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I was sharing MY personal experience. I found these people to be power-trippers for other reasons. What they had in common was the title "Dr." I find it very pretentious. I've a right to my opinion as you have to yours!
Plus I said that I consider people in the mental health field to be "real" doctors anyway...
Oh, of course, opinions can be had by all and that is part of what makes this forum interesting and fun.
I guess I look at my professors (most of them) and the hard work they have put into their schooling to get where they are and having a PhD does, in fact, make you a doctor, it is right there in the title. I would actually question a PhD if they did not go by doctor?
Perhaps it is somewhat regional. I went to school in California. Every professor was addressed as "Professor So-and-So." I can't recall studying with any that said "Please call me Dr."
I've met a few professors here in the Dallas area that prefer to be called Dr. I haven't attended college here though, so my exposure is limited. My professor father is from the midwest originally.
What is disrespectful about an adult paying thousands of dollars to attend a class calling you Mister. I would prefer to be called the sexiest man alive, but if anyone under any circumstance called me Mr. followed by my last name I would never fell slighted. When did that become anything short of respect? Why would someone that has accomplished so much feel slighted by something so small? I just don't get that.
It may seem small to you but it's a BIG deal to quite a few people. My favorite professor was in school straight from when he graduated high school til he was in his early 30s, including years of leading research projects abroad. It would be rude for me to ignore all these accomplishments by referring to him as "mister". Doctor or Professor works.
I would never call my medical doctors by "Mrs." for a similar reason. It has nothing to do with their career but all the WORK they put in to get that career. It's something I value personally and can completely understand why someone who wish that to be acknowledged. Everyone is a Mr., Ms., or Mrs. but not everyone has it in them to get a phD.
It may seem small to you but it's a BIG deal to quite a few people. My favorite professor was in school straight from when he graduated high school til he was in his early 30s, including years of leading research projects abroad. It would be rude for me to ignore all these accomplishments by referring to him as "mister". Doctor or Professor works.
I would never call my medical doctors by "Mrs." for a similar reason. It has nothing to do with their career but all the WORK they put in to get that career. It's something I value personally and can completely understand why someone who wish that to be acknowledged. Everyone is a Mr., Ms., or Mrs. but not everyone has it in them to get a phD.
You make great points!! I agree, everyone is a Mister or Mrs. or Ms. but when you put in that hard work, you deserve some acknowledgement. Why is a medical doctor better or more worthy than a professor. Heck, if it weren't for those professors, those medical doctors would not even be practicing!!
Interesting opinions. Here is what I would consider my gauge for addressing people. What do they call you? If they address me by my first name, I am doing the same. I call my physician Sandy. It's her name. She calls me by my first name.
It is OK to have someone tell you their preference and I wouldn't consider it snooty. It all depends on the attitude or tone of voice when they do it.
Hmm tough one. If I had PhD I don't think I'd mind getting called "Dr." or "Mr.".
I'm not sure I'd waste the time correcting people though. I would know what I am, and just because someone is a "Dr." doesn't really make me go "oooh aaah, they are superior".
Heck, I wouldn't mind people calling me by my initials, or "King Kevin"...maybe "Mr sexy blue eyes".
I had a music teacher last summer in college...she had a PhD and wanted to be called "Dr."...didn't have a problem with it, although I found it a bit funny to be calling a music teacher "Dr"
I am not a PhD nor a medical doctor. I did work for a dentist, who was Dr. Suchandsuch, but did not get offended if a personal contact (i.e. her child's teacher, a flower delivery guy, etc) called her Mrs. Suchandsuch. Some of her patients called her by her first name, and she did not indicate she was offended at that either.
Everyone has a right to be called whatever they want, but it does seem a bit petty to constantly correct people over it...
I'm married and I have children (and I have worked hard on both my marriage and my parenting, not to mention the work it took to get those children out of my body!), but if someone calls me "Miss," or "hey you," I really don't bother correcting them or getting offended... what's the point?
I think if you are in the PhD/MD holder's trade environment, you should respect them. For example you would address a university professor as "Dr." or if you are seeing your physician, you should call them doctor. And in those, situations, I can see someone being corrected - politely.
For someone out of their environment (i.e. getting their pool cleaned) - to "demand" the title is a bit much (especially if the title is not known). You may have deserved the title, but you certainly have not deserved the right to crap on others. Is a polite correction out of line here? Probably not... but does it really matter if the person ringing up your dry cleaning call you Dr._____ . or not?
My wife has her PhD and was a college professor - she couldn't deal with the attitudes of her students so she decided to do research full time. She did not mind if her students addressed her as "Mrs." or "Ms." She even mentioned that she found it awkward when her peers/other professors at the university would refer to her as "Dr." instead of by her 1st name.
However, watching her work 12 hours days in the library on her own while she was doing her dissertation I think she deserves the title of Dr. and if she asked someone in her work environment to address her that way I think that is totally acceptable.
Now if she starts making me refer to her as "Doctor" then we'll have a problem !!
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