# PhD; etiquette, protocol **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461 "2008-11-13T01:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/61 "2008-11-14T01:57:11Z")
> [@JillGat](#): > > And Lobsang, have you watched the TT race on the Isle of Man? Yes. Many times. I’ve taken photos. But for reasons I can’t quite fathom I’ve never put more than a few on my photobucket album. I shall rectify this oversite at some point in the future. I’m not sure which of my photos are public or private as I type, but if you want to browse my public stuff go to [Photo Storage](http://photobucket.com/lobley/) ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/62 "2008-11-14T02:51:19Z")
> [@JillGat](#): > > Here’s another question. If somebody is in a specialized, technical field qnd they have a PhD in a completely different, unrelated field (say - English Literature), is it dishonest for them to include “PhD” after their name on their cards and correspondence? > JillGat, MS No. They have a PhD, and they are allowed to indicate so. It is dishonest for them to state that said PhD gives them any specialized knowledge in their current field. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/63 "2008-11-14T09:13:30Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > South African Universities as well - it’s probably a commonwealth thing. Any Kiwi’s or Auzzies out there care to verify? (Or Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, etc for that matter). Kiwi universities use **B.Sc** as well Si B.Sc,B.Soc.Sci (I don’t often have to trot those out, they deserve an airing) ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/64 "2008-11-14T12:43:32Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Yes, it’s BSc here too. Here in Holland it’s BSc as well, I always thought it might have something to do with master equivalent being MS (it is MSc of course), like the disease. But if this is the consideration, they might have done something about the BJ as well 😉 MA, MSc, BA, BSc (blimy, that would be a lot of work to do this after avery e-mail) ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/65 "2008-11-14T17:03:36Z")
> [@JillGat](#): > > A few posters have mentioned that introducing oneself as “Doctor Smith” can expediate processes, cut through beauracracy, etc. Those of you who sweated the process (and in many cases, the bs) to earn your degrees aren’t going to like this. But really _anybody_ can introduce themselves (to the bank, the restaurant hostess, the insurance company, the airline counter, etc.) as Doctor. These folks don’t generally investigate your credentials. Be careful where you use it, though, because it may as often instigate passive aggressiveness in others as it does expediate things. > > Countess JillGat I don’t see that anyone has posted using it on first contact with a bureaucracy. In one case, I was dealing with an “important” man who clearly felt I was too unimportant and insignificant for him to bother responding. It took two weeks of his passive aggressive BS (not the degree!) before I used it. He called back within 15 minutes, and hustled his sorry ass from that point forward. Undoubtedly, he was only concerned that I might know some city council members, because he was the top of his particular hierarchy, but - it still worked. I’ve also used it to get military men with guns to let me in where I legitimately had to go. (“You look very young to be GS-blahblah”.) I guess what I am saying is that in situations where very few would have the chutzpah to fake it, and you are facing resistance from people for whom such credentials are both significant and uncommon, it does remove resistance. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461/66 "2008-11-14T17:14:22Z")
I have less problem with people putting PhD after their names than the people that put [PMP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Professional) at the end. I mean big, freakin’ deal - you paid money to a company and you took a test. Pfft. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phd-etiquette-protocol/472461.md?page=3)