Why do people with Ed.Ds put DOCTOR ____ on *everything*?

[Anonymous]

I have a PhD (Physics -- different from the PP). In my work place (Gov't Contracting), my title is used only occasionally on initial introductions with perspective customers.

That, and when I get pissed off at someone for flouting educational credential. Last time was about 10 years ago...when a collegue said "you must be wrong because I consulted with Y....and she has a PhD", Um, so do I. Let met talk to Y myself, (I was about to say you arrogant POS but was cut off by someone else who saw what was happening). When I talked to Dr. Y, it turns out that Mr. P misinterpreted Dr Y....

Oh, one other place: I work on a project where 6 or 7 people have the same first name, and four of those have the same initial. On that program, I am called Dr [nickname]

[Anonymous]

Has everyone considered that they should just focus on living their best life? Maybe they need the validation. Maybe they’re proud. Maybe they can’t dedicate 4-8 years full-time to a research program, but wanted to keep learning. Maybe they’re trying to buy respect to salve a fragile ego. Who’s cares? Call people what they want to be called.

Two other things about this threat had struck me.

1. Lots of people do things for ego, but DCUM seems to only feel ok calling it out when it’s perceived to be something that lower class, poorer, or less intelligent people do. We all have a coworker who subtly reminds us she when to an Ivy way too much. Isn’t that similar?

2. While I bet these things are correlated, I don’t think a specific degree alone is indicative of the things we’re talking about here. Harvard only granted EdDs (and not PhDs) in their grad school of education until very recently. Are Harvard EdDs in this group you’re all mocking? I am guessing there is a lot of in-group variation in any bucket like this. I know EdDs who could not have finished a “real” masters degree program at a reputable school and have fragile egos. I know at least one who is brilliant and a wonderful person. I know PhDs with fragile egos and near complexes about how they’re smarter than everyone else. I know some who are great. I have had a boss with an Ivy BA who was an idiot and a coworker with a BA from a terrible, for-profit school who was great. Maybe we should judge the individual?

[Anonymous]

Reminds me of a recent online conversation. Me: our high school is great, they have about 10-15 teachers with Ph.Ds in their subjects, so all the AP and post-AP classes are taught by them. Another mom and ES teacher: I looked into it, and adjusting for the number of students, our ES has more teachers with doctorates than your high school.

[Anonymous]

If you have a terminal degree in your field, it's acceptable protocol to put the designated degree behind your name.

If someone just has a M.A. degree or M.S. degree, they shouldn't put the degree letters behind their name. Those aren't terminal degrees.

I am not sure if M.P A. is even a real degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reminds me of a recent online conversation. Me: our high school is great, they have about 10-15 teachers with Ph.Ds in their subjects, so all the AP and post-AP classes are taught by them. Another mom and ES teacher: I looked into it, and adjusting for the number of students, our ES has more teachers with doctorates than your high school.

Bu the ES staff probably have ED's not PhD's

[Anonymous]

I earned my Ph.D. in education in the early 2000s because my employer paid for it. It wasn't online. I enjoyed the classes I physically attended on a college campus in the Midwest, which was a Research 1 university. I was a first generation college student. It was my dream to attend that college, which was practically free and in my backyard. I also had a job lined up before I completed the degree, with a pay increase 3x what I made without the degree.

I am proud of the choices I made when I was pretty young and stupid. I am happy I got it out of the way. The degree didn't hurt my career.

[Anonymous]

I’m a PhD. My colleagues (with and without PhDs) all call each other by our first names, but my degree is in my email sig as is customary for my company and job. When I’m introduced for take or such it’s always Dr. X. My Twitter handle is also Dr. X. But I would never make a peer or colleague call me that

I had one time I was working with an external partner (subcontractor on a project I was leading) who corrected me when I called him by his first name and he insisted on being called Dr. Y so I came back with “then you can call me Dr. X). I think that exchange in part had to do with the fact that I am a young white female and this person happened to be an older Black man whose degree came from an online for-profit university...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reminds me of a recent online conversation. Me: our high school is great, they have about 10-15 teachers with Ph.Ds in their subjects, so all the AP and post-AP classes are taught by them. Another mom and ES teacher: I looked into it, and adjusting for the number of students, our ES has more teachers with doctorates than your high school.

Bu the ES staff probably have ED's not PhD's

Yep, my point exactly. But she really needed to jump into the high school conversation.

[Anonymous]

And some MD's do not consider PhD's to be real doctors (think psychiatrists vs psychologists).

And EdD is a type of doctorate. That is just objectively true.

So OP, you need to examine your point in posting.

Some people are pretentious in using their credentials when it is not appropriate but that is not unique to any type of degree.

And I do have a doctorate (that you would consider legit) but I find your post to be obnoxious.

[Anonymous]

^ + 1

I have a professional doctorate (JD), am not called doctor (and don’t see a need to be) and I too find OP’s post to be obnoxious and elitist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do NOT call yourself a doctor unless you are a medical doctor. Seriously, if you do, everyone is laughing at you. We all know when someone refers to a “doctor” they mean a freaking physician or surgeon or specialist - someone in medicine - and NOT someone who got a PhD in education or math or the like.

I hope you realize that the original title of doctor was for those with a Ph.D., not for MDs. It was a title adopted by some country's medical professionals. The latin word from which it originates, doctor, means teacher. Medical doctors are mostly not qualified to do research or teach (at least, not the ones I have met), and can barely understand the statistics necessary to interpret research papers in their own fields. But sure, go ahead and steal the term, call yourself a "teacher" and then ban its original meaning and use for people with PhDs. Great idea.

[Anonymous]

I earned my EdD at Harvard, not online. It was hardly a Mickey Mouse degree, OP. I go by Ms., not Dr.

Interestingly, OP, the two teachers at my school with PhDs insist that students call them Doctor. One of these individuals earned her degree online

[Anonymous]

Don't get a job in Germany or you’ll really be in for it. The Germans, especially the professional ones, are extremely anal when it comes to professionals titles.

[Anonymous]

I’ll speak from my Black perspective. For me, I know that my ancestors fought long and hard for me to even have the opportunity to attend a university so for be its a badge of honor and a nod to those who helped me to get where I am. As far as I’m concerned, people can shout their letters from the rooftops for all I care. And that’s from an associates degree all the way up to a doctorate (EdD included... for all of those who are trying to downplay its significance *eye roll*)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ll speak from my Black perspective. For me, I know that my ancestors fought long and hard for me to even have the opportunity to attend a university so for be its a badge of honor and a nod to those who helped me to get where I am. As far as I’m concerned, people can shout their letters from the rooftops for all I care. And that’s from an associates degree all the way up to a doctorate (EdD included... for all of those who are trying to downplay its significance *eye roll*)

And to add on to my point about the EdD. I don’t doubt that it’s being downplayed because education and those who work in the field are not well-respected in this country. It’s sad. I’m biased because I am an educator but it is very much undervalued and it’s hard to convince me otherwise.