Reply to Calling a Ph.D "Doctor"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is a whole lot of disrespect for a PhD degree on this thread, though I think much of it comes from ignorance...In my (math/stats related) field, a PhD typically takes 6 years, in my husband's 6, followed by several years of postdocs. Competition to get accepted into the top programs is fierce, and nowadays, many, if not most, students complete MS degrees and/or take research jobs prior to applying to the PhD program to look more competitive. My mother, uncle, aunt and grandfather are all medical doctors who, thankfully, admire what we do; and at least my mother, who observed what we had to go through to get our degrees, thought it was much more challenging intellectually than her education. [b]Why are MDs (who get that title after 4 years of medical school, without much independent thought required) deserving of so much more respect?[/b] I don't mind being called by my first name (though students from abroad will typically use Prof or Dr) - except when I receive a letter from an MD, calling me Ms. X, signed Dr. Y (when their records ask for my profession, and they are well aware of what I do). Of course I realize they have other issues to worry about when fulfilling these administrative tasks, so it is likely (hopefully) not an intentional slight.[/quote]

Did you seriously just put down an MD? An MD isn't just 4 years of med school. [/quote]

No, but I asked why so many people here make fun of PhDs and implicitly consider the degree as inferior to an MD.
MD: 4 years of med school to earn the title, then several years of residency (length depending on specialization) to practice. Sometimes a fellowship.
PhD (in my field): 1-2 years of coursework for MS degree; then 2 years of coursework plus 4 years of research for the PhD. In my husband's field, you can add 2-5 years of postdoc to that (in mine, 1-2 years of postdoc are still the exception, but are becoming more common, unfortunately).
So YOU tell me why MDs deserve to be called Dr, while PhDs don't? As I said, I personally really don't care how people address me - but I do think this thread is an insult to my profession. [/quote]

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