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!

Oh come on let's get sensible.

In the UK it's common for anyone using the title DR to be considered a medic UNLESS they work in research/ uni/ an academic setting where a PhD gives them some status.

In day to day life, sensible people with PhDs don't go bandying their title around as it's rarely relevant.

One of my neighbours who is clearly highly academic but has gone into commerce (and become a multi millionaire) is a 'dr' but I didn't know until I looked him up on Linkedin (for other reasons) and saw his PhD.

We get loads of parcels for him and the name is always just John Smith.

If you're prepared to use Dr for your academic achievement carry on but don't be surprised if people start asking you about their health.

And if you're flying on a plane and in a medical emergency they ask 'Is there a doctor here' don't offer. Unless you're happy to start explaining it's in embroidery in the 15th century , or whatever.

Of course I use my hard-earned title. Of course I wouldn't expect it to be used in social/private situations but I have it in my work email signature.

I particularly enjoy the question 'is it Mrs or Ms?' to which I can - and do - reply 'it's Dr'.

The closest comparison to "would you place the letters BA, MA etc after your name" would be "would you use Phd after your name".

There is no earned change in title for obtaining a BA whereas there is a Phd, so it can't be realistically compared.

I mean that’s fine. But in all my years of practice I’ve never had a patient be ask to be called by Mr Smith etc, I go by first name so why would I call them Mr Smith? I might call a more elderly person that but younger generations don’t care. I’ll call them what makes them happy, but I’ve never had a patient ask to be called Mrs Jones.

When my DM had her heart valve done, I noticed that the hospital sensibly had each patient's preferred form of address clearly written on a board above their bed. She was firmly 'Mrs Dragon' - she'd been a teacher and never tolerated being called 'miss' let alone by her first name professionally.

None of the people I know with PHDs would call themselves Dr in ordinary life. Academic titles are normally only used within professional settings eg if you're working at a university or in a professional field where your academic background is relevant.

I come from a Quaker background and so my strong preference is not to use titles at all. I would always expect colleagues and the families I work with to address me by my first name. Similarly, I call the various Drs in our lives by their first names. However, I would expect them to use their formal title on documentation and I do the same. We have a couple of Lords, Dames and Sirs for our Christmas card list, and none of them have ever reason objection to the card being addressed first, name last name.

Of, course, if somebody preferred being addressed by their formal title, I would respect that. I can’t believe somebody would refuse to call somebody by their preferred legitimate title.

In non-professional contexts, again I use my first name. However, in situations where people use their titles (such as some teachers in school), then I use mine, which is Dr.

It is a nifty way of avoiding being called ‘Mrs’, especially as I do not have my husband‘s last name.

Exactly what I thought of!

That's because you are introducing yourself with your first name. If a medical doctor does that, I am happy for them to use my first name. If you were to introduce yourself to me as Dr Bloggs and assume you may call me Roses, I would correct you or ask for your first name. The relationship must be equal.

Don't start me on the Dr John/Dr Jane business. It is not customary in the UK to append a title to a first name and if Dr does it, how about they start calling their patients Miss Sarah and Mr Sam?

I always use my title "Lady", but only when booking restaurants

I grew up in the US being told it was wanky to use the pre-fix 'Dr' socially if it was 'only' a PhD. If I had a PhD I think I still wouldn't be able to shake that. It's not really logical that medical doctors use it, no problem, though. It's almost like they can then be earmarked for public service duty by virtue of their medical qualifications! (Can't see any alarm bells going off for me to rush to assist if I'd pursued the Art History PhD, but I guess you never know!)

In the UK it's common for anyone using the title DR to be considered a medic UNLESS they work in research/ uni/ an academic setting where a PhD gives them some status.

And in scientific/some technical industries.

Anyone who books a flight as Dr is being a numpty, to be sure.

Ballet Shoes (based on older book) which has two female lodgers who are Doctors (from 2007)

They were doctors in the book too.

We might be colleagues 😂 a woman in the office got a new credit card and it came with "Lady Jane Smith" on it 😂

If it's so easy to get this PhD then why don't you go and get one too, then you can also call yourself "Dr" and stop acting so jealous.

That is really not true.
It's not 'just another degree'.
A PhD requires you to contribute new knowledge not just learn something new.

There was no irony in that post. Your PHD seems to be lacking if it didn’t teach you the definition of irony.

I prefer people to call me by my first name, whatever the context. Or full name if needed. If they insist on using a title, then I'd rather they went with the one I worked hard to achieve than one that merely indicates my relationship status/gender. No one has ever confused me with a medical doctor.

There seems to be a classist element at play here. So many PHDers have denigrated non-academics upthread.

Google tells me that you’re 4 times more likely to have a PHD if you’re from an affluent background, which explains some of the snobbery here.

My friends and acquaintances who are medical professionals don't use their title in day-to-day life either. They don't want people to asking them about their rash or whatever when they aren't working.

I've worked with people who have suddenly started listing all their academic qualifications in their email signature at work. The result is that everyone else has started listing them though only when a couple of us have started asking them. As a result there is always someone with a PhD you never knew had one plus a few more ex-teachers than you realised. The point is to prove they are being wankery.

A PhD isn’t a taught degree, it’s research. I wouldn’t expect any degree, other than a language based one, to cover etymology.

I think 2% of the British population have a PhD.

Oh, there's definitely irony.
I have no desire to continue that conversation so please don't tag me on any other posts relating to that pp.
Cheers

I worked in a role where we had to input personal details to a CRM system. The person's title had to be selected from a drop down menu.

It always made my lip curl that we had Sir, Lady, Reverend and Right Honourable amongst others, but no Ms. You could only choose Mrs or Miss.

If I had a doctorate I would definitely be a Dr if I couldn't be a Ms.

It’s still a higher qualification . Those degrees don’t confer a title because they require a basic grounding in the subject not an expert one, and they don’t require originality. I’m not sure why more people having them has any impact on the title: you just have more people with the title - just as at times when marriage is in vogue you get more women with the title Mrs.

To be fair I worked in an area where a PhD definitely helped career progression, so have come across a lot more folk with a PhD than average (as will have others in similar careers). TBH most of my friends were Dr, or even Prof, at one point. It was just normal to us. We didn't see it as superior or any other rubbish, just career progression.