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'm surprised no one has hijacked this thread and told us all to shut up, tbh

Letters after name??? Always pompous. Although I was told off by a busniness advisor for not including letters on my business cards- he said they add credibility.

Kathy - what makes you think I'd do something as pompous as that??

(wasn't it one of the vets in James Herriot who used 'MKC' after his name, standing for 'Member of the Kennel Club'?)

Just to return briefly to the original question, I have a heavy involvement in PhD student training, and am (far too) au fait with the regulations. I have never seen anything, anywhere, that suggests that you have to keep the surname you had at the time of your viva. I am completely certain you can do what you like

muminfife

ooooh, don't get me started on MBAs but then putting MBA after your name every where you can doesn't have the ambiguity of "Dr" does it ?

As far as I'm aware an MBA can be practically purchased over the internet. Is it the same with PhD s, I didn't think so myself 'cos that Gillian McKeith woman got in trouble over something related didn't she ?

I don't use letters after my name because I would run out of space . Fortunately my employers pay my fees for the Royal Society of Chemistry, (Chartered Chemist, Chartered Scientist and European Chemist), INCOSE (systems engineering - my new career) but alas, not for the Management Institute (diploma in management) even though I still have to list it on my personal details. Professional qualifications give organisations gravitas and credibility, especially if they are science and engineering based.

speedymama, ditto, I just use those appropriate to the circumstances.

Grrr, when applying for jobs, one usually states where their qualifications were gained so most credible employers will recognise genuine qualifications.

You sound as if you have issues but belittling others efforts will not address them. It just makes you look bitter.

Bloody GM...mind you if id known you could buy a Phd over the tinternet then would have saved myself the blood sweat and tears!!!

Dont know about MBAs, can you buy them easily...if so will it get me a pay rise if i get one??...i guess the thing with letters after name is that you then make a special effort to say (eg) HairybabysMum FFS, whereas with Dr or other title rather than generally bandying it about you just use it when asked spefically for your title which tends to be for form filling type stuff.

If i met you on a meet up i would say hello im 'firstname' not hello im Dr HBM or Mrs HBM or HBM letters.

Anyway i did do a bit of work but best do more as ive somehow slinked back here!!

I think on a purely practical level, that once you publish, you stick with the name, else searches are less likely to work.

As for whether you are "allowed" my understanding is that legally you can call yourself anything you like, as long as your intention is not to defraud. That clearly doesn't apply to you.
As I understand the law you aren't even "Mrs Slapcabbage", unless you choose to be so.

What is the PhD in ?

The thing about MBAs is that credible employers are not stupid. Most blue chip organisations will probably only consider AMBA accredited MBAs anyway and that is why my DH made sure that his university's MBA was AMBA accredited.

Ellbell,
Sorry, got a bit distracted by DS for a while there. The thesis was on connections between French and English/British literature, studying the evolution and specificities of one genre in the two cultures.
I agree that this has got seriously off topic and I assume my share of the blame!

I am amazed that between all us phds no one has used their research skillz to come up with some evidence to back up either position...I had thought that it might be written into university regulations somewhere?

But what Tamum says would suggest that there are in fact no such rules (at least where she is), and in that case I have changed my mind and reckon what DominiConnor says is true - you can call yourself what you like as long as your intentions are honest...

speedymama, I'm confident but self-aware enough to know I have absolutely no "issues" in this field whatsoever.

I have sifted the wheat from the chaff with regards qualifications documented on C.V.s, (actually did a training course on just that subject in a previous life too).

IMVHO, the use of the title "Dr" for other than professional reasons is "Naff" with a capital n. But remember that's just my opinion, in much the same way that I think Bratz dolls are inappropriate for a 6 year old and personalised car number plates are naff (and make me think a bit more deeply about the driver's inner self).

Yes, I know you have to make the decision of whether to put a non-medical "Dr" title on bank cards etc but most people already have a bank card/credit card etc by the time they gain their PhD, so I would still go at the decision to have the whole lot revised.

I have friends with PhD's, not acquaintances, friends, do you think I spend the whole time biting my tongue and really thinking "ah it's all a load of academically indulgent twaddle, a PhD, isn't it".

I don't think I would ever belittle a PhD but one can gain a PhD in a variety of subjects and not all of those subjects are equally academically demanding however "in depth" they are.

GCSE has been dumbed down, ditto A Levels and university degrees, obviously there's a barrier of some sort to stop the effect reaching the postgrad studies level .

We agree that a switched on employer has to assess where a qualification has been gained in order to assess the usefulness thereof in indicating a suitable level of academic achievement. I also consider what the subject matter is and encourage a candidate to talk me through it. I've never felt out of my depth even interviewing those with a PhD.

I'm aware that at certain universities an M.A. doesn't involve much more than deciding you'd like to take up the option after the required amount of time since graduating with B.A. Lots of people aren't aware of this fact.

In a way its a sad reflection of our society if flashing the "Dr" pre-fix really does get one perks/better service etc etc. I don't believe it makes sufficient difference to warrant it myself.

Cards on the table, let's be honest here, the majority of the checkout operators/ bank clerks/whoever are thinking the "Dr" is a a medical doctor aren't they ? The PhD person in question knows this and doesn't usually disabuse them of this notion because if they have gone out of their way to pull the I'm "Dr" xyz they've done it for a reason and they're not doing it because a PhD in say "the gradual improvement in the thermal properties of affordable peasant grade underwear throughout the 15th and 16th centuries" will get them an upgrade to an international roaming mobile service when they've got a very poor creit rating. They are more likely to be doing it because of the inherent cap doffing and forelock tugging that invariably goes on in the presence of a medical doctor.

parp

That post sounds like I work in H.R. but I don't.

Definitely projection...

Blimey.

Grrr - so are you having a pop at my handle on mumsnet then, or what?

Even someone in Hr couldn't couldn't be quite so biased and judgemental .

you've put it diplomatically but I disagree with everything you say.

I have no desire to be mistaken for a medical doctor.

Big projection; big chip

ps I have just been to a three-hour meeting - I can't believe you are all still on here - get back to your bloody marking!

Time to go pick up my LO - goodnight!

I'm a headhunter, and largely agree with GRRR, that Dr (or Mr for that matter) in front of your name is naff. However, in some countries it is the done thing.
peedymama, I'm confident but self-aware enough to know I have absolutely no "issues" in this field whatsoever.

MBAs used to be the bees knees, but the sheer increase in supply of them has meant that their value-add is a lot less, and yes employers have views on which are good and bad. Some use AMBA, others use random prejudices on the university's name.

As for dealing with banks, last time I knew the exact truth about credit scoring being a PhD got you more credit as did an undergrad degree. But that may have changed.

However retail banks are largely staffed by those who couldn't get a job in the City, many are unemployable in any company that actually cared about customer service. So any meddling in your personal data by adding a title is likely to cause pain.

Grr, I work in an organisation where 40% of the staff have PhDs (chemistry, physics, maths, engineering etc). The first group I worked in had 10 synthetic chemist and all but one had a PhD. This cap doffing and forelock tugging that you mention is alien to everyone with whom I have worked. We have travelled en masse to the USA together for conferences and have never misused our titles to garner privileges.

Similarly, most of my friends are from my university days and most have PhDs (2 of DTS godparents have PhDs in chemistry), my SIL and her partner have PhDs in scientific field and again, what you describe does not happen with this peer group.

We use our titles because we have earnt the right to use them.

Only in Britain can one be criticised for achieving something and being proud of it.

Exactly, speedymama.

Dominic - in the Netherlands, for example, you can call yourself Dr if you have the equivalent of a Masters' degree here as I understand it, which is sometimes why you see them writing DR in capital letters when they have a Ph.D to distinguish it from Dr, or sometimes also Drs. I use my Dr when I'm over in Germany, especially with clients, because they like that sort of thing. I use it when I'm in the US sometimes too.