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>Is a Doctor of Philosophy a real doctor Nitpick, but yes, actually "doctor" comes from the latin "to teach" and originally refers to doctor of philosophy, and

>Is a Doctor of Philosophy a real doctor Nitpick, but yes, actually "doctor" comes from the latin "to teach" and originally refers to doctor of philosophy, and has been co-opted for MDs. The real question is "are mds (who dont teach) real doctors?"

Cd00d 5y ago
That's interesting. Though, I'm not a fan of the notion that I'm no longer a Dr. after leaving academia post PhD. But, that's just my emotional take, and doesn't counter your origination history.
- Supermancho 5y ago
  > I'm no longer a Dr. after leaving academia post PhD "Does a PhD thesis have to be novel?" - I don't care how you slice that answer, even if you were confirming/revisiting existing studies. If you have a PhD, you contributed to human knowledge in either the master or PhD theses, imo.
- xtracto 5y ago
  Hey, I did my PhD more than 10 years ago, and I've taught more in my time in industry than what I could have taught in academia.
qudat 5y ago
I would argue that physicians are actually engineers. They are applying medical sciences. Just like software engineering is the application of computer science. It’s the truest definition I’ve been able to think of.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  Physicians are repair techs for humans Engineers design and create, physicians fix problems and do maintenance.
psyc 5y ago
> The real question is "are mds (who dont teach) real doctors? This makes my day!
jimmyvalmer 5y ago
actually "doctor" comes from the latin "to teach" There's only one robust doctor test and it doesn't involve etymology. If someone else's mother refers to you as such, then you're a doctor.
klodolph 5y ago
To add to this, you'll see different degrees for research vs. professional practice doctorates in various fields. For example, you can get a Ph.D. in psychology, or a Psy.D. in psychology. Generally speaking, Ph.D. is for psychology researchers and Psy.D. is for professional psychologists. Similarly in law, a J.D. is often part of the process of becoming a lawyer, and a J.S.D. is for someone who wants to do research.
jolmg 5y ago
I hadn't noticed the weird parallel where Japan also uses one word, "sensei" in their case, for both teacher and medical doctor.

Cd00d 5y ago

That's interesting. Though, I'm not a fan of the notion that I'm no longer a Dr. after leaving academia post PhD. But, that's just my emotional take, and doesn't counter your origination history.

Supermancho 5y ago
> I'm no longer a Dr. after leaving academia post PhD "Does a PhD thesis have to be novel?" - I don't care how you slice that answer, even if you were confirming/revisiting existing studies. If you have a PhD, you contributed to human knowledge in either the master or PhD theses, imo.
xtracto 5y ago
Hey, I did my PhD more than 10 years ago, and I've taught more in my time in industry than what I could have taught in academia.

qudat 5y ago

I would argue that physicians are actually engineers. They are applying medical sciences. Just like software engineering is the application of computer science. It’s the truest definition I’ve been able to think of.

netizen-936824 5y ago
Physicians are repair techs for humans Engineers design and create, physicians fix problems and do maintenance.

psyc 5y ago

> The real question is "are mds (who dont teach) real doctors? This makes my day!

jimmyvalmer 5y ago

actually "doctor" comes from the latin "to teach" There's only one robust doctor test and it doesn't involve etymology. If someone else's mother refers to you as such, then you're a doctor.

klodolph 5y ago

To add to this, you'll see different degrees for research vs. professional practice doctorates in various fields. For example, you can get a Ph.D. in psychology, or a Psy.D. in psychology. Generally speaking, Ph.D. is for psychology researchers and Psy.D. is for professional psychologists. Similarly in law, a J.D. is often part of the process of becoming a lawyer, and a J.S.D. is for someone who wants to do research.

jolmg 5y ago

I hadn't noticed the weird parallel where Japan also uses one word, "sensei" in their case, for both teacher and medical doctor.