# Is there a catchall term for non-MDs who go by Dr. \? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305 "2010-08-15T04:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/1 "2010-08-15T04:11:34Z")
There are certain people, non medical doctors, mostly in academia and pschycholigia, who want people to call them “Dr. John” or “Dr. Phil” or “Dr. Sadie” or “Dr. Ruth” or whatever. I’ll admit my bias up front: I loathe this practice. If you are a not a medical doctor and insist that people call you “Doctor,” then fine. Whatever. But go by Dr. Lastname. But is there a term that captures all the sentiments about people like this? Here are some of the adjectives I think of when I meet (or work for) someone like this: \*insecure \*arrogant \*ineffective \*smarmy \*incompetent I don’t consider them “friendly, but professional” or “approachable, but don’t cross that line!” I just find them…silly. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/2 "2010-08-15T04:38:47Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/3 "2010-08-15T05:39:54Z")
You say I’d like you to meet “non-medical” Doctor Smith and his “real doctor” wife, Martha. 🙂 Or you could say “I’d like you to meet Osteopathic Physican who coundn’t get into a real med school so he became an Osteopathic doctor, Jones” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/4 "2010-08-15T06:15:33Z")
Dr. Douchebag ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/5 "2010-08-15T11:36:10Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > There are certain people, non medical doctors, mostly in academia and pschycholigia, who want people to call them “Dr. John” or “Dr. Phil” or “Dr. Sadie” or “Dr. Ruth” or whatever. > > I’ll admit my bias up front: I loathe this practice. If you are a not a medical doctor and insist that people call you “Doctor,” then fine. Whatever. But go by Dr. Lastname. > > But is there a term that captures all the sentiments about people like this? Here are some of the adjectives I think of when I meet (or work for) someone like this: > > \*insecure > \*arrogant > \*ineffective > \*smarmy > \*incompetent > > I don’t consider them “friendly, but professional” or “approachable, but don’t cross that line!” I just find them…silly. Dr Ruth [Westheimer] has a degree in psychology from the Sorbonne, a masters in sociology and a doctorate in education, I think she is more than qualified to be called Doctor Ruth if she wants. She is not insecure, or ineffective nor incompetent in her field. She is genuinely interested in people, not arrogant in the slightest. She is funny, personable and outspoken. [I had the pleasure of hosting her for a weekend when she came to my BF’s college on a speaking gig. We kept her in our apartment instead of putting her in a hotel. We all had a blast.] She is the little jewish grandmother that belongs to everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/6 "2010-08-15T12:38:20Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > But is there a term that captures all the sentiments about people like this? “People who annoy you”? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/7 "2010-08-15T13:42:39Z")
So we’re talking about people who like to go by \ \ instead of the more common \ \. I’m sure it’s not just Ph.Ds. Although I haven’t met any MDs who do this (and I probably wouldn’t notice since I don’t use titles when addressing humans\*), many people prefer to go by their first name and many other people feel uncomfortable _not_ using titles, so you end up with “Miss Linda” (very common when teaching small children) or, as in the OP, Dr. Phil. I always simply introduce myself as Ruken or Ruken \. I’ve been called Dr. Ruken and Dr. \. Some people just really like tacking the titles on. To address the OP more directly, note that these are all folks in radio or TV entertainment. It’s a marketing gimic. They use the appropriate title to convey some sense of authority and authenticity, and the first name to make them seem more approachable and friendly. \*but Mr. Sam is a Good Dog ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/8 "2010-08-15T14:17:51Z")
What I find annoying is people who just go by ‘Doc’. Doc Emrick, the hockey sportscaster is one. A local DJ does it as well. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/9 "2010-08-15T16:23:41Z")
They’re in show business. They’ve decided their “stage name” will be “Doctor Firstname.” Some have real credentials & just use the other name for public appearances. Others are charlatans. It varies, case by case. My first reaction would be mistrust. But where would that put “The Doctor”? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/10 "2010-08-15T16:27:50Z")
I think they’re a bunch of woo-woos. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/11 "2010-08-16T15:40:16Z")
Pschycholigia…? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/12 "2010-08-16T16:48:57Z")
[QUOTE=Ruken] To address the OP more directly, note that these are all folks in radio or TV entertainment. It’s a marketing gimic. They use the appropriate title to convey some sense of authority and authenticity, and the first name to make them seem more approachable and friendly. [/QUOTE] This. [QUOTE=Mean Mr. Mustard] What I find annoying is people who just go by ‘Doc’. [/QUOTE] Most annoying to me was a woman who joined my former program, and whose last name started with a “J”: she had a doctorate in something completely unrelated to what she was doing, and from day one she signed emails and referred to herself as “Doctor J.” She was black, but that’s where any resemblance to Julius Erving ended. Many of us found her to be somewhat arrogant, but unfortunately the stupid nickname caught on among a few of the senior managers. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/13 "2010-08-16T17:02:29Z")
The husband of a once colleague took a degree with the explanation that “If I sit in a theatre or something and somebody calls out ‘I there a doctor here?’ I would stand up and say ‘I am a doctor. I’m a doctor in technology’”. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/14 "2010-08-16T17:50:12Z")
I once inherited someone at work (I became their boss) who insisted that I call him Doctor {lastname}. It became apparent that he felt that his reporting to me {a non-PHD} was an insult. I just said no. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/15 "2010-08-16T18:04:50Z")
The only Phd’s that I have heard of that go by Dr. FirstName, are celebrity Phd’s, like the ones you mentioned. I have never met a non celebrity Phd, that goes by Dr. FirstName. I would expect that it has something to do with marketing of their celebrity than their insecurity, emotional state or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/16 "2010-08-16T18:20:06Z")
A faux-sician? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/17 "2010-08-16T19:03:43Z")
At my undergrad school, the department secretary had a PhD (admittedly not in the same field as the department). She was insistent that she not be called Dr. Lastname, and usually went by her first name. But I respect a PhD too much to not acknowledge it at all, so I referred to her as Dr. Firstname, which she didn’t object to. And it’s incorrect to refer to physicians as “real doctors”, as opposed to PhDs. If anything, it’s the PhDs who are the real doctors, and physicians are only called “doctor” out of the same traditional courtesy that train drivers are “engineers”. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/18 "2010-08-16T19:59:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If anything, it’s the PhDs who are the real doctors, and physicians are only called “doctor” out of the same traditional courtesy that train drivers are “engineers”. Wow! Talk about discounting a 4 year post graduate degree and multi year residency down to learning how to drive a train. I personally think that both are entitled to their Doctor title, just as a juris doctor is entitled to it as well. However, if I have a personal relationship with anybody away from their office, country club, church, rotary club, etc. and I know that individual by their first name, I will not call them by their professional title (Dr.) at their office. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/19 "2010-08-16T20:06:25Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > The only Phd’s that I have heard of that go by Dr. FirstName, are celebrity Phd’s, like the ones you mentioned. I have never met a non celebrity Phd, that goes by Dr. FirstName. I would expect that it has something to do with marketing of their celebrity than their insecurity, emotional state or otherwise. I once knew a guy who insisted on being called “Doc”. No, he wasn’t an MD, he didn’t have any sort of doctorate, he just felt that he deserved to be called Doc instead of whatever his name was, because he had studied some subject (on his own) very intensely. Yeah, he was an interesting person, but somehow I managed to lose track of him. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305/20 "2010-08-16T21:32:54Z")
I have a coworker who is occasionally called Dr. \ - but is last name is a bit of a mouthful. And honestly, he responds most amiably to “Hey, \!” He’s a pretty down-to-earth guy for all that he has some fancy-pants degree in chem or biology or whatever his doctorate is in. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-catchall-term-for-non-mds-who-go-by-dr-firstname/550305.md?page=2)