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First off the bat, this is not about Ph.D.'s "right" to be called "Dr." They've certainly earned the title, and suggesting that MD's are the only "real doctors" is frankly ignorant.
When formally addressing professors with a Ph.D., which is the better or preferred title? Which has been more common in your experience?
Why "Professor" is preferable:
- The vast majority of professors have Ph.D.'s an there are more "doctors" than there are professors, so becoming a professor is more of an accomplishment. I believe that US Diplomatic Protocol ranks the title "Professor" higher than "Dr."
- On the other hand, the title Professor doesn't create a hierarchy between tenured faculty with and without Ph.D.'s, in other words they're being judged on their current accomplishments and position not a degree they may have received decades ago.
Why "Dr." is preferable:
- For the most part, the further up the academic ranks, the more common the doctorate. Many community colleges still have professors with master's degrees, while faculty with no doctorates are much less common in major research universities. Also,
In the UK, the title "Professor" is much more selective with only the equivalent of Full Professors entitled to use it, so it's very distinctive indeed. In the US "professors" are more common, including tenure-track assistants and sometimes even adjuncts so there are a lot more of them.
Last edited by King of Kensington; 09-12-2013 at 10:04 PM..
I have a PhD and would not like to be called Professor if I was just an adjunct faculty.
this x1000
in the states, there is no real mystery. you should only call certainly call a professor "Professor", and you should only do it if he/she really is one. it's a more accurate and prestigious title than Dr.
adjunct faculty should be called Dr. (if they have a PhD) or Mr./Mrs./Ms. if they don't. or first name of course if preferred
as an adjunct i gave up trying to correct my ugrad students. they just say professor no matter what. i can't blame them, why should they care if they aren't pursuing grad school
but if you care to say the correct thing, the rules above are what you use (in the U.S. at least) and i was always careful to make this clear on day one of class. i think students are entitled to know who they are dealing with
Quote:
Originally Posted by King of Kensington
Many community colleges still have professors with master's degrees, while faculty with no doctorates are much less common in major research universities.
i really don't think this is as common as you say. most of these people have a title such as lecturer or instructor. sometimes it's confusing because students don't use these rules and call all instructors professor. also some of the instructors encourage that - ego boost i suppose
there are a few institutions that officially call non PhD holders professors but i think it's the minority
of course, for fields where something like MFA is terminal and PhD is not offered, different rules apply
Quote:
Originally Posted by King of Kensington
Also, In the UK, the title "Professor" is much more selective with only the equivalent of Full Professors entitled to use it, so it's very distinctive indeed. In the US "professors" are more common, including tenure-track assistants and sometimes even adjuncts so there are a lot more of them.
yes, in the US tenure track staff are usually called professor, but adjuncts are usually not (although it does happen occasionally)
some institutions actually have a tenure track for lecturers, without calling them professor. i believe berkeley does this
Why do you both think it is an insult to be called a professor if that is what you are?
Because it's not what you are. You are an instructor of record.
It's like this, All professors are instructors (unless of course you are a professor that buys out his/her teaching load every semester), but not all instructors are professors.
It's not an insult, but it isn't an accurate representation of what I am. I would not consider myself on the same level (Academically speaking) as someone that has an established research track and has earned the right to become either a tenure-track professor or a tenured professor.
I remember the following from when I was an undergraduate at a very fancy university -- a young-looking man came into the classroom the first day of class to teach us. The class idiot (we had them even at very fancy universities in those days) asked him "Should we address you as Mr. So-and-so, or as Dr. So-and so?" The young professor's answer was "Either would be correct." I have always remembered this as a very classy, gentlemanly response. This young man went on to be quite an accomplished figure in his discipline, a real star. I also remember an older family member who had an MD from Harvard often calling himself "Mister" when the situation required a title of some sort.
I use first name.
I am the customer and they are the vendor.
I call MDs by their first name. The one that is on their name tag.
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