AIBU to want to take my degree certificate to the bank?

[DrTrillianAstra]

And make them change all my details to Dr Trillian?

(not Dr Trillian of course, actually Dr Realname, but you know what I mean )

Or is it too unbelievably poncey?

Personally I think it's naff to use it outside the field from which it originates.

So, by all means use it in your workplace if academic/research/study but using it for status enhancement with those who would be ignorant of the difference between being a qualified medical doctor and someone with a PhD and for potential personal gain of some sort speaks volumes.

People may treat you more favourably at times but I suspect I am not alone in believing that this would only be because they assume that you are a medical doctor so it's dubious really unless you make sure they have the full picture.

Why would you be treated more favourably if you were a medical doctor? And what do you mean by "status enhancement with those who would be ignorant of the difference between being a qualified medical doctor and someone with a PhD"? I use it, as I've said, to avoid the whole Miss/Ms/Mrs thing.

I, not denying PhD's are hard work and gaining one is an achievement to be proud of but to put it in perspective, for example, caring for a child with severe special needs can be very hard work too and has no graduation type celebration to mark the end of the 'work' because it's usually takes a life time rather than a certain number of years.

Still don't really understand your original post, tbh.

If you can't interpret that sentence, I have to question the entry level for undertaking a PhD these days.

I'm not here to pick a fight, but this is,and correct me if I'm wrong here, an AIBU thread, thereby inviting opinions to be offered.

YANBU go for it

That was a bit harsh, wasn't it? I didn't understand what you meant about the difference between medical doctors and PhDs, and that's you'd be treated more favourably if people thought you had a medical degree. I don't find that terribly clear, but was not looking for a fight either, just clarification.

Dr Trillian, a word of warning: My DH is a Dr, but the bank account is in Mr. The dch's school has him down as Dr, and a couple of times we've had cheques from them (refunds for canx trips) addressed to Dr, and the bank has been funny about it. I've said to them that yes, he's Mr but he's Dr as well, and they sent me a letter asking for proof of his 'new name' (sic) (which he's had since 1987 and I CBA to dig out paperwork).

So - think twice about the practicalities of a bank account. But I would use it on letters etc, defo.

People understand what a medical doctor is, what ones does (to an extent) and have respect for it. In general they don't know what having a PhD means, so have no preconceptions and no reason to treat you differently.

That's not to say we're any less worthy of respect than medical doctors. But IMO medical doctors don't particularly deserve to be trated better or with more respect than anyone else.

Well, I think that's what I meant, Trillian - that I don't get why medical doctors would be treated better than anyone else, and so maybe that's why I didn't understand why it would be used as a status thing amongst those "ignorant of the difference" - I thought it was about the medical courtesy title thing again.

But clearly I am not doing well on this thread!

I do hope people don't mistake me for a medical doctor that's not my intention at all. I just want to irritate confuse people who want to pigeonhole me by marital status, or gender categories.

I don't really notice any difference in how people treat me because of it, to me it's just what I use, when other people use Mrs. I guess many women like to use Mrs but I would hate it.

I have one bank account as Dr, one as Ms, I use them interchangeably, have never had anything bounced back.

I think if more people knew what it took to get a PhD these days, and indeed a permanent academic job, they'd be quite shocked at the sheer unrelenting slog and sacrifice required. We're probably talking about 10 years' work on average from the beginning of the undergraduate degree to first serious academic post for many people, depending on the subject area and so on.

It's a bit mean spirited therefore to suggest we're all mincing around pretending to be medical doctors and/or we are some kind of academic poor relation. Ultimately many of us are teaching your kids at university for about half the salary of many GPs, so a bit of appreciation would be nice sometimes.

I think PhDs are a lot more appreciated elsewhere in Europe. The British seem to have a bit of a downer on them.

Oh you should definitely use it!

Every so often I whip out my BA hons which has got bills reduced and fees refunded on occasion so imagine what 'Dr' could do!!

Congratulations and well done!

I don't understand why it's such a big deal to use a title that applies to you. I sometimes feel a kind of shame when using it outside of an academic context, but that's surely ridiculous.

I use it for banks, phone companies etc because I do find a difference in how I'm treated. Especially since I look younger than my advanced years. And since becoming a SAHM, I find that the working world regards me and my buggy as a part of a strange species. I find the title helps remind them that I'm not part of some weird wheel cult.

And I also fecking hate Mrs, Miss, Ms. I'm always called Mrs Cat and I always say between gritted teeth "that's my mother". Dr is SO much easier and I'm now pregnant and grumpy and fed up of being apologetic about it.

But that's what I'm trying to avoid buying into. The people treating you better because you are called 'Dr' - and actually the you feeling better because of it. Because people should treat you with respect, even as a SAHM , without you demonstrating some kind of intellectual superiority.

I do understand it though. And appreciate that I'm in a complete minority on here

I think I agree with that, TFM - it is always really weird when people say "is that Miss or Mrs", I say "Dr" and then they apologise - how were they supposed to know? But I do hate Mrs so much, and Miss, and have an aesthetic dislike of Ms. I don't think I've noticed different treatment particularly from being called Dr - maybe I get patronised a bit less!

My PhD friends usually use Dr for bank etc (v. helpful for mortgages etc) and Mr/Mrs for friend and family stuff.

You've earned it, use it how you wish. Congratulations

agree with Practical Cat re Ms, Miss and Mrs. I hate them all - because none of them - not even Ms - are really equivalent to Mr. which is a strong argument for doing a doctorate.

I also suspect that had I stayed in in universities, I might have felt differently. Because there are lots of them. It's sort of the default title. Whereas in schools it would be more Making A Statement I think.

But I do prefer my more principled objections

I am curiously unbothered about being Mrs Marriedname, although I would use Ms if I were thinking about it. I really thought I would have more of a dilemma when it came to the name thing, but in fact my family issues outweighed my feminist ones I think.

If I said "is that Miss or Mrs" and someone said "Dr" I might say "oh sorry" but I would think "what an arse"

Why?

I work in university admin, and being Dr is damned handy there - do get the odd comment about having gone over to the dark side, but in general I think the academics think that I know where they're coming from, iyswim?

Don't know that Dr is school would be so bad, though - would show an enthusiasm for learning, open another world to pupils, maybe?