Titular Issues!

[Forg]

It is also rude when a PHD sees you as a patient and says I am not going to call you a doctor because you aren't a real one.

I would have thought said PhD would know who was in the position of power at that time (hint: the person with the needles & the drugs), and keep quiet with their opinions?

My better half is a doctor of the PhD variety. Even in medicine! Well, the field of medicine. And while I'll go to her for information in the field of pain management (or for a buzz-cut), I think I'll leave diagnosis of torn medial ligaments to an MD ...

 

[blackcat20]

Their title has no impact on my life either but I will fight for my right to have an opinion and air that opinion.

Someone's title is not an opinion. You dont get a say in what their title is, they do. It's fact. I'm a Dr, that's not an opinion, its reality.

 

[jb747]

I would have thought said PhD would know who was in the position of power at that time, and keep quiet with their opinions?

A friend of mine was a gynaecologist. Pregnant lawyer wanted to know all about this insurance details...obviously thinking more about legal action, than baby action. I expect she had trouble finding someone who would work with her.

 

[OATEK]

OT again: What does get up my nose are "Associate Professors" who refer to themselves as "Professor xx_xx", with the "Associate" mysteriously falling off. Big difference between the 2!!

We always called them "Aspros".

Nice post. You are right. Their title has no impact on my life either but I will fight for my right to have an opinion and air that opinion.

Someone's title is not an opinion. You dont get a say in what their title is, they do. It's fact. I'm a Dr, that's not an opinion, its reality.

These last two comments seem to me to hover around a central issue. When should honorifics be used, and when are they optional. Only one of several friends with PhDs was precious about his title in private. The others always insisted on their first name being used.
However, when in their professional setting the Dr. was always prominent.

I once had a grievance lodged at work when I used the term "us plebs" when one of the us held a post grad degree - he was certainly no pleb and wanted me punished for suggesting as much! Of course he had no sense of humour, and his explanation as to what a plebian was could be challenged although I perhaps wisely chose not to.

 

[andye]

Taking offence at being called a pleb when not a politician or landed gentry just highlights a lack of classical education
As you say probably good you didn't push it

 

[blackcat20]

We always called them "Aspros".



These last two comments seem to me to hover around a central issue. When should honorifics be used, and when are they optional. Only one of several friends with PhDs was precious about his title in private. The others always insisted on their first name being used.
However, when in their professional setting the Dr. was always prominent.

I once had a grievance lodged at work when I used the term "us plebs" when one of the us held a post grad degree - he was certainly no pleb and wanted me punished for suggesting as much! Of course he had no sense of humour, and his explanation as to what a plebian was could be challenged although I perhaps wisely chose not to.

It's not like I ask friends to call me Dr Blackcat! I'm always known by my first name except in formal situations where it is polite to refer to me as Dr Blackcat until I tell you otherwise. And I would do the same for anyone else; if through work I need to contact someone I'm not familiar with, I would always start with Prof/Dr/whatever lastname, and when they respond with their first name, then I defer to that.

Only a individual can determine their title (whether by choice, marriage or qualifications); no one else has the right to say "you can't be Mr/Mrs/Dr/Prof etc".

 

[JohnK]

Some people are very precious and that may include me.

Elton John. Ian Botham. Richard Attenborough. I don't have to use "Sir" if I happen to talk about them or if I had to address them in any way.

Citizen Kane has a PhD in Arts. I will still call them Citizen Kane or Mr Citizen Kane. No one can force me to use a title they want used. Why is that difficult to understand?

<redacted>

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Some people are very precious and that may include me.

Elton John. Ian Botham. Richard Attenborough. I don't have to use "Sir" if I happen to talk about them or if I had to address them in any way.

Citizen Kane has a PhD in Arts. I will still call them Citizen Kane or Mr Citizen Kane. No one can force me to use a title they want used. Why is that difficult to understand?

<redacted>

AFF's top poster. By volume, anyway.

 

[Pushka]

I tend to think that titles should be limited to professional roles and associated activities but in practice it doesn't work like that. I don't see why a title needs to be used for say, Council rates and water bills.

 

[jb747]

Some years ago now, a bright little hostie bounced into the coughpit. "What are your names?" she asked. So, we had an engineer, Burt. An FO, John. And a Captain...Captain.

So she bounced right out of the coughpit again.

Engineer, then says to Captain..."Geez, your mum must have hated you, to give you a name like that".

 

[TomVexille]

<redacted>

I suggest you follow your own advice a little more...

 

[Vic]

I have a friend who is a Dr of Engineering and he refuses to use his title in personal or public life only uses it in Professional life. People think he can fix there aches and pains and also got woken on a International flight to help a pax who got sick mid flight and that sealed the deal for him not to use his title

Who can blame him, it's pretty clear that the ordinary, opinionated joe blow in the street has no real idea. Amazing that a Doctor of Philosophy is not really a Doctor. Perhaps it is just a philosophical construct.

I gotta say that may of the PhDs I know did a lot more work than a mere MBBS. (which is the point when people want to start calling you doctor). what's an MBBS these days 3 year Science Degree + 4 years? Any decent PhD has the 3 year science degree, an honours year, (optional masters) and then the minimum 3 year PhD. Seems at least equal.

 

[drron]

Who can blame him, it's pretty clear that the ordinary, opinionated joe blow in the street has no real idea. Amazing that a Doctor of Philosophy is not really a Doctor. Perhaps it is just a philosophical construct.

I gotta say that may of the PhDs I know did a lot more work than a mere MBBS. (which is the point when people want to start calling you doctor). what's an MBBS these days 3 year Science Degree + 4 years? Any decent PhD has the 3 year science degree, an honours year, (optional masters) and then the minimum 3 year PhD. Seems at least equal.

If you do a 3 year undergrad degree then 4 years medicine you now graduate with an MD.
I am "only" an MBBS (maybe should put my Hons) with 6 years medical degree + 5 years postgrad training.7 years-pfft.

But an amusing anecdote.20 years ago a newly graduated nurse in her first week on the job came up to me and told me how I should treat a patient.The suggestion probably would have killed the patient.When I politely told her I would not be following her advice she told me she had done 3 years of University training so knew as much as doctors.I politely,again, told her that I had done 11 years training so knew nearly 4 times as much as her and walked away.

 

[kpc]

I gotta say that may of the PhDs I know did a lot more work than a mere MBBS. (which is the point when people want to start calling you doctor). what's an MBBS these days 3 year Science Degree + 4 years? Any decent PhD has the 3 year science degree, an honours year, (optional masters) and then the minimum 3 year PhD. Seems at least equal.

See which is easier to get into.....6 full time years to get a basic medical degree followed by one year internship, followed by 6 further full time years for specialist training...oh I have a Masters post grad degree as well. I decided not to do a PhD as it was not neccesary as well for me to get a job (now it will be!)....anyway, as I have said previously, call me Mr on the plane and let the FAs hassle all the PhD Drs

 

[blackcat20]

See which is easier to get into.....6 full time years to get a basic medical degree followed by one year internship, followed by 6 further full time years for specialist training...oh I have a Masters post grad degree as well. I decided not to do a PhD as it was not neccesary as well for me to get a job (now it will be!)....anyway, as I have said previously, call me Mr on the plane and let the FAs hassle all the PhD Drs

I had QF make a note in the ipad to call me by my first name, and they do.

 

[samh004]

I used to be an Ambassador, but now I'm a Moderator.

You can call me Sam.

 

[Warks]

Is an American PhD the same level as an Australian one? I only ask because I've heard it said the US one is more on par with a Masters. The company I used to work for had sales reps and technical officer equivalents in the US with PhDs which seemed a bit of an overqualification. I wouldn't have called these guys academics but, credit to them, they were more qualified than me!

 

[OATEK]

Just to break the current theme, and I could just as easily post this in the Travel Mistakes thread, I once made a significant Titular mistake. My daughter was very unwell when working in the UK, and I agreed to cough up a fare home so she could come back and confer with her OZ medicos (Drs?). So I booked her ticket only to realise a the next day that I had not changed Mr to Mrs or Ms. Rang CX who said yes, could prevent travel, so had to try and have it changed, but CSO said only the passenger could. After some pleading about travel being a day away, escalation up the management tiers, I managed to get it changed (phew).

 

[blackcat20]

Is an American PhD the same level as an Australian one? I only ask because I've heard it said the US one is more on par with a Masters. The company I used to work for had sales reps and technical officer equivalents in the US with PhDs which seemed a bit of an overqualification. I wouldn't have called these guys academics but, credit to them, they were more qualified than me!

I've heard that an Aussie PhD is "harder" but having only done one here and not in the US, I cannot confirm...

 

[Deleted member]

I seem to reacll some years ago that certain Obstetricians in the LOTFAP actually specialised in delivering babies whose parents were lawyers

A friend of mine was a gynecologist. Pregnant lawyer wanted to know all about this insurance details...obviously thinking more about legal action, than baby action. I expect she had trouble finding someone who would work with her.