# Question for anyone who's a Dr. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107 "2016-04-13T18:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/1 "2016-04-13T18:14:23Z")
This is something I picked up on the Mrs. Miss or Ms. thread. Some women like to be addressed as Dr. and some dont. So, I’d like to ask: 1. Are you a Dr. because your in medicine or thru academia? 2. Do you use the Dr. title often? If so where and when? 3. Do you use Dr. when signing checks or only when such a title would be required? 4. Are you ok when someone calls you “Doc”? ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/2 "2016-04-13T18:33:55Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > This is something I picked up on the Mrs. Miss or Ms. thread. Some women like to be addressed as Dr. and some dont. > > So, I’d like to ask: > > 1. Are you a Dr. because your in medicine or thru academia? > 2. Do you use the Dr. title often? If so where and when? > 3. Do you use Dr. when signing checks or only when such a title would be required? > 4. Are you ok when someone calls you “Doc”? Nothing I say is gender-related – the same answers apply for my Dr husband. 1. Academia – me in Ancient History, he in Physics 2. In the USA, where I’m from, only in professional/academic contexts and very formal contexts; in the UK, where we got our doctorates, any time a title is asked for; in Germany, where we live, always in combination with ‘Herr/Frau’ (Mr./Ms.) (that’s how they do it here). 3. Signing checks? What’s that? 4. I would be fine if a student or young person called me ‘Doc’, less so if an adult did so, but I wouldn’t take offense. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/3 "2016-04-13T18:34:29Z")
1. Are you a Dr. because your in medicine or thru academia? PhD type. 2. Do you use the Dr. title often? If so where and when? Almost never. When I was in Bell Labs the letter HR sent to candidates who were coming in for interviews used Dr. to say I was meeting them for breakfast, but that was the last time I remember. 3. Do you use Dr. when signing checks or only when such a title would be required? Never. 4. Are you ok when someone calls you “Doc”? I’d give them such a “are you shitting me” stare that they’d never do it again. My boss at Bell Labs (also a PhD) said when a new hire used “Doctor” - don’t call yourself doctor or someone will ask you to look down their throat and prescribe aspirin. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/4 "2016-04-13T18:39:55Z")
1. Are you a Dr. because your in medicine or thru academia? PhD. 1. Do you use the Dr. title often? If so where and when? Almost never. Some students use it when addressing me. 1. Do you use Dr. when signing checks or only when such a title would be required? Lord no. 1. Are you ok when someone calls you “Doc”? I’d be okay, but it would seem very odd. None of this is gender related. Except possibly the issue of how students address faculty. Many, usually male, refer to male professors as Dr. or Prof. and to their female professors, until instructed otherwise and sometimes beyond, as Mrs. Which is doubly weird with women who kept their family name and aren’t Mrs. Emiliana Frogsbottom, such as myself. Dr. or Prof. Frogsbottom please. Personally, I think it’s pretty weird when PhDs use Dr. outside of educational contexts (or other relevant professional contexts). ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/5 "2016-04-13T18:42:47Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > 1. Are you a Dr. because your in medicine or thru academia? > 2. Do you use the Dr. title often? If so where and when? > 3. Do you use Dr. when signing checks or only when such a title would be required? > 4. Are you ok when someone calls you “Doc”? 1. Academic 2. Never, ever, never, eff no, if you try to use it you are dead to me 3. No 4. NO I’m of the opinion that academics may use “Dr.” if they are also professors at a university–and then only in their professional setting. Otherwise, they’re trying to compensate for something. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/6 "2016-04-13T18:46:10Z")
This is a related question that came up at work one day. Can PhD doctors call themselves doctors? It sounds like a dumb question I know, but somehow the concept of doctors came up and I used them as an example, and a co-worker of mine said that they can’t legally (or something like that) call themselves doctors for reasons she never gave. She said only M.D’s can call themselves doctor. That’s got to be false right? I would have argued more but she’s the kind of person who is always right and knows everything and I came to learn not to even try. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/7 "2016-04-13T18:46:16Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I’m of the opinion that academics may use “Dr.” if they are also professors at a university–and then only in their professional setting. Otherwise, they’re trying to compensate for something. I know of one university where Doctor was used, but that was because a fair number of professors did not have PhDs, and so Dr. was more prestigious than Professor. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/8 "2016-04-13T18:47:53Z")
In the UK, ‘Professor’ is much rarer and is a specific job title. Most university faculty are referred to as ‘Dr’ (by students and officially). ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/9 "2016-04-13T18:58:16Z")
1. Academia 2. In the classroom with undergrads (I use my first name with grad students), and in professional settings outside of academics (e.g., sitting on a government committee, media appearances). 3. Oh god no. 4. Sure, go ahead. But if I don’t respond, it’s probably because I didn’t realize you were talking to me - try my name then. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/10 "2016-04-13T19:00:30Z")
I have a J.D. Technically I suppose that makes me a doctor of sorts but I don’t know anyone with the same degree who uses that title (except for a few people who are also medical doctors or Ph.Ds). You can generally spot people who failed the bar exam (or less frequently, decided not to take it) because they’ll write J.D. after their names. My mother was an M.D. in India and the UK and wrote doctor whenever a title was required. I don’t think she put it on her cheques though. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/11 "2016-04-13T19:04:13Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > It sounds like a dumb question I know, but somehow the concept of doctors came up and I used them as an example, and a co-worker of mine said that they can’t legally (or something like that) call themselves doctors for reasons she never gave. She said only M.D’s can call themselves doctor. Yeah, that’s nonsense. Unless I suppose you are trying to _pass yourself off as a medical doctor_ when you aren’t, because that would be fraud or some such. But that would be the case regardless if you had a doctorate or not. _Doctor_ is the correct professional term for someone with a doctorate. It’s just that in the United States at least it is considered kind of a minor faux pas ( and/or narcissistic ) to refer to yourself as such outside of formal situations. If you’re a “doctor”, you’re a medical doctor of some sort. If you have a doctorate you are Dr. So-and-so when it specifically calls for you to use the title. Otherwise you’re a douche ;). Personally I’ve never much cared for college professors that insisted on the title either, even though it _is_ perfectly appropriate in that setting and I always used it with certain older professors. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/12 "2016-04-13T19:09:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I have a J.D. Technically I suppose that makes me a doctor of sorts but I don’t know anyone with the same degree who uses that title (except for a few people who are also medical doctors or Ph.Ds). You can generally spot people who failed the bar exam (or less frequently, decided not to take it) because they’ll write J.D. after their names. > > My mother was an M.D. in India and the UK and wrote doctor whenever a title was required. I don’t think she put it on her cheques though. I’m of an age when lawyers got an LL.B. My law school switched to awarding JDs, then put out an announcement that anyone who wanted to could apply to them and have their LL.B transformed, by bureaucratic magic, into a JD. I couldn’t imagine any circumstances in which going through even the minimal effort necessary would be worth it for me. ;)But I suppose I am, if at one remove as it were, entitled to the title of “doctor”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/13 "2016-04-13T19:11:42Z")
Yeah, that’s why I said “of sorts.” 🙂 AIUI, the ABA wanted to put lawyers on an equal footing with medical doctors so it decided that the degree lawyers get should be a doctorate. ETA: How many credit hours is a US MD program, leaving residencies and such aside? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/14 "2016-04-13T19:15:37Z")
1. Academia. 2. Almost never. It would only be to convey authoritah, say to an undergrad class. Grad students and undergrad RAs can use my first name. If someone misuses it, I wouldn’t correct them right away, unless it happens often and I’m going to be working with them. Professional emails get PhD, which conveys the same but without being pretentious. The reasons are that it saves a lot of time an energy if I am say contacting a vendor, and they’re less likely to give me the run-around. 3. No, but it’s barely legible so maybe it’s been there since I was a kid? :dubious: 4. D-O-C? I’d assume it was facetious, and the intent would depend on how well I know them. > [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > This is a related question that came up at work one day. > > Can PhD doctors call themselves doctors? Yes, this is common in the US, but also shied away from for the reasons I gave. > [@](#): > > She said only M.D’s can call themselves doctor. And D.O.s, at least. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I have a J.D. Technically I suppose that makes me a doctor of sorts but I don’t know anyone with the same degree who uses that title (except for a few people who are also medical doctors or Ph.Ds). You can generally spot people who failed the bar exam (or less frequently, decided not to take it) because they’ll write J.D. after their names. It’s the kind of off situation where a Master of Laws is a more prestigious title than Juris Doctor. I’d say JD is more roughly a master’s based upon years of commitment. It looks like some LL.M. require a J.D. first, while you can also get them together at some schools. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/15 "2016-04-13T19:17:27Z")
Not sure about that. You can complete a master’s in one year. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/16 "2016-04-13T19:26:44Z")
A Masters in Law is an odd animal. It’s an academic degree that one can get if one wishes, following obtaining the professional LL.B or J.D. I know lots of lawyers, but none who have gone on to obtain an LL.M; for working lawyers, I don’t know how much of an advantage it would be - more like a key to a purely academic career. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/17 "2016-04-13T19:31:31Z")
AIUI, most practicing tax attorneys go on to LLMs, but otherwise they are for academics. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/18 "2016-04-13T19:38:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > AIUI, most practicing tax attorneys go on to LLMs, but otherwise they are for academics. That’s an interesting tidbit. Thankfully, tax law isn’t anywhere close to anything I do. 😉 I barely survived a course on it in law school. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/19 "2016-04-13T19:45:05Z")
Academic. Only used Dr. occasionally myself when I was a Professor. I preferred Prof. FtG in formal situations. One place I worked at had students who for some reason used Dr. over Prof. Never got used to that. Very uncommon to use Dr. to refer to another person in direct conversation. Indirectly, one might say to someone, for example, “You need to get Dr. LastName’s signature on this.”, but only in addressing a student, staff member or such. In letters to another Dr., I personally preferred the style where in the address and salutation you used Dr. LastName, crossing out their last name and writing their first name. Let’s them know that you respect their title but are still being friendly. You could pretty much tell who the jerks were among faculty and admins if they preferred the use of a title among faculty. Outside of work, it was extremely uncommon to use the title. E.g., secretaries would book flights and rental cars under Dr. and that helped in some situations. Sometimes I would get a medical Doctor who is an uptight jerk and I let them know I’m a doctor and would prefer to be addressed as such. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107/20 "2016-04-13T19:46:45Z")
Not me, my spouse: 1. Medicine 2. If it pertains to his work or medicine generally (i.e., commenting on a Medscape article), usually. Outside of that, rarely. If I have to address one of his staff, clients or people who know him because of his field, I’ll generally refer to him as “Dr. Firstname.” 3. Our bank checks and home stationery do not have “Dr.” on them. They did for a while when he had a home office. Rarely, there will be something like alumni correspondence where the prefix get used. 4. We’ve had a few friends who call him that affectionately. And sometimes I do when I’m pestering him about an ailment in the family (or just to be a pest :D). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-anyone-whos-a-dr/752107.md?page=2)