PhD confusion

[slapcabbage]

I've just finished my PhD but I'm having a family dispute about what to call myself.
I started under my maiden name and got married halfway through. I changed everything, passport, bank etc to my new name except at uni where I kept my maiden name because I already had publications in that name.
So I'm Dr maiden name but am I Dr married name too? DH says not and that I am Mrs married name even though he gets to use Dr on everything by virtue of never having been daft enough to change names.
Any clever mumsnetters out there with PhD's know the answer?

I don't know the answer to your dilemma but I love your posting name

I did a PhD under my maiden name, married shortly after (actually thinking about it was viva'd when married, but still was in maiden name). I am Dr married name now. Your dh is being odd!

Or you could do what I'm doing- I've now applied for funding for a second PhD so I could end up with one under both names

Lordy Gess, I think one is enough!

Surely the "Dr" is just an honorific - you could change your name to whatever you want, you'd still have your PhD! You're Dr whoever you want to be in my book.
Not that i've got one, you understand, just married to one. Have to admit I like being "Dr and Mrs" though

don't understand what your dh is saying of course your are Dr bothnames - your title is now DR!

Dr. Slapcabbage

Oh I use both willy-nilly. I would use what you like frankly, and congratulations

Isn't the Dr for medics just honorific? I thought it was PhD's who were the real thing. Crikey gess 2 PhDs I thought funding was vv. hard to get these days what kind of area? (of research I mean not geographical!)

Ellbell is Dr. Maiden Name.. and I don't think she's Mrs Anybody even though she's married!

Where are you Ellbell?

She'll be Dr Dr Gess

I think most people use Dr. Maiden Name at work if they got married post-PhD, because most people will have some kind of publication record that they want to stay consistent (that was my excuse anyway) but I use my married name too, sometimes Mrs and sometimes Dr.

My origonal thought was if a medic you are Dr in the name that you register as therfore if did PhD then you are Dr in the name you submittedas/examined under etc. Then I thought but you were given it for a piece of work and it's still you that did the work so it's you that's the Dr not the name IYSWIM. SO you could call yourself Dr Slapcabbage. In other words I don't know. Sorry

yep- note I said applied for funding- not sure having one already will go for or against (am hoping research council's big fear will be drop out rates which will go in my favour I assume). 1st was in Biology- I want to work in autism, using conversation analysis- totally different area- will apply for funding via other routes as well, but PhD would bring lots of benefits (flexibility, chance to get some publications etc etc).

And congratulations Dr Slapcabbage

Good Luck

Surely you can publish if funded via other routes? Although I guess people may see that as a very secondary aim?

oh yes- I just meant I would get a chance to build up a publication record making it easier to then attract more funding. We will apply for other grants as well, but the PhD might be my best chance, given the difficulties of getting funding with relevant publications, let alone without. My background is too unconventional for a lot of the available funding. The flexibility would be a real advantage for me at the moment.

When will you hear, gess?

31st July! 2 PhD applications have been submitted from this university (dept RAE =5) so I have fingers crossed. Think it could go either way, both because of methodology (bit whacky- although thanks to you hopefully quite detailed now- it's changed a lot since you saw it). I think we might submit some other applications before then.

Yikes, quite a while then. Sounds like a good idea to get some others in, although I agree that it must be in with a good chance. Presumably you could go for a grant with your salary on it and then just register for a PhD as a staff member if all else fails?

Slapcabbage... First and foremost CONGRATULATIONS!

As for the name thing, I think you are Dr Whatever-the-Hell-you-Want! So if you want to keep on calling yourself Dr Slap at work and Dr Cabbage at home, that's fine. But you've bloody well earned that 'Dr' and, IMHO, you get to use it in all circs.

Mind you, I couldn't cope with having two names on the go. I am Dr MyName and don't use dh's name at all (though our dds do have his surname). My (not very)dSIL did once argue that I was Dr MyName, but that she preferred to call me Mrs DH's-firstname DH's surname (e.g. Mrs Fred Smith). But she has ishoooos!

Why not just go back to using your maiden name on everything? That'll show him!

I'm not a Phd but a medical doctor...however I'm always Dr.Maiden Name, and Mrs Married Name....We did this because DH and are also both doctors and we thought less confusion with the mail etc....seems to work well..Handy for medical Drs too as you can sometimes 'pretend' you aren't...iyswim..Only bore is banks can get a bit shirty about having two names/signatures..But on a plane last year DH was called forward to 'assist' and I was left in peace..

Congralutations Dr Slapcabbage .

I tried to use Dr Maiden Name at first (we married about 1 week after my viva so had publications in maiden name), but family insist on addressing me as Mrs Married name (a bit ). And lots of other people I dealt with assumed the title was a typo or mistake and called me Mrs Maiden Name. Sigh. Tend to use Dr Married Name quite a bit these days (we've only been married 13 years ).

Sometimes I wonder if I'm being a bit boastful using the title, but then I remind myself that I slogged for years for the right to it so I'm jolly well going to use it!

I like to say to people `trust me, I'm a doctor' .

Wow gess, I could never do another (brians have gone to mush). Good luck with it.

Outside of work (where I use it because it's expected), I use 'Dr' mainly to avoid the question 'Is that Mrs or Miss?' - a question which has no answer, since I am married but don't use my dh's name.

I never use it, though, when booking flights or in any sort of medical situation. On flights I fear the situation mozhe has mentioned (scared of flying... and, imagine the disappointment when they need someone to work the defibrillator (or something) and I admit that I am a 'doctor' of Italian medieval literature! I'd be thrown off the plane, weighted down with a heavy volume of Dante's complete works! ).

Oh yes, I don't use Dr when booking flights either! (PhD was in Biochemistry).

I forgot to tell you Ellbell, DD wants to know about Dante!!!! She was leafing through "your" book (well the one with your preface) and read your name.. and then asked me what the book was about!

I thought shit and fuck.. and said "Erm.. an inferno.. if you want to know more you'll have to ask "Ellbell".. )

(She wanted to know more..! )