[C19fan]

I have a Ph.D. in economics. I know I know it does not seem I am one. I would never refer to myself as Doctor. I think is is insulting to real doctors who save people’s lives.

[Verginius Rufus]

I was told once by someone with a Ph.D. (when I was a graduate student) that the only time you should refer to yourself as "doctor" is when you a calling a hospital to find out how a friend is doing.

There was a cartoon in The New Yorker long ago (back when it had funny cartoons) showing a maitre d' at a restaurant talking on the phone to someone making a reservation. "OK, table for 3 at 7 o'clock for Dr. Jennings. May I ask if you are a medical doctor or just a Ph.D.?"

[ladyjane]

You do know that the title doctor is from the Latin word doctare that means to teach. People who had the PhD were referred to as doctor as early as the 13th century. It wasn’t until the 19th century when physicians (and blood letters) thought it sounded classier to call themselves doctor when, in fact, they were healers. Then lawyers wanted a Juris Doctor degree. Probably so they could charge more money by the minute. Then teachers wanted to be called education doctors. Next politicians will want to be called doctor. LOL

Now we have people with the real doctorate who don’t want to be called doctor. Just don’t tell Dr. Kissinger.

[proud American in Canada]

“I would never refer to myself as Doctor. I think is is insulting to real doctors who save people’s lives.”

Exactly. I have a Juris Doctor and one time, my daughter and I were debating who had the toughest education, a lawyer or a doctor.

We both agreed: a doctor, hands down.

I related this story to our family doctor (pretty hard to get in Quebec nowadays), and I said to him that I told our daughter, Gillian, “Medical students have to stay up all night to practice making life-and-death decisions on very little sleep. Law students stay up late because they procrastinated on an assignment or on their reading for the next day (always check the footnotes of a Court decision! Especially when it’s near a split decision! LOL!).

[MayflowerMadam]

Hubby is PhD in Physics. He NEVER calls himself “doctor” or refers to him that way. In fact, we’d been married about two years before my parents knew he was a doctor.

For Jill to do that is an affectation by someone who truly is pathetic and needy, and isn’t savvy enough to be embarrassed.