"Doctor" - MDs vs PhDs

[Kestra]

When I was in college we referred to most of our professors by their first name.

I had profs who hated it when students included "Dr" when addressing them in person or emails.

What a stupid thing to be irritated by. It's their title.

 

[Thestral]

I'm curious to know exactly why "The" Doctor calls himself that, for that matter.

I mean, sure, I doubt he'd want to use his real name, but why Doctor? What made him pick that particular title? Does he see himself trying to cure the universe's ills?

See, you've got it backwards. We learned the word from him - the Doctor gave us the word which means healer and wise one.

 

[Pavonis]

When I was in college we referred to most of our professors by their first name.

I had profs who hated it when students included "Dr" when addressing them in person or emails.

Any idea as to why?

I understand some professors try to be "friends" with their students, and want to erase any perceived boundaries between them by being informal in address. I think it works about as well as when parents try to be "friends" with their children.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Reminds me of adults who don't want to be called Mr./Ms. Lastname because, "That's my father/mother," or who act as though "Sir" or "Ma'am" were an insult.

 

[Maestro]

My principal holds a PhD. It is appropriate to address him professionally as "Doctor." Many of our students call him "Mister." He takes no offense and offers no correction.

I did my undergrad at Wisconsin. Most of our instructors in the School of Music allowed (asked, some begged) us to call them by their first names.

I'm working on my MM in MuEd at the University of Florida through their distance program. We are REQUIRED by the program to address our professors professionally, "Dr. <so and so>" or "Professor <so and so>" unless otherwise requested by the professor. All three professors that I've had so far even sign their emails "Dr. LAST NAME." THAT'S pretentious, if you ask me. Perhaps it's a Southern thing.

 

[Pavonis]

Signatures in e-mails are a cue as to how to address the individual in replies. If I want someone to address me by my first name, I sign my e-mail with my first name. If I want them to address me as Dr. P., then I sign it with Dr. P. It is not a matter of trying to brag or be pretentious, it's just a signal as to the level of familiarity that should be acknowledged.

 

[Maestro]

I am well aware that signatures in emails are clues for address. What's pretentious is demanding that masters candidates, many of which are successful in their fields and careers, address our professors as "Dr." It's especially obnoxious when my undergrad institution was the exact opposite with its undergrads. I'm cool with expecting some know-nothing freshman theory student to call you "Dr. Theory," but I'm not cool with expecting a seasoned educator with almost 15 years of experience (and some of it teaching college prep theory) to address you as "Dr. Theory."

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^Speaking of signatures, I like yours, Maestro.

Tora Ziyal, M.Div.

 

[Pavonis]

Maestro, are you miffed that your own expertise is not being acknowledged and feel that you're being put on the same level as a freshmen?

 

[scotpens]

I emailed my brother, who has a Ph.D. and teaches history (he's currently at Oxford), on this subject and got the following response:

In most countries only a small % of university teaching staff have the title of Professor, so most go by the title of Doctor.

In egalitarian North America, any holder of a doctorate and put in front of a class is called Professor. My students usually call me Professor, though I encourage advanced doctoral students to call me Derek.

One's peers in academia always use first names with each other, even post-docs with eminent full professors. In languages with formal and informal second persons singular, faculty will often use first names but the formal "you." Oxford prides itself on the putative social equity of its college fellowships; we all dine at the same High Table, call each other by our first names, show great respect to each other in public, and then rail and plot against each other in the solitude of our offices.

Not really true, that last part about railing and plotting. A lot of kvetching but little more. The public has a very warped image of academia from mystery novels and academic satires. In real life I have found academics to be on the whole much nicer and trustworthy than lawyers or doctors.

As for physicians, I always address them as "Dr. Suchandsuch", no matter how long I've known them and even if they're younger than I am. I just feel they deserve the professional courtesy of being addressed by title. Frankly, I think there's a bit too much informality these days.

I'm curious to know exactly why "The" Doctor calls himself that, for that matter.

And what about these Doctors?

 

[propita]

Hubby is a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). He doesn't use the title"Dr." becuase he figures most people will think "MD."

I have a Juris Doctor, and I sure don't call myself "Dr. propita." The closest I'd be is "propita, Esq." I know anyone can be called "esquire," but in the US, it is traditionally used by attorneys. Fair? I don't know, but if you saw someone's name as "John Doe, Esquire," wouldn't you assume he was a lawyer?

I was told that teachers who had doctorates--of any kind--qualified to be titled "Professor" as opposed to "Mister/Mrs./Miss./Ms." I never had a problem referring to them as professor, figuring they'd done the work for the honorific.

 

[Maestro]

Maestro, are you miffed that your own expertise is not being acknowledged and feel that you're being put on the same level as a freshmen?

A fair issue, no?

Perhaps, given that I'm a band conductor, I should demand everyone (IRL) address me as "Maestro."

 

[Pavonis]

You could do that, Maestro, but you'll inevitably be compared to the Seinfeld episode.

 

[Kestra]

I am well aware that signatures in emails are clues for address. What's pretentious is demanding that masters candidates, many of which are successful in their fields and careers, address our professors as "Dr." It's especially obnoxious when my undergrad institution was the exact opposite with its undergrads. I'm cool with expecting some know-nothing freshman theory student to call you "Dr. Theory," but I'm not cool with expecting a seasoned educator with almost 15 years of experience (and some of it teaching college prep theory) to address you as "Dr. Theory."

I am not in your position but I don't imagine that I'd feel the same way. I don't think that there's anything demeaning about having to use someone's full title.

 

[Pavonis]

Asking to be addressed in a particular way isn't supposed to make others feel inferior; it's just a matter of respect.

 

[scotpens]

Perhaps, given that I'm a band conductor, I should demand everyone (IRL) address me as "Maestro."

Or "Professor."

 

[sidious618]

I remember I had a professor who made me laugh when a student wanted to get his attention and went, "Professor?" and he replied, "Student?" He was a creative writing teacher, though, and they're weird (but awesome).

I teach extracurricular classes for high school students struggling with the SAT and I always introduce myself on the first day with my first and last name; it's interesting to see what they end up using.

I also do home instruction, one-on-one or two-on-one, and I always have my students call me Donald. It never occurred to me to be called anything else until one day a parent introduced me to their kid as "Mr. [my last name]" which freaked me out and I was like, "You can call me Donald! Donald!"

In general, I don't like formalities because I think they put distance between people and they do elevate someone in conversation which seems silly to me unless we're talking about the doctor's specific area. If I'm chatting with someone about John Milton then I'd certainly care if they had a PhD in English Lit but if their PhD is in Cryogenics then it doesn't really matter and it'd be odd if they brought it up.

 

[Tiberius Jim]

This reminds me of a conversation I'd been a part of with some veteran buddies. They were discussing how someone once asked them their rank, and why they didn't introduce themselves as such (Staff Sergeant So-and-so instead of just So-and-so) and the general consensus was...why does it matter? Yeah, he might be a corporal or a lieutenant or captain in the military but unless he's introducing himself to a fellow officer while on duty....it's really not relevant, and would seem pretentious. IMO the same goes for this situation. I hold a rank of second degree black belt in Uechi Ryu karate but I don't go around introducing myself as Nidan James.

 

[RoJoHen]

Signatures in e-mails are a cue as to how to address the individual in replies. If I want someone to address me by my first name, I sign my e-mail with my first name. If I want them to address me as Dr. P., then I sign it with Dr. P. It is not a matter of trying to brag or be pretentious, it's just a signal as to the level of familiarity that should be acknowledged.

And this is the part that I just don't get. "Levels of familiarity."

I have a name. Whether I'm your spouse, your best friend, your boss, your professor, your neighbor, or a complete stranger, I still have the same name. Respect is not determined by what you call me; it's determined by how you treat me.

I could be the ultimate Supreme King of the Universe, and I'd still just want my subjects to call me by my first name.

 

[Kestra]

It's a cultural thing for me, to an extent. I think of it as showing respect by maintaining that formality. We don't call elders by their names in my culture; I very rarely call my older siblings by their first names.