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

On one occasion I was asked by an elderly Dr if I was a medic or Ph.D. When I replied Ph.D his response was “ Ah, you are a real Dr!” .
You worked for that title be proud!

It's your title, nothing at all wrong with using it.

It would only be awkward if you were in a social situation and people were introducing themselves as; Sharon, Greg, Liz and you said "I'm Dr Button"

YANBU. Congratulations on getting your PhD! You worked hard for it, you earned it, you deserve to enjoy the title that comes with it.

It's fine.

@CheetasOnFajitas

Absolutely 👍

“ Someone who worked for me insisted that I I tried him in all meetings as dr smith. His phs phd was in Ancient Greek, and we worked in finance🤣. People sometimes assumed he was there to speak to a medical issue, and there was Often confusion about the agenda. Then awkwardness when he clarified he was my deputy.

There is nothing wrong it’s being proud of your achievement, but don’t get carried away. I have a masters degree, but never put the letters after my name, I always role my eyes when I see them on people’s email signature.”

Yeah but you sound bitter and jealous as hell @Ideasplease322 😂

[quote CheetasOnFajitas]@SarahAndQuack

the chances that anyone would have memorised the observations section of every passenger's passport and noticed who was Dr is absolutely tiny.

Titles are on the manifest (passenger list), it’s nothing to do with memorising passports. The title is the one given when buying the ticket (you know how your ticket will say something like Jones S/Ms)

I’ve said above that I don’t think that cabin crew rely solely on the manifest. However they do approach people on that basis- it happened to my friend, who IS a medical doctor, but she is an ophthalmology specialist and felt very under-prepared to help in an acute trauma situation.[/quote]
But people claim that their titles are on their passports and that's why they've been called to help in an emergency.

This isn't true.

Presumably 24% of people are jealous too, well done OP, you’ve worked hard and earned the right to be Dr, wear it with pride

I usually tell every medic who introduces themselves as Dr or Mr Arrogant- Wankstain that my name is Mrs Roses not OhThe. They really don't like being asked to use my title instead of my first name. It's simply a question of equality. If your title's Dr use it. I've no compunction about using Mrs, only medics dislike referring to other humans by title. Fine if they use their first name.

@HerewardTheWoke

The 'Dr' title for most medics is technically what's known as a courtesy title, as most of them don't have an academic doctoral qualification.

So hell yeah, you should use it, you're the real Doctor!

Yes, this. My social circle is infested with people with doctorates and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t use it in life in general. I’ve had to see a lot of doctors lately and there’s been no confusion or misunderstanding.

A countess has earned her title by marrying a viscount/earl, who did naff all to earn their title. I'm sure a lot of these ladies worked quite hard to achieve that!

OP, you earned it, you use it. If I had a PhD I reckon I'd get it tattooed across my forehead! My dad has one and excitedly used it everywhere until he kept getting phone calls in the middle of the night from people wanting to speak to a GP (back in the days when everyone used the phone book).

@SarahAndQuack I don’t think they believe anyone memorised their passports, they think the passport details are on a list. Which they are, indirectly, in that the ticket details are on a list and your passport and ticket have to show the same name.

But you are a Dr, why wouldn’t you use it?

YABU you are forgetting to get the badge, T-shirt and hat with it on. You worked hard, you earned it, use it, it's meant to be recognised. Celebrate your success. We don't do that enough sometimes. Congratulations!

I think all women with PhDs should use the title Dr, because then you very often see how many people assume you are a chap, or sometimes assume you are not the doctor they are looking for......... I was once left at the kerb by a letting agent because they assumed I could not possibly be the Dr they were supposed to be showing around!

Those who find it cringey need to get over themselves. Because especially amongst women, I find it embarrassing the number who don't use their hard-won title, starting with one of my school maths teachers, and going on from there. My wife loves booking hotels, cos she loves seeing their reaction to Dr and Mrs. As someone who supervises and examines PhD students, it is not a title that is given easily.

Helps with bank managers too, so make sure you put it on your bank account................

Oh, and since someone asked me what my pronouns were I have whacked Mrs at the front of my email signature. My first name is unequivocally feminine. What the chuff do others think my pronouns are.

[quote CheetasOnFajitas]@SarahAndQuack I don’t think they believe anyone memorised their passports, they think the passport details are on a list. Which they are, indirectly, in that the ticket details are on a list and your passport and ticket have to show the same name.[/quote]
To clarify, I know that passports don’t have titles on them. But you do have to give a title when you book your ticket so the passenger manifest does state one.

@overnightangel

“ Someone who worked for me insisted that I I tried him in all meetings as dr smith. His phs phd was in Ancient Greek, and we worked in finance🤣. People sometimes assumed he was there to speak to a medical issue, and there was Often confusion about the agenda. Then awkwardness when he clarified he was my deputy.

There is nothing wrong it’s being proud of your achievement, but don’t get carried away. I have a masters degree, but never put the letters after my name, I always role my eyes when I see them on people’s email signature.”

Yeah but you sound bitter and jealous as hell @Ideasplease322 😂

Honestly not bitter or jealous. Either of people with phds or other qualifications.

It was just awkward at every meeting - this is Ann, Peter and dr Adam smith. If I just said Adam (which I confess I did quite a few time), he would Clear his voice and correct me.

If someone put his name on a cc list without the dr title he would reply to correct them. I would of course use For him dr if everyone else was getting mr or mrs, but to be honest we don’t use titles at all in work, unless on legal documents.

My views may be coloured because he was a bit sexist. Wasn’t thrilled that I was younger and his job.

I am not at all jealous of those who have a phd. It wasn’t a path I wanted to go down, but I understand it involves a lot of work And you really need to be passionate about your subject. I have posts of friends who have them so I have see how tough It gets.

I do think the whole changing your name because of educational qualifications is a bit odd, but in terms of titles and letters after your name.

I do think there is a danger if you repeating remind people that your title is dr, you might come across as a bit of a twat.

You are a Dr! All my friends who have PhDs go by Dr - that is their official title, not just in work.

Admittedly I did get my friend a "Not that kind of Dr" badge when she officially got her PhD

I deliberately use my (non-medical) Dr title for my medical records because I like to understand my medical issues in detail. I definitely noticed a difference in the language used by medical professionals towards me when I switched from Ms to Dr on my records.

I almost always get asked what sort of doctor I am, and have had some really interesting conversations during my appointments (my PhD is in an allied field). One Consultant even directed me to a relevant conference poster of his that he'd just had accepted.

You earned the title, so don't feel bad using it. Drs know not every Dr is a medical one

It may be a cultural thing. None of my friends use the title in normal day to day life (one works in academia and uses it there).

I can think of a dozen work colleagues who have the title and I only encountered that one bloke who insisted it be used. Even when he rang up about getting his car serviced.

Back in the day I would have thought using dr for PhD outside academic environment was cringe. Now I think it’s important women use it to avoid the Mrs/Miss/Ms farce - why the hell has it not been phased out yet? And to show to promote academic achievement among women.

@LG101

No use it...just be careful if book a flight and someone gets ill mid flight. Queue awkward moments trying to explain you aren’t a medical doctor 🙈😂

You’re the second poster to mention this - I have a PhD and I’ve never had to give my title when booking an airline ticket.

I would have thought most medical doctors wouldn’t want to risk being sued if they were to give treatment to someone on a plane and they ended up dying.

i think this may be a generational thing. it was definitely not done in my day, in this country. people who were foreign would be forgiven, as the norms were different.
it's like call centre people presuming to address me by my first name. it really grates. i would never do that at work. but i can tell that they have no notion of how it sounds and feels to me, so i usually don't bother to correct them.