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!

Genuine question. If you in a meeting at work with someone who is a Dr (unrelated field to the work environment) am I expected to address them as Dr in the meeting?

I have worked with quite a few people with PHDs but only one who has it on their email signature. I tend to make etiquette mistakes so am curious what the expectation is.

No, they're not.
Those who call other people names for using a hard earned title, well.....

I think you are being a little naive and may need to go and educate yourself.

“Easiest” PhDs??? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅😅🥲

Oh my.

But to spell it out to you, as you might need: Dr is a title, just like Mrs, Mr, Rev. Just like it’s not pretentious to use “Mr” to highlight you have a penis or “Mrs to say you caught a penis, it is not pretentious to use the correct title, no.

I think it’s a bit of a nonsense as there are lots of professionally qualified people out there who have taken as hard qualification but are not Dr. I have heard that actuary exams are some of the hardest qualifications there are but they are not Dr. When juxtaposed with a PhD in say drama tech it seems crazy? I have family members who are PhD and oh my one insisted on the title.

So bring on the outcry

I'd use Dr.

If you would call someone "Mr" or "Mrs" then yes

Exactly! I was Rev earlier today.

They literally are. Just not medical doctors.

"Let me through, I can quote poetry " 😂

Like in what context? I don't know anyone that uses titles (including medical doctors) outside professional context.

In general, yes you can use it. It is not reserved for medical doctors.

Genuine answer: I’m a Dr and I would expect most people to call me by my first name, because I tell them that would be ok. But if a bank manager asks me “Miss or Mrs”, I would tell him “Dr”.

Yes this is completely normal, it is what Dr means - absolutely call yourself Dr if you have a PhD, that's one of the very few benefits of such a selfless act of research for the betterment of humankind

As many have said already, it’s medics who are technically the ones who are using the title “incorrectly” as they don’t (usually) also have a doctorate.

I use my Dr title in a few circumstances:

• in formal capacities at work, eg on my email signature or signing up for conferences etc. I work in academia, so that is normal. Day to day and face to face, I don’t expect students/colleagues to use it - my first name is fine.
• if someone has given me the choice only between Miss or Mrs, because that fucks me off
• if I feel it might be useful to prevent people treating me in certain ways, e.g. in situations where I’m at risk of mansplaining or otherwise being spoken to like I’m an idiot.

Ultimately, though, getting a PhD is hard work and a big achievement, regardless of discipline, so if someone wants to use their title in other settings, that’s completely ok too.

Only in email most academics introduce themselves by their first name. But the general etiquette in a first email is dear Dr or Prof Smith and when they reply kind regards, Alex you then reply saying dear Alex.

In person just call them whatever they introduce themselves as.

This.

Of course YABU.

Doctor for a medical is a job description. Like someone calling out 'Nurse' or 'Teacher' or 'Waiter'. Not many people who work as a medical doctor have a doctorate.

I mean, as a general thing in conversation, it would be a bit wanky to introduce yourself as "Hi, I am Dr Jane Smith" in the same way you wouldn't say "Hi, I'm Mrs Jane Smith". People with PhDs would generally say "I'm Jane Smith". But if you were completing a form / asked by someone for your title, then your title is "Dr" if you have a PhD.

Incoming outcry. Actuary exams are nowhere near PhDs. They’re EXAMS. You take them, you pass or fail. A PhD is “you have 3-5 years to come up with a bit of knowledge / science that no human before has figured out”.

I have a phd and don't go by dr but it's personal choice.

Would you refer to them as Ms or Mr? If yes, then use doctor. If not then use their first name.

As a medical doctor, I use Ms. I don’t like using Dr or Mrs, though I am both of those.

Isn't this whole thing just a complete non-event?

I obviously don't go around insisting that people call me Dr Billion, even at work (where it's entirely relevant) where I'd introduce myself as 20Hundred during a meeting etc.

But I do include PhD on my work email signature, and if I have to choose a title on anything, I wouldn't choose a sex- or marriage-based title (because I fundamentally disagree with these), so I'd choose Dr.

I'm pretty sure that flight staff are used to the concept of scientific Drs, and so this shouldn't cause any issues in the event of an emergency.

In the case of being in a meeting with them, I tend towards the more personal first name basis mostly, but then if more for amity is needed, I will go by how they have introduced themselves to me- Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr/Sir/Lord (only 1 of the latter so far and no further up the ranking list!).

And also - if it's an office holder, Deputy, Senator, Minister etc. then I will use their formal title unless they ask for something different (most Ambassadors I've met have preferred to be addressed by their first name once their initial introduction is properly done, and often Ministers too).

Where has the op gone...and why can't I find any other posts by them?

One of life's great mysteries.

I’m a late-thirties American, SAHM with a law license - in my personal experience, using “Dr” in an academic or work setting is normal for PhDs. But if someone is, say, addressing Christmas cards to a PhD, they’ll probably go with Mr/Mrs/Ms. If you’re meeting someone new in a social setting and they say, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith,” telling them that it’s Dr. Smith is a little la-dee-dah.

In all the press about Bill Cosby’s conviction and its reversal, I noticed newspapers always referred to him as “Mr. Cosby,” even though he earned a Doctorate in Education in 1978.

You are abs being unreasonable. The D in PhD literally stands for doctor.

Ex síl has a chemistry PhD and she worked like a dog for years for it (something to do with organic chemistry/chemical engineering) . My aunt has a PhD in geography (something to do with predicting and preventing forest fires in australia) . She also worked her butt off for hers.

If I had the brains or the drive to earn one (and I definitely have neither) you bet your last penny I'd be slapping it on everything.