AIBU - use of ‘Dr’ title - is this normal?!

[Cheesecake45]

Just not sure if I need to get with the times or not - is it normal to go by the title ‘Dr’ simply for having a PhD, if you aren’t in the medical profession? I’m talking one of the easiest PhDs to get (comparatively speaking), nothing vaguely linked to medicine.

AIBU??
YES = this is totally normal get over yourself
NO = wouldn’t be caught dead calling myself a doctor unless I could be assistance in a medical emergency!

But PhD literally is Doctor of Philosophy. So why are you saying someone with a PhD isn't a doctor? Ridiculous.
I don't have a PhD but my son has and he studied for years to earn it. It was really really stressful.
He uses his title in his work capacity because it is career enhancing and is beneficial to his firm that clients know how well educated their staff are.
Why should only medical people get to be called Doctor when people who have earned their PhDs are expected not to use what they have earned by study and hard work?

They literally are doctors, on account of them having doctorates. It doesn't matter what people generally think (although most people I know would know that PhD holders are doctors).

I’m a registrar. I introduce myself by first name to all colleagues and patients. I’ll happily call consultants Dr Smith etc. They undertake huge amounts of responsibility. My surgeon who operated on me was a Ms, I called her by that. And would continue to do unless she told me to call her by her first name. In healthcare doctors take on the most responsibility and honerous training so if they want to be called Dr X then not problem by me. Personally I go by first name but we’re all different!

I do object to non physician or clinical psychologists using the term Dr in a healthcare setting though. It’s misleading for patients. Regardless of their right to be called Dr it’s unclear for staff and patients and inappropriate if on a ward. A physio might have a PhD but most would agree that Dr Jones if a physio would confuse patients.

I work with a few Profs who I call Prof Jones rather than Dr Jones but some are happy to be called Jenny instead.

Whilst the title comes from academia I don’t think academics can get upset if they use the title outside of work and people assume they’re a medical doctor. Most members of the public don’t meet many people with a doctorate so you can’t blame them for getting confused, it’s nothing personal just a difference in peers.

PhDs are the original doctors, why should they give up that title? And regardless of whether you think they've earned the right to use it, they actually do have the right to use it.

I find all this discussion about "easy" versus "hard" subjects so fascinating as well. While we absolutely need the sciences to survive, the arts enrich our lives to no end. I didn't see so many people complaining about how easy and/or pointless the arts are during covid when everyone was consuming so much TV, music, literature-I wonder why that is? Most of the people producing all that art have some form of training in the arts!

And I would say that doing a PhD is a much bigger achievement than getting married and I see so many women gleefully changing their titles to Mrs...

A lot of doctors don’t use their title day to day. And doctors don’t care if PhDs use it as most of us were taught by many non clinicians who were Dr at medical school. There’s a strong objection to the title used by non doctors in a clinical environment. It’s misleading. But I never assume Dr X is a medical doctor if in an academic setting, they could be either! Or a dentist etc.

I'll admit I think it's incredibly pretentious to use 'Dr' if you're not a medical doctor. Just do.

I don’t understand why you wouldn’t use the title ‘Dr’ for a PhD-you do know what the ‘D’ stands for right? You do also realise medical doctors in the UK, for the most part, don’t actually have a doctorate and are allowed to call themselves doctor anyway? I have a PhD and use the title Dr. It infuriates me when my husband (also a PhD) and I are addressed as ‘Dr and Mrs Wash’, as if my doctorate doesn’t count because I’m a woman 🤦‍♀️

You wouldn’t if you spent four years working your arse off to get a PhD.

Why is it pretentious for a PhD but not a medical doctor, what's the difference? It can't be about "earning" the rights, as both earned their degrees.

I used to work in a place where a significant proportion of people had Ph.Ds or were working on them, and they would call expecting all the documentation for them be changed immediately their Ph.D was granted. Also have a friend who was supposed to witness something for me but it had Mr not Dr and he pitched a fit. Its nice you have a Ph.D. Well done. But using the title just makes you sound like a pretentious arse.

This!
A PhD is a Doctor, a medical doctor uses Dr as a courtesy title - unless they have also done a PhD.
(And no, I don’t have one myself.)

Upon reflection as a medical doctor without a PhD. I think that those in academic circles respect a PhD and that they should be called Dr, if you’re a lecturer why act like you’re less educated than you are! And helpful for women too as don’t need to be Ms etc.

But most of the world who don’t know or ever work with academics may think you’re like Ross Gellar if you use the Dr title out of work. That’s just how it is. They may judge. But who cares? You worked hard for the PhD, do what you want! It’s your life celebrate your achievements if you want to.

I’d expect someone who uses their PhD in their job to be Dr regardless of if medical or not. At universities no one bats an eyelid. I had project supervisors who went as Dr due to their PhD. Most of the population perhaps aren’t used to this. That’s what OP is getting at. I don’t think that they meant to offend anyone.

This. It's the same thing with 'Professor', which is a level of promotion and is essentially linked to the job. Whereas a PhD gives you the title of Dr for life.

Pretentious? Pretentious means, "Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed".

But a Dr actually possesses their title. They earned it. How is this pretentious? Or do you just not know what pretentious actually means?

I think you're unaware of the second meaning of the word 'doctor'

I get treated with more respect because I am a Dr (PhD) than a Mrs or Ms. It’s shit that’s the way the world is, but I worked bloody hard for it and I’m an associate professor at a respected university. If we’re going to pick nits, PhDs were the original doctors going back to the origins of the university system. Medical doctors followed after.

It's historical, from hundreds of years ago when barber surgeons were not medically qualified. The physicians, who were medically qualified looked down on the surgeons and wouldn't let them call themselves doctor.
Surgeons subsequently "reclaimed" the title of Mr to set themselves apart from the physicians who they looked down on!
And it's not becoming a Consultant that triggers the change, it's passing the exams yo ecome a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons so plenty of middle grade surgeons are also Mr (Or Miss, Mrs or Ms according to preference if they are female.)
Some doctors in other surgical specialties such as Obs and Gynae and Emergency Medicine choose to follow the same convention but others don't.
It's just tradition, and as far as I know, peculiarly British. Surgeons from most other countries call themselves doctor throughout their careers.

Surgeons do this when they pass their membership exams. I had friends who rush to take Dr off their ID badge and get Mr or Ms on a new one. Titles are funny things. People want to celebrate and receive recognition for their achievements.

No issue with a medical Dr being identified by their title as it could be important in situations.
But all those with PhD Dr. The title is to show publicly you have attained a level of education. OK, you worked hard to get it but why is your 5 years work so important that you can change your title to let your bank and Internet provider know how great you are. All those 'I worked bloody hard and I'm going to use my title'. Why do you think it is so important that everyone knows how hard you worked and not someone who set up a business and employs 500 people, for example. Or are you hoping you get treated differently.

Why is it pretentious to use a title you've earned though?

Its nice you have a Ph.D. Well done. But using the title just makes you sound like a pretentious arse.

Imagine saying: it's nice you have a husband. Well done. But using the title Mrs just makes you sound like a pretentious arse.

What is the difference? If you have a PhD then Dr is your title. It's not pretentious to use it, it's just correct.

It's not about saying how great we are, it's about using a title we've rightfully earned.
What difference does it make to you anyway?

@AgeingDoc I’m a physician not a registrar but think it’s quite cute they keep the traditions alive!

Not sure how it works with physician associates nowadays as technically they’re a Mr but I suspect are not given a “title” at work.

Original meaning. 👍

If I had a PHD, you bet I’d be putting it on everything!