through higher education.
And even for many highly educated people ‘medic’ is the first association that springs to mind when they see ‘Dr’ written down. Unless it’s used within a professional context eg a university setting or school.

It’s not stupidity or lack of ‘brightness’ if people don’t realise ‘doctor’ means you hold a PhD in any subject. Implying people are stupid or ignorant to get confused and ask questions, is that not academic superiority? Do you think somebody is stupid if they haven’t heard of a PhD and the associated title?

*The exact same applies to (non medical) Doctors of Clinical Psychology

Out of genuine curiosity, does this also apply to doctors of chartered psychology? I’ve always wondered about the differences, they both have PhDs and can use the Dr title but are chartered psychologists always non-clinical? I know they use the Dr title on papers they publish which seems sensible.*

See my comment below! Chartered is not a term used anymore amongst applied psychologists in clinical practice. Are you referring to the UK here? There may be another branch of research based psychology training that I'm unaware of, but I haven't heard of a degree in "chartered psychology" certainly in this country.

Maybe it's just the people you mix with @RattleOfBars because the majority of posters with PhDs or who know people with them are not experiencing this confusion and embarrassment you're talking about.

And even for many highly educated people ‘medic’ is the first association that springs to mind when they see ‘Dr’ written down.

So what? We dumb life down for them so that they can hold on to that incomplete understanding? Or we educate them?

Do you think somebody is stupid if they haven’t heard of a PhD and the associated title?

No, as I hadn’t heard of a PhD until I was at uni.

I do think they are maybe less than bright or don’t have an enquiring mind if they meet someone with a PhD and would rather dismiss it and roll their eyes because it isn’t what they assumed, rather than ask questions and learn what it entails.

When I got my PhD , my Rev Dr uncle (retired medical missionary) sent a card saying it was nice to have a real doctor in the family at last. (My older DB is a GP). Of course, it's just a pleasant joke

I wonder if your GP brother thought it was a pleasant joke too? A lot of medical doctors would find that very offensive. They are doctors by occupation, PhD academics are not.

I know they use the Dr title on papers they publish which seems sensible.

I am clinically based (NHS) rather than academic and I have used my Dr title on published research papers. Applied Clinical Psychologists also carry out and publish research using their titles, as well as those who work exclusively in academia.

I wonder if your GP brother thought it was a pleasant joke too? A lot of medical doctors would find that very offensive. They are doctors by occupation, PhD academics are not

You seem to know what a lot of people think, medical dr’s, PhD holders, general public, and feel able speak (post) on their behalf.

Do you have some special ability? Or are you putting words in people’s mouths to fit your narrative?

Maybe i should have said it shows their unwillingness to learn about academia

Why should they wish to learn about academia?
Maybe it has no relevance to their lives or they don’t find the topic interesting.

It’s not stupidity or lack of ‘brightness’ if people don’t realise ‘doctor’ means you hold a PhD in any subject. Implying people are stupid or ignorant to get confused and ask questions, is that not academic superiority? Do you think somebody is stupid if they haven’t heard of a PhD and the associated title?

No, but you seem to think people are incapable of understanding the difference.

You are the one suggesting that anyone other than a medical doctor using Dr as a title is causing mass confusion and embarrassment.

Those of us with PhDs are saying this isn't the case at all.