"I'm a Doctor", What this Mean to people Nowdays?

Question

Hey Thomas, Unfortunately, Having a MD does Not Mean they Give a S$$$.

Maybe they Are Something Else, Maybe a Ph.D.

Thanks Fotomama, Unfortunately, Many people Go Into it for the Money.

Sorry, Left out "does".

Thanks K, I Understand your Frustration, Not All people Who Call Themselves "Doctor" Have a Advanced Degree, they Want the Title, but Not Work For it. I Remember Feynman Complaining About Being On Stage With people Awarded "Honorary Degrees", as if they were Equivalent to his Degree.

Maybe he Actually did Something, But My Concept of a Ph.D. is to Actually Have Learned Something. About Famous people, I Have Seen this too.

K, Envy Maybe?

K, Do you See Some Ph.D.s as More Valid than Others?

Sorry for the Use of the Term "Valid". But Across All Ph.D.s I Think Some would Involve More Work than Others. I would Think, a Ph.D., Means a Great Deal of Knowledge In a Particular Area. Within a Single Ph.D., the Granting Institution Carries Weight.

K, Thanks for you Retort to brewers07.

Thanks K, No Doubt, you Have Met Ph.D.s (as I Have Met MDs) that Weren't Up to Snuff, but were Endorsed by the State as your Equal. About Institutions, Many Coast On their Reputation, e. g., I've Met Medical Students From Tulane (and Other Places), Obviously Lacking In Ability. About brewser07, I don't Know What Yahoo Will Do (if Anything), but Like With Ideas, Exposure is Important.

Sorry K, Yes the US, Sorry for the Crapola too. About brewser07, I don't Think we Need to Gang up On him/her, Again, Exposure is Important, I've had people Question my Word Before, I Can Handle it.

Thanks K, you too, Goodnight.

garfield526, I'm Inclined to Agree With you, Not Nearly as Important as Ability.

Answer 1

In Canada, PhD or MD. NO EXCEPTIONS. I agree with everything Pangolin has said (in your other post)....I heard a pharmacist tell me she was a doctor last week. She has a 4 year degree in Pharmacology and she tells me that at the end of it, you are awarded a "doctorate". Puuuuuulease. I've also heard a woman with zero experience, skills OR university education call herself a psychoanalyst. Can you imagine?? She had it typed on her business card. This kind of ignorance is disparaging and it mocks my 11 years of education. I always feel inclined to "educate" these people, very kindly but assertively, even if it's not socially appropriate.

I think many people don't see how it IS disparaging and interpret it as snobby or pretentious or something. Or, sometimes, it's just a person's innocent way of trying to relate to you on some level. I really don't care though. I have worked so hard and it IS disparaging to me.

*Whew*, sorry for the intense answer mdgreg C. I get very worked up about this. Good question though. I'm off, to, uhhhh, breathe now :-).

EDIT: Don't even get me started on "honorary degrees". One example: there was a guy in my community that, well, served his community very well, and was awarded a PhD for his contribution. Give me a break!! I think it's wonderful to contribute to your community and have a ton of experience in this way, but why the PhD? Could he have not been recognized in a way that does not diminish the education and work that goes into a PhD?? It's sickening. Haven't some famous people been awarded "honorary degrees" as well?? I can't think of any examples right now. Maybe, I have repressed the accounts :-) :-). I just remember scoffing at something on tv about that....

EDIT 2: Yes, he did *something*, but was not accepted into the university as a student and did not do the work involved in getting the degree. My conception may be synonymous with yours.

There are also people walking around, that are hostile and angry at people who have MD's or PhD's. I used to have something in my profile about my education and on two occassions, I actually got "hate email". My words weren't succint, I should know the answer to my own question, all PhD's are phoney. It was so obviously relatable to issues that these people harboured within themselves, but disturbing all the same. As if anger covers all that up. It's sooo weird....

EDIT 3: I suspect the first guy had an underlying issue with psychologists and social scientists. I provoked him though. Found out (by comparing his email with an answer to my question) that he was posing as someone with more than a BSc, but also had some hostility issues around soft science PhD's. I suspect the second guy was attempting to "level" me; to bring me down (his perception) to the level he actually felt he was at, but didn't wish to be. I found the whole thing quite humourous, for the most part, really. Fixated anger. Yikes, who wants to really be a part of that...

PS: I really like Dances_with_unicorn's answer...

EDIT 4: No, I don't think so. And, I'm not sure my answer would depend on how you define "valid" either. I think if you have obtained a doctorate, you have expert status (usually) in a particular domain within a particular field. In terms of contribution to society, I can see how and why many people would hold this view. If you compare, neuroscience to philosophy for example. Many people would argue that neuroscience is a more respectable, even more difficult field, with more yields that are directly applicable and communicable to more socially relevant problems.

Many argue that soft sciences or the arts are "less than" for the most part. Off the top of my head, I can think of a couple reasons for this: One may have to do with the fact that even though there is crappy published material in every field, that which is produced in hard science fields gets outweighed by publicized findings that apply to life and death problems, immediate problems...perhaps. Another may have to do with dissemination/interpretation problems (by the media, by the lay-person). I can also see personal bias and ignorance playing into this--for instance, many people believe that unless you have a science degree, what you learn is nonsense, equivalent to just reading a bunch of books that have no bearing in the real world. Applicability is often defined in terms of what is deemed important and is disseminated by the media. I also think relevancy and applicability gets confused with practical skills. A person in school for a very long time may not possess the same practical skills as someone who joined the workforce at an early age or (seemingly) someone researching in a more immediately, socially relevant field....

Maybe this latter bit is MY personal bias. I don't know. But, I, for example, have never had a car, never owned a house, never been married etc. Lacking these and other practical skills and knowledge has been confused by people (at least in my life)--my lack of practical skills have been used to confirm that doing a PhD is just about reading books.

I'm really rambling here.....Anyway, what do you think?? I'm very, very open-minded, so please do not feel you have to protect my feelings or tip-toe around anything :-).

--Opps, had to edit that second paragraph. It totally didn't make sense....

......Just thinking about this and maybe there is one exception to what I've said above. I really dislike it when I hear colleagues diminish the population they are suppose to understsand or treat or help or teach. I also dislike it when the university makes exceptions in terms of marks, experience, and knowledge when it comes to admitting and granting degrees to certain people in certain programs. This may not be something that is common place, but discrimination (or, maybe more accurately, reverse discrimination) occurs. I dislike it when others feel as though their PhD means something more than it does and is used to belittle other people. In these cases, I just laugh, or depending on the situation, try and push buttons for my own entertainment (i.e., to get more info about their views that I judge to be warped :-) :-) ). It's interesting to analyze. I just don't have time to let that type of ignorance bother me though...Anyway, so, I guess I can see certain individuals with PhD's as less valid.

Man, I've editing this a few times now. Hope you got it all and didn't read one of my more jumbled edits...

EDIT 5: Thanx for answering. I can see what you're saying. I can see why you would believe some PhD's require more work than others...I agree, in specific ways, this aside from what I've said above. Perhaps there are different *types* that may require a different kind of *rigor*. I can see this distinction between a PhD in Music versus Neuroscience...just an example.

I think the granting institution carries weight, but in whose eyes?? There are qualifications, at least in Canada. I think there are distinctions in Canada that are not found in the US. Anyway, certainly more weight would be placed on institution if you are looking for professorial work versus clinical work for example....

....Hey, but what I've said here may be a nice example of my limited practical skills and knowledge though :-) ;-).

Totally, not related to all this: I now attend a very reputable, large universtity, but loved, loved a much smaller insitution I attended when I did my MA. In my eyes, I guess what I'm saying is reputable doesn't mean much in terms of my personal experience.

And, no prob about that Brewer07 guy. I reported him as well. I noticed he gave a strange response to your other post, then discovered you had answered one of his questions, then the absurd comments...He seemed to be targeting another person listed as a doctor as well. Nice example of some of what we're been talking about though...

...Just read some of what I wrote in the previous edit. Man, text communication is so different than real life. You leave out a word or type the wrong word and your ideas get bent into something ridiculous :-).......


Chapter 6 :-): Yes, I have met a couple people, including 2 professors really not up to snuff in terms of ability. I recently read a thesis produced by a previous student in my department. I was most amazed by the writing and the erroneous interpretation of pretty basic statistics in the results section. One professor I know is seriously incapable in terms of human qualities essential to working in the field. The other professor, well, I swear if the man was assessed he'd at the very least have a histrionic personality disorder. He is my thesis advisor. *Uggggg*.

Sometimes, I am almost too open-minded (or, ) when it comes to judgements about people. I always like to give people a bunch of chances before I iron-clad them, so to speak...But, the profs I speak of above, I've spent lots of time with them; I feel plenty of time to make an accurate assessment.

Anyway, just stories....

About the Brewer07 guy which may be getting more of our attention than he deserves?? Well, I am actually surprised that you don't get more comments like this given that you've stated you are a doctor in your profile. Lots of people have a hate-on for MD's or people others deem as "smart" or "highly educated"....for reasons I've already made hypotheses about above...Sad, but true. I will hope that all and any loons leave ya alone though...Anyone else bugs ya, we can report them together. Power in numbers....maybe??

Anyway, moving on: yes, I certainly believe the institution I attend is riding on its reputation. I have nothing pleasant to say about many of the professors in my department, financial aid, particular administrative staff, or student services...at least in comparison to other universities I've attended. I am a much bigger fan of a smaller university though.

I don't know of Tulane. I think you are in the US though? I know zippo about US schools...

Chapter 7: Ok. Bye for now then. Be well, best wishes!!

Answer 2

For people who knows the word would have an impression you are a person with medical degree capable of performing works aimed to treat or manage patients. For people do not undestand the word there might be a slight confusion of what you are- as some people would simply understand and know if you say " I am a doctor." But generally high percentage of people would stll think you are a doctor if you say "I'm a Physician".

Answer 3

It means you owe a heck of a lot of money to a student loan company! j/k!

What people would hope that it means is that you have some excellent understanding of the human body and the workings therein. Unfortunately, medicine is a practise and too many people think that a doctor should be able to fix or cure absolutely everything...we living in the 21st century after all!

I think that this means you are a person who cares enough about humanity to study for years and years, and then give me face time to hear my complaints and then try to help me feel better and heal. I have a magnificent doctor and this is how he treats me.

Answer 4

To me, a doctor is someone with specialized knowlege and skills that I lack; however, he/she is not God, and not necessarily smarter than me - just better educated in terms of medical knowlege. I expect a doctor to respect me without giving in if he feels he's right; I expect him to listen to me if I feel I'M right. If I don't feel I'm being heard, I'll will find another doctor who WILL listen - even if it means that they will ultimately tell me I'm wrong. I expect him to respect the fact that I've lived in this body 52 years, and know at least a LITTLE about what's happening. More than that, I expect him to respect ME, and not see me as a disease or condition, but as a person. If he can't do that, he's nothing but a technician.

Answer 5

It means you have a doctorate-level degree after 3-10 years of postgraduate study.

Answer 6

Hi doctor. I'm 14 years old, and what a doctor means to me is a friend. Someone who won't leave your side. It means some one who truly cares. Someone who's gonna take good care of ya. I bet your all of those plus more. Hope I've helped ya out!!

Answer 7

It simply means a person helping another person even though it is a very simple task like listening. Even though this is a broad way of using it, it is still what a doctor is.

Answer 8

It means you are so sure your medical view point is the correct way to do things you shove it down your patients throats and never really find out what is going wrong, or how to fix it. Just throw pharmaceutical drugs at it. It's a very arrogant approach and is way off the mark.

Answer 9

In the US it means someone who is paid more than he deserves and is responsible for the huge costs of healthcare. He is someone to be sued if the patient is not happy with how things turn out.
In other parts of the world there is still some respect for doctors.

Answer 10

MY first thought would be that you have been college educated in the field of medicine. However, in could be in any given field. (Nowdays) I am of the older generation. I do not know what the younger generation thinks.
(Also, you could be posing as a doctor but not college educated.)

Answer 11

It means you are a useful person in society.