nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

using your PhD title

CosmoCramer

I gather there are quite a few PhD graduates on boards. I wanted to ask what do people think about using the title 'Dr' before their name outside the professional sphere. To put this question in context, I'm NOT a Phd grad, but know lots of people who are.

Some of these people use the 'Dr;' title outside of the professional sphere, in social contexts, and for general purposes. Is this socially acceptable? For example, using the Dr title in mail correspondence, on bank/credit cards, etc.

What do you guys think? My own personal viewpoint is that such usage should be confined to professional purposes, and not beyond that!

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

Irishmale0399

dlouth15 wrote: »

I would say in fairness it is probably justified as in some countries the basic medicine qualification is a professional doctorate.

I am not putting it down or anything but one should not believe the Dr. title is hard work alone. It is more like a reward for the 6-7 years of hard work and low pay during your training and studies.

dlouth15

I can see why putting "Dr" as part of the name in emails might be considered a bit pretentious however I'm curious to know whether Phds put generally put "Dr" in application forms when specifically asked for title.

Sarn

I generally don't use it despite working in a field where it is relevant, unless it's required. My work speaks for itself and I prefer things to be informal where possible. I certainly wouldn't correct anyone who doesn't use my title, my friends would be the same. Saying that, if a form gives the option I'll select it given that it is the correct title to use.

Tarzana2

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

I am not putting it down or anything but one should not believe the Dr. title is hard work alone. It is more like a reward for the 6-7 years of hard work and low pay during your training and studies.

But between studying and the junior doctor stint, most clinicians will be low paid to no paid for 6-7 years and getting that medical degree is very hard work too. VERY full on.

Irishmale0399

dlouth15 wrote: »

I can see why putting "Dr" as part of the name in emails might be considered a bit pretentious however I'm curious to know whether Phds put generally put "Dr" in application forms when specifically asked for title.

On a professional level i normally insert Dr. in written correspondence as it is expected from my German company....
However when i meet customers/business partners i would never dream of introducing myself as Dr. anything.

Some of my best friends dont even know i have a PhD, had a few mates over from Ireland a few weeks ago for a Dortmund game, when we entered the stadium the tickets were in the name Dr. X and my mates had a great laugh about it until they realised that when we got into the corporate area all my workmates only called me Dr. X. They found it very strange indeed.

AdFundum

Tarzana2 wrote: »

But between studying and the junior doctor stint, most clinicians will be low paid to no paid for 6-7 years and getting that medical degree is very hard work too. VERY full on.

I don't dispute that it is full on but it is still a prescribed course of study with a tangible end. A PhD is like perpetual nightfall, poking your way through loads of bollox, never knowing if you are right or wrong or deluded. However tiny, you actually have to come up with something new or in university speak, 'a significant and original contribution to knowledge'.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

You sound like the bitter one to be honest.

If you received as many repetitive calls and letters from an unemployed idiot who called himself doctor you might understand.

dlouth15

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

On a professional level i normally insert Dr. in written correspondence as it is expected from my German company....
However when i meet customers/business partners i would never dream of introducing myself as Dr. anything.

Some of my best friends dont even know i have a PhD, had a few mates over from Ireland a few weeks ago for a Dortmund game, when we entered the stadium the tickets were in the name Dr. X and my mates had a great laugh about it until they realised that when we got into the corporate area all my workmates only called me Dr. X. They found it very strange indeed.

So if you were back in Ireland and you were filling out a form that requested title and given the option Dr/Mr/..., would you pick Dr?

RDM_83 again

creolebelle wrote: »

It's incredibly pretentious to use it outside of academia/professional settings if it isn't a MD

But why is Medical Doctor used isn't it just as pretentious? There is plenty of other professions with a protected status that don't seem to have the acceptance of use

blindside88

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

If you received as many repetitive calls and letters from an unemployed idiot who called himself doctor you might understand.

How does being unemployed or an idiot make him less of a doctor?

Irishmale0399

Tarzana2 wrote: »

But between studying and the junior doctor stint, most clinicians will be low paid to no paid for 6-7 years and getting that medical degree is very hard work too. VERY full on.

That is why i stated it was a form of REWARD for their hard work during their studies and work experience.

But do you believe a PhD student earns more or less over a longer than a medical student doing their Dr.???

Mr_Muffin

College is not hard. No matter the course once you put the time and effort in you are guaranteed to pass.

People only use titles to try feel like they are superior to others.

Irishmale0399

dlouth15 wrote: »

So if you were back in Ireland and you were filling out a form that requested title and given the option Dr/Mr/..., would you pick Dr?

If it was work related yes.....
If it was personal then no

Grab All Association

I use Fr. Chris xxxxxxx for the laugh

calanus

I did put it on my debit card but to be honest, it's not like they looked for any evidence of it so anybody can if they want. Like for many others here the novelty wears off very quickly, especially once you realise you're jobless and battling with 100's of better qualified people for a scant number of positions

TheSheriff

Tarzana2 wrote:

But between studying and the junior doctor stint, most clinicians will be low paid to no paid for 6-7 years and getting that medical degree is very hard work too. VERY full on.

there is no comparison between doing a PhD and an undergraduate

they are completely different forms of education - in the latter you are essentially spoon fed the information and as long as you can reproduce it you'll pass.

Pumpkinseeds

My sister in law refers to herself as Dr in all her correspondence, including when she sends us Christmas cards. Pretentious bitch has never done a days work as a psychologist. Jasus, there are so many psychology doctorates floating around now that they must've been giving them away during the '90's.

GHOST MGG

I was always scared of using the Phd like that..scenario going around in my head...board a plane,someone falls seriously ill.they comb the passenger manifest for a doctor..
guess what !! we have doctor ghost onboard!..feck me id think id die on the spot having to explain im not a medical doctor whilst kneeling over a nearing death passenger!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Vojera

Mr_Muffin wrote: »

College is not hard. No matter the course once you put the time and effort in you are guaranteed to pass.

People only use titles to try feel like they are superior to others.

Not the case for a PhD. You can work every hour God sends and if your research doesn't work out there's no consolation prize. It doesn't matter how much work you've put in, if you can't get enough quality chapters out of it and pass your viva, you leave with nothing. A good supervisor should ensure that doesn't happen, but there's always a risk when you're researching something "new".

The Peanut

I'm working in a pharma plant with a women called Philomena who, 14 years after she started here, still thinks it's funny to refer to herself as Dr. Phil. It's not.

Tarzana2

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

But do you believe a PhD student earns more or less over a longer than a medical student doing their Dr.???

No, often a PhD won't earn a great salary at all.

But being a clinician really is a vocation and they deserve the money they get, IMO.

Not all PhD study is ultimately useful, so unfortunately that can impact on future earnings.

Tarzana2

TheSheriff wrote: »

there is no comparison between doing a PhD and an undergraduate

they are completely different forms of education - in the latter you are essentially spoon fed the information and as long as you can reproduce it you'll pass.

I know they're different - however being a good medical doctor is much more than learning stuff off by rote.

Tarzana2

Vojera wrote: »

Not the case for a PhD. You can work every hour God sends and if your research doesn't work out there's no consolation prize. It doesn't matter how much work you've put in, if you can't get enough quality chapters out of it and pass your viva, you leave with nothing. A good supervisor should ensure that doesn't happen, but there's always a risk when you're researching something "new".

PhDs are indeed a hard slog and I wonder how many people go into it with their eyes open. I certainly know a few doctors who wish they hadn't bothered, as well as people who abandoned them halfway through.

AdFundum

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Not all PhD study is ultimately useful, so unfortunately that can impact on future earnings.

Most research is probably useless, ultimately. But, utility is not always the motivation. Well, as much as Irish funding sources would have us believe otherwise, in some circles, utility is a dirty word. I would hazard that we need more blue sky and less emphasis on commercialisation (these days universities like to call that innovation - nonsense!), which is perhaps more likely the fail as such research projects tend to be short term (ish) and very myopic.

AdFundum

Tarzana2 wrote: »

PhDs are indeed a hard slog and I wonder how many people go into it with their eyes open. I certainly know a few doctors who wish they hadn't bothered, as well as people who abandoned them halfway through.

I often wish I hadn't bothered but have been brainwashed to believe that at some point it will open some magical doors Í am currently incapable of envisioning. I am not convinced.

UCDVet

If you're applying for a job, sure. List your certifications and degrees and all that jazz.

Everywhere else, I don't see the point.

evolving_doors

A few posts here about parents putting their abbreviated qual titles on snotty notes to teachers.

Now that's just sad.

BBJBIG

Yeah !!! The Gurls all call me Dr. Luvvvvvvvvvvv ... ... ...

Ice Storm

My mum worked in a bank back in the day and there was a lady who would sign her cheques "Mary Smith NT" (national teacher) !