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!

@AgeingDoc as a fellow medical doctor who greatly respects academics and their right to be Dr in their place of work I agree.

Wholly inappropriate to use the Dr title in healthcare, particularly if nurse consultant. Also disagree with the term nurse consultant as they tend to introduce themselves as “the consultant” and they know full well it’s misleading. As a registrar I’m often confused about who I’m speaking to let alone the patients!

I’d make an exception for clinical psychologists who have traditionally been Dr - after all they have a doctorate. But they’ve never been trying to be psychiatrists they’ve been proud to be their own distinct profession.

I have heard of physician associates with PhDs using the Dr title which is incredibly misleading when in a healthcare setting.

They’re not really doctors though. No one thinks of PHD holders as doctors

Yes they are. And actually a lot of them are responsible for doctors being able to do their jobs, as many Dr work in medicine behind the scene but are not "medical doctors"; ie virologists, biochemists, radiographers, and so on.
Both medical doctors and other doctors do complement each other.
I'd want a medical doctor to treat me if ill, but I'd want a PhD doctor to design a vaccine for me.

I know! I wish I'd chosen that 'easy' one, as opposed to the one where I worked solidly for 4 years...

@pensione, I don't value the use of sex and marriage-based titles like Miss and Mrs (which is why I dont use them for myself).

I'd still refer to you however you'd like to be referred to out of basic respect.

I really don't see what the big deal is.

I have one…worked v hard for it.

I love that Dr is gender neutral. Also I didn’t change my name when I got married so me Mrs Bamber is my mum.

when I went to the bank to update my title (25 years ago), male cashier said ‘you don’t look like a dr’. My response, what does a dr look like left them
squirmimg…that alone is reason enough to use it.

equally if someone calls me Mrs husbands name I don’t correct them, not. A big deal.

I'm a PhD Dr.

I use it for work because it's relevant. People don't call me Dr Notilucentcloud, I go by my first name, but I use Dr on my email signature and for external work meetings. It enables people to see if you're a PhD student (no title), a researcher (Dr) or more senior (Professor). I'd also use it if I was giving expert evidence or a media interview because it shows my qualification.

I don't use in it day to day life as it's not relevant. I definitely never use it on my passport or flights because I only know basic first aid and don't want them wasting precious time coming to me if there's a medical emergency!

Yeah but like you can get a PhD in lashes and nails, or forts and pears, innit.

<snigger> easy PhD! Tell me you don’t have a doctorate without telling me you don’t have a doctorate…

I assume an easy one is a science one (like mine) that you can apply to like a job, rather than having to write your own proposal and get funding for?

Although I would say the actual completing of it was still pretty brutal!

I’ve always thought it’d almost be worth doing a PhD for the floppy velvet hat you get to wear at the graduation. 😂
So was v disappointed that niece in the US didn’t wear one at hers, which we watched during COVID on Zoom.

Except the title Dr was originally just for use for those who had learned a subject in a very in-depth way. Medics stole it.

STEM PhD here. I use the title professionally as a woman in a male dominated non academic tech field. No one has ever thought I'm a medical doctor, but they have asked what my PhD is in. I also used it for contact forms at my kid's school, because frankly it's a rough area and they talk to people like they're idiots sometimes.

I do not use it while travelling, for anything medical, or anything day to day/utilities.

I did not work 16 hours a day in a lab for 3 years under an emotionally incapable bully to be defined by my marital status.

Easy PhD
Good grief.
Likely the OP doesn't bloody have one.

You are entitled to call yourself doctor.

What really gets me is when dentists call themselves doctor.

No floppy velvet hat for me either but graduated in a very beautiful location so it was still great!

Ive worked in the scientific pharmaceutical world and yes its normal

I love that Dr is gender neutral.

Me too. I have a gender neutral first name too.
People always assume I'm male!

I work in a professional setting, where it is not unusual for some to have PhDs in various subjects. Some use Dr in their work title but not when introducing themselves, some you never know they have it, and some introduce themselves as "Dr X".

Almost never is it a medical Dr qualification.

You just get used to it.

PhD here. You don't use the title of Dr outside the academic or scientific world except in Germany.
Paradoxically most medical doctors in the UK don't actually hold doctoral degrees. They are only addressed as Dr out of courtesy.

I’m a Dr. Three years of degree, masters, 3 years of phd my sister is also a doctor 5 years of medicine. I worked just as hard if not harder than her - I earnt mine.

You should check out German academics 🤣🤣

I don’t think there can be a single German phd holder who hasn’t adopted the honorific.

Showing off your intellect is the German equivalent of being the funniest, hottest person in the pub. It’s the social currency.

I understand honorifics also don’t get replaced, but appended – so a professor goes by ‘Dr Professor’ (or vice versa)

Oh, come off it. You know

I know lots of PhD doctors who definitely use their title in everyday life (eg on driving license), and live in the UK.

(Contrary to what some folk think, based on my name, I don't live in Germany and am not German)

Then they are prats.

Lots of PhDs use 'Dr'
Surgeons go by Mr/Ms
Maxillofacial Surgeons that have both dental and medical degrees go by Mr/Ms
Lots of medical doctors also have PhDs and go by Dr
My point is it really doesn't matter and the type of qualification a person has can be clarified within a few minutes to chatting to them.

I shall remember this when I finally make it to Germany for a visit! 🤣