If I graduated with a Doctoral Degree but not from a medical field ...

[Dancing Fire]

should I expect people to address me as Dr. Dancing Fire?

 

[seaurchin]

I think that would be your correct title, wouldn't it?

 

[Karl_K]

not I
Actually I have only met one non-medical phd who insisted on being called doctor so I called him Bill (his first name).
There is more to the story but its late and its not all that interesting.

 

[missy]

In the academic world, yes. Outside of it, no.

 

[dk168]

In the academic world, yes. Outside of it, no.

Agree with that, may be in a formal professional environment too.

Otherwise it is a bit poncey IMHO.

DK

 

[secretagentlaura]

If I didn't have a "professional" relationship with you, there's a good chance that I wouldn't know that addressing you as "Dr" was even a correct option. But if I was aware, I'd use the title. I have a lot of friends who've earned doctorates, and it costs me nothing to recognize their accomplishment.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

should I expect people to address me as Dr. Dancing Fire?

yes !
you would have worked long and hard for it
i would call you Dr Fencing Fire

 

[Starfacet]

Dr. D.

 

[rocks]

Nope. It's pretty common in my family and among friends, and no one expects it.

 

[AGBF]

I'd like to complicate this a bit:

"Surgeons, or rather male surgeons, are always addressed as Mr in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, sometimes but not always in Australia and New Zealand, and rarely in Canada or the United States. This curious British tradition is such a mystery to doctors in other countries as well as to the British public, that even a work as erudite as the 1996 edition of The New Fowler's Modern English Usage seems to have got it wrong.1 Is it therefore a tradition that should be perpetuated indefinitely, or should it be abandoned?

To understand how the tradition arose it is necessary to go back to the beginning of the 18th century, when physicians were distinguished by the possession of a university medical degree: an MD. Although many had acquired their MDs abroad with minimal effort or bought them for about £20 (about £800 today) from the Universy of Aberdeen or of St Andrews, the possession of a medical doctorate entitled physicians and no other medical practitioner to be addressed as “doctor.” Eighteenth century surgeons, who were of course addressed as Mr, seldom had any formal qualification except in the case of the few who were Members of the Company of Surgeons. After the founding of the Royal College of Surgeons of London in 1800, however, it was customary for surgeons to take the examination for Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons and put MRCS after their name."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119265/

 

[lyra]

Yes, it's very respectful towards the person who put all the work in. In the real world though, people would need to be aware in order to use that title, so no, I wouldn't expect it. If it were me, I wouldn't expect it except in academic circumstances or work, etc.

 

[Tekate]

If the person preferred it, then sure (altho I might think he/she a bit pompous) as to M.D. doctor it's the same, if they preferred it, but I make it a POINT to call all my physicians by their first names, kind of equals us up. (of course I do this now that I am older and am not in awe of PhDs or MDs)

 

[bludiva]

before meeting my partner i dated a guy who had a phd in a social science field ...he had Dr. X XXX on his address labels, checks, etc. and to give a kernel of truth to the stereotype was a bit full of himself in general. no other phd's i know insist on it, in fact most md's i know don't want to be called dr. outside of work either.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I'd like to complicate this a bit:

"Surgeons, or rather male surgeons, are always addressed as Mr in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, sometimes but not always in Australia and New Zealand, and rarely in Canada or the United States. This curious British tradition is such a mystery to doctors in other countries as well as to the British public, that even a work as erudite as the 1996 edition of The New Fowler's Modern English Usage seems to have got it wrong.1 Is it therefore a tradition that should be perpetuated indefinitely, or should it be abandoned?

To understand how the tradition arose it is necessary to go back to the beginning of the 18th century, when physicians were distinguished by the possession of a university medical degree: an MD. Although many had acquired their MDs abroad with minimal effort or bought them for about £20 (about £800 today) from the Universy of Aberdeen or of St Andrews, the possession of a medical doctorate entitled physicians and no other medical practitioner to be addressed as “doctor.” Eighteenth century surgeons, who were of course addressed as Mr, seldom had any formal qualification except in the case of the few who were Members of the Company of Surgeons. After the founding of the Royal College of Surgeons of London in 1800, however, it was customary for surgeons to take the examination for Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons and put MRCS after their name."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1119265/

thank you that's really interesting
quite a few years now my mum and dad got quite close - for reasons unrelated to medicine - to the English doctor who treated dad's liver cancer
anyway it was really excitting when yhis brilliant doctor became a Mr
in NZ specialists are usually referred to as Mr

i don't know anybody who has done a doctorit but it seems to require alot of extra study up from a regular 3 year degree

as an aside its only recently we started calling the vet Dr yet those guys do many years of study

 

[madelise]

Agree with that, may be in a formal professional environment too.

Otherwise it is a bit poncey IMHO.

DK

This is for both medical doctors and non-medical doctors, though. If I hang out with my doctor colleagues outside of work, they are addressed using their first names. It's bizarre to say Dr. Lastname while hanging out, bowling, and sharing libations.

 

[madelise]

Interesting post timing, though, as I just started my clinical doctorate program this week.

 

[jordyonbass]

Hello Dr Fire? I need help with my gemstone addiction

 

[Dancing Fire]

Interesting post timing, though, as I just started my clinical doctorate program this week.

.Hi Dr. Mad nice to see you posting again.

 

[dk168]

This is for both medical doctors and non-medical doctors, though. If I hang out with my doctor colleagues outside of work, they are addressed using their first names. It's bizarre to say Dr. Lastname while hanging out, bowling, and sharing libations.

DF and Missy were commenting about non-medical Doctors?

DK

 

[Dancing Fire]

DF and Missy were commenting about non-medical Doctors?

DK

I know. I was just teasing madelise.

 

[acaw2015]

I have a phd in law and I dont expect anyone to say Dr (...)! When I meet new people outside of academia I introduce myself as a teacher. I feel it can get a bit awkward if I say dr/phd/lawyer but people seem to like teachers. And I am a teacher! At work I have my signature in my emails as Dr but I work in academia so it makes sense. The signature also states academic field etc.

 

[acaw2015]

Had to add this clip from Spies like us,

 

[MonkeysInk]

I’m applying for PhD programs now and have told my husband (who I often jokingly refer to by his military rank) that he will have to call me doctor. I wouldn’t expect that anyone else would outside an academic setting.

 

[rocks]

My friend's dad retired as a ltg (3 star general). We all referred to him as "the general" or general Rick. He laughed.

 

[missy]

And who could forget "The Maestro" from Seinfeld.

 

[monarch64]

I address most people as "Sir," or "Ma'am," because that's how I was raised. I address folks in the health industry (who have qualifying degrees) as "Dr."

I'll share one personal rule of mine that I am relentless about with my child: always address your elders with respect, meaning you address them by title first, then last name. I.e. "Ms. Smith," or "Mr. Smith." etc.
My daughter and I were driving to/from activities one weekend recently and she mentioned going to the zoo with "L and K and L's husband and my daddy." I JUST ABOUT DIED. Maybe it's not important to people these days, but when raising children I happen to think it's important to show respect to one's elders by addressing them formally and never by their first name! My daughter and I had a succinct chat right there and then about this topic and she understands now what I expect from her. I thought it was still second nature for children to understand this rule...I was totally wrong.

 

[msop04]

should I expect people to address me as Dr. Dancing Fire?

In academia, yes... if a judge or other, then probably not. I have a Doctorate in Pharmacy (PharmD), but I don't work in a hospital or academic setting, so I don't expect anyone to call me "doctor msop04". LOL

 

[msop04]

...on a side note, I have a dear friend who is also a pharmacist that graduated a few years after I did, and we always address letters/cards to each other as Dr. Msop04 and Dr. BestRxBuddy... ya know, so we don't forget how important we are. LOL

 

[AGBF]

My husband has an Italian university degree, the Laurea*, which in Italy grants the recipient the title of "Dottore" or "Dottoressa. One can get a Laurea in law or medicine, but one can also get one in a field such as classics. It is one's terminal degree, after which one can teach at the university level. Receiving one after only four years of study at the university leads to the practice of all university graduates being entitled to being called "Dottore" or "Dottoressa" even if one has studied history and is now working in a bank. I do not know what the culture of Italy is like now, but when I was first married, people were quite punctilious about the use of titles and scrupulously addressed university graduates like my husband as "Dottore", referring to him at a factory where he worked in Sardinia as "il dottore". (It was more like "Il Dottore".)

If one taught at a university or a secondary school he was called "Professore" or "Professoressa", an even higher title.


*laurea
(ˈlaurea)

feminine noun

1. degree (gained after 4-6 years' study and the presentation of a dissertation)
   prendere o conseguire la laurea to take o obtain one's degree, graduate
   ha preso la laurea in legge he graduated o got a degree in law
   See laurea breve

laurea
The Laurea is awarded to students who successfully complete their degree courses. Traditionally, this takes between four and six years; a major element of the final examinations is the presentation and discussion of a dissertation. A shorter, more vocational course of study, taking from two to three years, is also available; at the end of this time students receive a diploma called the Laurea breve.

 

[eapj]

Only Dr. in professional setting. I have a doctorate (but work in higher ed administration and teach only on the side) and it drives me crazy when people at my university call me Dr.! I don’t think a person with a non-medical doctorate should expect to be called the title outside of the clinical world. But how I know many academic doctorates who want to be Dr. all of the time!