What is the deal with the title Dr.?

So I went to a conference this week, when I checked in, they siad "name", I told them - first and last. He looked confused, looked up and down, then said "you didn't say Dr.".... I said "Oh yeah, that is true, Dr. First last name". He said, "really, we have you filed all together, that is the first thing usually said.".

I have seen several postings about this..... really? What is the deal? In real life, do you state it? Most in my personal life do not even know, in my professional life, of course do. I think the entire thing is strange.

 

EGO.

We all have it. To me, it compares to rank in the military. Some people insist that they be called "whatever it is, PhD Sgt, etc".

I like the more humble and measured approach. Rarely are people as impressed with us as we are of ourselves

 

My guess is that it's an ego thing.

 

I think is just silly.

I don't see Master's degree holders demanding to be called "Masters".

 

Depends what you mean by real life... I think that on first introductions within a industry on academic environment it would be perfectly suitable and even expected to use "Dr." for your introduction. It depends on the situation.

If you went to a hospital for a ear ache and in the waiting room introduced yourself as "Dr." in casual conversation with another patient, it might be inappropriate in this case. Just as it might be inappropriate for a physician to introduce himself as "Dr." within a management conference.

It has nothing to do with ego (at least not that much). To obtain a legitimate doctorate is a process that takes about 10 years of post-secondary education. You're an expert in your field. You've worked just as hard, if not harder, than a physician or dentist or chiropractor...and they certainly don't have an objection to using "Dr." in any situation.

 

I have noticed that at hotels they seem to go out of their way to make sure they call you "doctor." I think the hotel staff is instructed to do this.

A friend of mine never uses the term, but the "Dr." salutation is stamped on his credit card. Whenever that card is used at a hotel, even when the reservation was only made with a name, all of a sudden it is "Dr. so-and-so" every 5 seconds.

 

It's a little odd that a conference would alphabetize using "doctor". At many conferences a great many participants have doctorates, so a tremendous number of people would be lumped under 'D'. Events like that usually alphabetize using first letters of last name.

More generally, I've found that most scientists rarely if ever use a doctoral title. The exception might be when they are introducing somebody at a formal function. Otherwise they are often a little embarassed when people address them as "Doctor" and they immediately say something like "call me Mike". Maybe part of the reason why that happens in the sciences is because most people have doctorates. It isn't really a social differentiator in their subculture. Instead it kind of indicates stuck-upedness.

The same thing seems to be true among university professors in the humanities generally. It's typically first-names as soon as possible with 'Doctor' saved for formal gatherings. Probably for the same reasons. It might be a general tendency in many/most university departments.

Where people are more likely to insist on being addressed as 'Doctor' might be in situations where they are one of the few doctors in the room and they hope to stand out. I'm told that public school administrators with Ed.D.s occasionally like to strut and preen that way among those with less pompous degrees.

In hospitals and medical settings things might be a little different. 'Doctor' kind of represents a function in the organization. From what little I've seen, nurses and staff often appear to address them that way. I'm guessing that's because doctors make certain kinds of decisions and have responsibilities that others don't, like prescribing treatment or medications. It's kind of like rank in the military, I guess. So the paramedical personnel need doctors to give them certain kinds of directions and to sign off on things, and occasionally to take responsibility if something goes wrong.

 

Yes that's right. Public school administrators like to be called Doctor in my area. Kind of reminds me of Barbara Boxer demanding the general call her senator because she worked so hard for it.

 

When I was consulting earlier this year, one of my gigs was to fly to every state capital to have a meeting with local political lobbyists. When I was flying out of Oklahoma City, a very small but nice airport, the lady in front of me stopped the whole security line for about 10 minutes. I assume she finally made it to her gate, but honestly do not know as they took her off into the security section out of view. Apparently, she used the title Dr. when filling out the form to buy her ticket online. The security officer asked her if she had any proof that she was a doctor, she said no, she was a PhD and did not have her diploma on her at the moment. This went on for a while and she was escorted away.

 

Wow, that's a bit extreme, huh? Maybe the TSA screener was a washed out doctoral candidate, with bad memories of his or her doctoral supervisor!

 

I am pursuing my Ph.D. at Fielding and the title doctor for an important reason. I want my two older siblings to be forced to call me doctor and thereby admit ... finally ... after all these years ... after all the torture they inflicted ... that I am truly the superior sibling. I want them to choke out the word doctor as frequently as possible!!

 

Wow. I dont care if my students call me doctor or not. I was Mr Mitchell before I get it ( one day) and Mr Mitchell after that.

 

Dr. Bear enjoys being addressed as such. I do to. There is nothing wrong with it in the right forum.

 

Umm you have never met my siblings let alone been raised with them!

 

Actually, I had to earn an MS after I got married. After all, I wasn't a "bachelor" anymore

 

Your name is Dr. Bear also??

 

Chrislarsen,

Sounds like, you and I might be related. I moved a couple of hundred miles away and I no longer answer anonymous calls.

Problem solved!

 

What has always amused me is that on lists of delegates to conferences and such they wil list:

John Smith
Mary Jones
George Cooper
Dr Bill Brown
Fred White etc only the doctor gets a title.

I think that a lot depends on the culture you are in. Here in Australia, first names are used in most circumstances and people who introduce themselves by titles are seen as being too impressed by themselves.

As an example, our Prime Minister was touring hospitals last week and introduced himself to people with "G,day, I'm Kevin". We are very informal. You must remember that most of our Prime Ministers have sat in the front passenger seat of their official car beside the driver. That probably doesn't happen in most countries.

 

me again: "Dr. Bear enjoys being addressed as such..."

John: Well I confess I used to, but that was long, long ago. That time has passed. I don't object . . . but no more warm & fuzzy feeling, when it was all new. And I really don't like being called "Doc," which happens quite often, mostly from telephone callers whom I don't know. Let's save that for Bugs Bunny.

Here's a slightly different version of the Stephen Leacock story we tell in Bears Guide--from a reminiscence by a friend of Leacock: “When I was first made a doctor of philosophy’, Stephen Leacock, the Canadian professor humorist, used to say, “I was very proud of my title and used it without hesitation on every possible occasion. Once, on an ocean voyage, I inscribed myself ‘Dr. Leacock.’ The ship had scarcely left port when a petty officer arrived at my cabin. Presenting the captain’s compliments, he asked if I could examine a stewardess who had injured her leg. I hurried away on this interesting assignment but arrived there too late. Another beat me to it by ten paces. He was a doctor of divinity.”

 

mattbrent,

Funny! At least we are masters over our homes on paper, in every other sense, my wife calls the shots and that piece of paper means nothing to her but an "opportunity lost" on some material thing or RSP savings etc.. LOL

I grew up with 9 doctors (uncles, cousins, dad) in our family, on trips we traveled with doctors everywhere, skiing around the world, golfing etc., I was shocked to find out that there are families out there without doctors in them.

My Dad never cared what his patients called him, I cared more than he did as, "he is the guy who is going to cut you open and you couldn't even get his professional name right?" I learned a great deal from his approach to life, no pun intended.

My uncle was a world famous forensic doctor and didn't care what you called him as it seemed everyone in the world knew him and were thrilled to have a chance to talk to him on a professional level. He just didn't care!

My other uncle was a rich one, (his wife inherited oil fields), bragged how he only worked 100 days per year while his brothers put in long hours every day. Yet, if you addressed him by mister, he would stop everything and correct you immediately. I just started calling him "Uncle Bob", ...... when your 8 years old, "Dr Bob" seemed too formal to me.

Having associated with 100's of doctors over the years I found that, they, for the most part, didn't care at all how you addressed them. They had no problem addressing Ph D's as "doctor", perhaps that's the way it was in past generations.

When I complete my doctoral studies, I only want my wife to call me "doctor" no one else. (It will NEVER happen. LOL

Dr Bear, great quote from Stephen Leacock!