Comments on: Patients who introduce themselves as "doctor"

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:08:00 +0000

Obviously, I came to this thread years after it went dead, but I have a thought to share. I think PhDs should NOT be called doctors and the title reserved for MDs. Why would I say this, even though I am a PhD myself?

It is because PhDs are about basic research where what the public at large thinks is worth nothing. The problem is that there are lots of posers: PsyDs, ThDs, DEds, etc. which are not major academic accomplishments at all which can be used to fool the public. Currently, it is not necessary to be a medical doctor to be called "Dr." That is why every damn chiropractor, ThD, homeopath, etc. usurps that title.

Yes, PhD are most certainly real doctors, but since the title of doctor in modern society is more about prestige than about achievement, the first priority is to keep impostors off. A PhD will produce just as good research in a lab without being called Doctor, but chiropractors will be able to rip off fewer people if they didn't use the title.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:28:00 +0000

The MB(Bachelor of Medicine)in Europe like Britain is equivalent to the MD in the USA. The MD in Britain is like a PhD in medicine. Many US doctors are arrogant/overpaid/overated. IMO, PhD is the higher degree, although both are nice. It’s just that MDs tend to flaunt themselves too much. Seriously doc, you’re not above the rest. You don’t have to be a genius to do medicine, this isn’t rocket science. I’d imagine most MDs could never get a PhD in math/theoretical physics.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:25:00 +0000

To anyone who happens to read this comment section, one reason why medical doctors in some European countries are not addressed as “Dr.” is simply because the medical profession in those countries does not require the same level of education as it does here. Case in point, I have a Russian friend who had to repeat medical school when he moved to the US because his Russian medical degree was only considered equvalent to a masters degree in America.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:53:00 +0000

For me "Doctor" (with a capital 'D') is a title of respect inferring not merely a qualification and considerable learning, but a hefty dollop of wisdom and compassion. This in turn infers a breadth of knowledge, emotional maturity and understanding often singularly lacking in both academics and medical doctors.

Re the latter, it is such a very great pity that "medicine" has become synonymous with pharmacological prescription and further that a typical GP's CPD is limited to reading advertising pamphlets distributed by the pharmaceutical industry.

That's why I personally refrain from calling anyone "Doctor" until they've shown themselves to be a truly compassionate and learned scientist. The difference is often that found between a person who believes they know it all, and the person who really appreciates how much we have yet to understand.

Just my thoughts!

By: Diora

Diora — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 01:48:00 +0000

Those most likely to latch onto my first name are the business types in the power suits. I think it is all about the power game they play at work that carries over.
I’d bet it is a habit more than anything else. It is customary in big US corporations to address everyone by the first name – employees regardless of their education level, managers, CEO, company lawyers. A CEO of a Fortune 500 company that employs 300,000 people world-wide would always sign his e-mails to employees by his first name. The e-mail can still mention plans to layoff 5000 people. So I bet he thinks “if all-powerful-me is addressed by the first name …”.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:08:00 +0000

This is an interesting debate. I didn’t know that Americans/Canadians/UKers are using the term wrong. As someone with a PhD, who wrote a dissertation which (as all such dissertations do) broke new ground in my field, I must admit I resent people who didn’t do those things calling themselves doctor. Maybe “physician” is a better term?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 12:35:00 +0000

fundamentally "who cares"...

the only distinction is based on the implied feudal undertones of belonging to a distinct class... (this is bad)

so again, if supply increase the feudal overclass vanishes and free market dynamics bring competitive services to consumers

all hail the bazaar

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 04:48:00 +0000

Have a look at the wiki article you cite yourself. Except for in Austria with the distinction “Arzt”, most of Europe follows the same convention as North America (or we follow them as is more likely the case). The same is true in South America, India and the Middle East.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 04:32:00 +0000

Believe it or not, I have been outside of the U.S., and in some pretty varied and far-flung places, as a "Murrikun" would say, and things were as I thought. Now it wouldn't surprise me that academics with Ph.D.s elsewhere whose pants are in as much of a bunch as some here evidently are might think medical doctors were undeserving of their doctorates (but they might think the same of some of their own Ph.D. academic brethern too).

But sorry, in lots of places M.D.s are addressed as "doctor" and thought of the same. Seen it. Heard it, and not just in situations where some were trying to be polite.

Your argument is not only baseless, it's just silly, and is more an object-lesson on peevish envy and resentment of another profession than anything else.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 04:05:00 +0000

“Sorry, but the rest of the world does think of M.D.s as doctors…”

Umm, no, unless you consider (as many Murrikuns do) the rest of the world as within the boundaries of the USA. Have a look at that wikipedia article I pointed you at. You may find it instructive.