Why is it considered pretentious for non-MDs who have doctorates to use their title?

[Anonymous]

I think it’s because most types of PhDs aren’t relevant to anyone outside the profession, but medical doctor is basically relevant to everyone. So people use it in daily life as a signal that they serve the community in that way.

If you’re in a setting where your doctorate is relevant to the general audience, like appearing on a panel or something, it makes sense to use Dr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most PhDs never use doctor unless in a university or a company.

MDs who call themselves Dr. __ outside the clinic are kinda douchey too though.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most PhDs never use doctor unless in a university or a company.

MDs who call themselves Dr. __ outside the clinic are kinda douchey too though.

+1 I have a PhD in STEM and all my coworkers too. None of us call ourselves doctor. However, people with a PhD in Education love to call themselves doctor. I am not sure why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most PhDs never use doctor unless in a university or a company.

MDs who call themselves Dr. __ outside the clinic are kinda douchey too though.

+1

Agreed. I have a PhD. I am definitely a doctor, I earned it. But I have never used the title outside of professional settings, nor have most of my colleagues (although FWIW I don’t consider doing so to be pretentious, merely ridiculous…but then again, I also feel that way about MDs who do the same since it’s simply not necessary for me to know when I meet you at a social function).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear this a lot. You can't call yourself Dr. unless you have an MD, otherwise it's just pretentious. Only the MDs are "real doctors." And for some reason it's even OK for the MD to use Dr. in a social, non-professional setting but not the PhD or EdD. Why?

It's especially common on the right. The mockery of our First Lady's earned degree is commonplace.

It’s because “doctorates” in education are worthy of scorn. The quality of research is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Outside of professional or academic settings it’s over the top to expect to be called “Dr” no matter the degree you have. If everyone around you is going by their first name, you shouldn’t expect to be addressed with Dr.

In academic and professional settings MDs and PhDs are both doctors.

There’s not a lot of ambivalence here. I have a PhD in title science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s true.

Unless you have MD, DOM, or DDS after your last name, YOU ARE NOT A DOCTOR.

A doctor is a physician. Period.


My brother-in-law with a PhD in history IS NOT A DOCTOR. And he introduces himself as “Dr____ all the freakin time. It’s embarrassing.

You sound jealous of your BIL. He earned a doctorate and a title!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outside of professional or academic settings it’s over the top to expect to be called “Dr” no matter the degree you have. If everyone around you is going by their first name, you shouldn’t expect to be addressed with Dr.

In academic and professional settings MDs and PhDs are both doctors.

There’s not a lot of ambivalence here. I have a PhD in title science.

This. Zero reason for any “Dr” to use the title in a social setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because if you introduce yourself as Dr, 99 percent of people will assume you are a medical doctor. And when they learn you are throwing around the dr suffix when all you have is a little extra studying of "education" or "social work" it comes across as pathetic and pretentious.

This.

I got an earful from my MIL when she heard that I failed to address a Christmas card using DR for a relative. After many, many years of being a professional student (read: slacker) on their parents’ payroll, they finally earned the PhD in their 30s. They aren’t a professor or teaching. They don’t even have a job related to their degree. They largely continue to sponge off their parents and spouse.

There’s no way I’m ever calling them Dr.

I have a subordinate at work who recently earned their PhD (I swear they did it online) for something unrelated to their work. They introduce themselves as Dr. Smith when everyone else introduces themselves as Judy or Paul. It’s weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because if you introduce yourself as Dr, 99 percent of people will assume you are a medical doctor. And when they learn you are throwing around the dr suffix when all you have is a little extra studying of "education" or "social work" it comes across as pathetic and pretentious.

it’s not a ‘little extra studying’!!! You are ignorant of the process to obtain a PhD. The average number of extra years to obtain a PhD is 6 and that’s after your bachelor’s. These people are experts in their chosen fields. They studied and studied and studied. They completed major comprehensive exams in their disciplines and passed. Then they embarked on some major new research project in their area of study and completed a dissertation. They had to present at major conferences and get their work approved in front of other leading academics in their field. They earned the title Doctor in their chosen field. Everyone should know that ‘Dr’ doesn’t just mean medical. If YOU don’t know this, then YOU need more education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because if you introduce yourself as Dr, 99 percent of people will assume you are a medical doctor. And when they learn you are throwing around the dr suffix when all you have is a little extra studying of "education" or "social work" it comes across as pathetic and pretentious.

it’s not a ‘little extra studying’!!! You are ignorant of the process to obtain a PhD. The average number of extra years to obtain a PhD is 6 and that’s after your bachelor’s. These people are experts in their chosen fields. They studied and studied and studied. They completed major comprehensive exams in their disciplines and passed. Then they embarked on some major new research project in their area of study and completed a dissertation. They had to present at major conferences and get their work approved in front of other leading academics in their field. They earned the title Doctor in their chosen field. Everyone should know that ‘Dr’ doesn’t just mean medical. If YOU don’t know this, then YOU need more education.

Practically speaking, you aren’t wrong.

But lawyers similarly spend 3 or 4 years in school post-Uni and sit for an intense exam (that many people don’t pass). And they don’t get a special salutation.

In America, we address medical doctors as Dr. Whatever. And we address college professors with PhDs as Professor. Why? Because it just makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Do you also think people with MA’s should be addressed as “Master”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because if you introduce yourself as Dr, 99 percent of people will assume you are a medical doctor. And when they learn you are throwing around the dr suffix when all you have is a little extra studying of "education" or "social work" it comes across as pathetic and pretentious.

it’s not a ‘little extra studying’!!! You are ignorant of the process to obtain a PhD. The average number of extra years to obtain a PhD is 6 and that’s after your bachelor’s. These people are experts in their chosen fields. They studied and studied and studied. They completed major comprehensive exams in their disciplines and passed. Then they embarked on some major new research project in their area of study and completed a dissertation. They had to present at major conferences and get their work approved in front of other leading academics in their field. They earned the title Doctor in their chosen field. Everyone should know that ‘Dr’ doesn’t just mean medical. If YOU don’t know this, then YOU need more education.

Practically speaking, you aren’t wrong.

But lawyers similarly spend 3 or 4 years in school post-Uni and sit for an intense exam (that many people don’t pass). And they don’t get a special salutation.

In America, we address medical doctors as Dr. Whatever. And we address college professors with PhDs as Professor. Why? Because it just makes sense.

1) It's not a "salutation." It's an honorific.
2) Lawyers do have an honorific. It's "esquire."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s true.

Unless you have MD, DOM, or DDS after your last name, YOU ARE NOT A DOCTOR.

A doctor is a physician. Period.


My brother-in-law with a PhD in history IS NOT A DOCTOR. And he introduces himself as “Dr____ all the freakin time. It’s embarrassing.

A physician is always a doctor but a doctor isn’t always a physician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because if you introduce yourself as Dr, 99 percent of people will assume you are a medical doctor. And when they learn you are throwing around the dr suffix when all you have is a little extra studying of "education" or "social work" it comes across as pathetic and pretentious.

This is just America’s anti-intellectual bent in play. In places like Germany, professors are accorded more respect than physicians.