I was just wondering if a medical doctor doing PhD research can put the Dr title beside their names in academic correspondence or if it would look proud.

Cheers

k

======= Date Modified 18 Mar 2011 10:47:45 =======
hi there
in academic correspondence, putting the Dr title is ok.
no it will not look proud.
a medical doctor is still a doctor, no?

love satchi

A student who has completed medical school has a right in the UK to use the title Dr. There is no reason why a medical doctor cannot use their occupational title in all correspondance whether they are conducting PhD research or not. There is undoubtedly confusion between a medical Dr and a PhD Dr. which doesn't help!!

This is where the alternative approach (more common in the USA) of putting all qualifications after you name comes in handy.

Joe Bloggs, M.D. instead of Dr. Joe Bloggs
Joe Bloggs, Ph.D. instead of Dr. Joe Bloggs

Problem solved!!! To me also, it makes the person seems slightly less aloof.

I used to work in a research institute that had a lot of medical doctors studying for phds and they used to always identified themselves as clinicians either by putting MD after their name or by using the Dr title.

You've gradated in medicine therefore you have earned the right to call yourself Dr. It's not proud it's simply stating what you are and I doubt that any reasonable person would take issue with that.

Also using your title could work in your favour lending you additional gravitas which will instil even more confidence in the people you correspond with.

Go for it with pride I say!