You ask an interesting question. I like the, it depends, rule on using Dr either in or out of the research departments. Sometimes we need to have our authority recognized. If you are at a meeting with your peers and all of them refer to themselves as Dr. so and so, you might want to do the same.

In other instances, if the Dr. title gets in the way of collaboration, drop it.

As a female, I've found there are groups that disregard the opinions of women. The Dr. address helps assert a little more authority. Some disciplines like Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology also always use Dr. so and so. Other fields, not so much. Why that is, I don't know. That's a good question, too.

Madelaine, thank you for taking time out to reply to my discussion and you have a good RG score so you must be quite research active. Yes, the question I'm asking is essentially is it accepted or not to call myself a Dr when not in a research/academic setting. I originally qualified as a Physiotherapist from University College Dublin in 1992 and have worked in numerous rehabilitation settings over the years till I returned to academia and finished PhD back in 2006. I have worked as a lecturer and researcher since 2003 and absolutely love this Profession (Academia). However, I have my own Private Physiotherapy Clinic and of course often wonder which of the following I should write on my business cards;

• Dr Kenneth Monaghan (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).
• Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).
• Dr Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).

I notice (and this may be a coincidence) that the majority of time I write to a Consultant in Orthopaedics/Sports Medicine, although I sign Dr Kenneth Monaghan PhD, the reply report letter(s) almost always have the Dr dropped, but not to the medical colleagues who are included in the mail!!

I guess an important aspect of life is perspective, and I am confident with my own skills and knowledge but I can't help feeling the Dr title could be a benefit with patients perceiving me to have a better knowledge etc or maybe I am wrong. What do you think?

I read about some of your accomplishments. Very impressive. I would definitely call yourself Dr. Monaghan with your patients. You earned that title, too, regardless of how others react. It would give your patients more confidence in you and also trust your judgments.

• Dr Kenneth Monaghan (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist). This is OK, too
• Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist). I would go with this
• Dr Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist). not this one - it's generally considered incorrect descriptions which has nothing to do with your question
• In the US Physical therapists are now being educated at the doctoral level. I would be very surprised if they are not calling themselves Dr. Here's one example from NYC.

At Physical Therapist NYC, our experienced team is led by Dr. Page Baker, PT, DPT, LMT, WCS , Doctor Of Physical Therapy & Licensed Massage Therapist.

I have a question for you. I stumbled on clinical support for the idea that stimulation of the proprioceptive response and maybe vestibular stimulation leads to an increase in awareness. I can't find that link in the physiology literature. Any suggestions? A number of years ago I interviewed over 100 patients who had been unconscious. When they were moved, bed to a stretcher, for example, they became more alert. They still couldn't talk or move but they had an increased awareness of their surroundings. That's published. I have another situation with infants that showed something similar and one with hypnosis. Ideas?

Madelaine, thank you for the nice comment and that work you are involved in sounds hugely interesting indeed. Please check out one of my projects that we are involved in that is trying to develop sensory substitution to make up for loss of motor control in patients. This follows on from the very interesting work of Paul Bach y Rita who first published that re-routing information from a simple accelerometer on a helmet through a patients tongue helped cure vestibular damage in 'wobblers'. Peter Lynch my Postgraduate is intending to work on something similar and also to explore the creation of a device that uses sound in addition to the tongue to assist rehabilitation post stroke.

I don't know if you are familiar with the books of Normal Doidge (See attached) but if you haven't and are really interested in Neuroplasticity then I recommend you buy these because the concepts in them are fascinating.

Send an e-mail to my postgrad Peter Lynch ([email protected]) with similar questions that you send me.

What part of the world are you located Madelaine?

Apologies, forgot to attach in last mail!!

I think it depends on the individual. Certainly, my preference is for the informal. So I really don't mind.

Hi all,

I've enjoyed reading the discussion here so far. Largely, I'd agree with what's been said. I think when we first introduce ourselves to people in a professional setting, whether it's with peers or for some other meeting, it's appropriate, and I'd argue important, to refer to ourselves as Dr. After all, it's a title we've worked for and earned. It also seems to grab people's attention when you refer to yourself as Dr.

Coming from an educational background, I find this is important to as those who earned an Ed.D. are often considered inferior. I find this laughable as the work they do to obtain their degree is just as challenging as Ph.D.'s, M.D.'s, etc.

Thanks for posing this question. It's prompted some great dialogue!

Neil, thank you so much for taking the time out to reply and I hope all well in Manchester. You would seem to me to be perfectly qualified (Psychology) to give an opinion here because as has been stated a lot of the decisions on how to use the PhD qualification seems to depend on what perception one wants to give of themselves.

I agree with your opinion that the informal is fine, and I generally believe that 'those who know, know' i.e. if you have the knowledge and qualifications then surely there is no need to be trying to flaunt this etc, but as stated by Madeline earlier, sometimes patients want you to be calling yourself Dr, and for that reason, should it not be used.

Can I ask your opinion on what would be appropriate to call myself. Do you agree with Madeline that 'Kenneth Monaghan PhD' is the correct option?

Alex, thanks for taking time out to reply to the original question and I hope your research in Iowa is going well. You make a valid point, although I have to say as the years go by and because I am gaining more and more experience (and more importantly confidence) I find that I don't pass any heed of whether a colleague is Dr / Prof etc because its obvious whether someone knows what they are taking about and whether or not they appear to understand research design.

However, in a Physiotherapy practice where most of my patients may have no obvious interest in my 'academic exploits' it is confusing whether to feel confident using the title Dr before my name as spoken about in earlier replies. I think once PhD is attached to the name regardless of whether I use Dr beforehand it does make the distinction between an MD and a PhD etc.

Alex in your opinion what should I call myself on my business cards;

• Dr Kenneth Monaghan (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).
• Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).
• Dr Kenneth Monaghan PhD (Musculoskeletal Specialist Physiotherapist).

Thanks for getting involved here. Ken

Hi Ken,

I would go with the first option. Under no circumstances would I ever go with the third one. It's redundant to put Dr. in front followed by the degree at the end. One or the other.

Should you have any other questions feel free to ask!

Hope all's well,

AP

Alex, thanks for the prompt reply and I will go with that suggestion. I have written earlier about our research group and interest in the area of neuroplasticity. Looking at your profile I see you are interested in behavioural analysis/techniques with children (I think).

I don't know if you are familiar with the books of Normal Doidge (See attached) but if you haven't and are really interested in Neuroplasticity then I recommend you buy these because the concepts in them are fascinating, and some of the case studies, especially the ones in his latest book will apply to your research interests. Have a look and thanks again.

That's quite a culture-based matter, I presume. For instance, Germans love titles normally, currently, it moves to the written context but still. On the doors in German institutes, one will probably see something Herr/Frau Professor(in) Dr./Dr. nat. med. ... (so both titles together). In English speaking countries, people seem to be more relaxed about that. In Russia and some post-soviet countries, the use of one's full name with patronymic is a form of formal address which used to underline the superiority also in the academic context. This would normally be used also in spoken language within the same group, to add more authority, I believe. The titles like Professors are not really used for that.

There is no single answer here. It all depends on the inner feelings of the person. A person should take responsibility for making such a decision. He must reflect on why he is doing this. Therefore, the result will not be direct, but mediated. Is the use of calling yourself a 'Dr' even within your own research group a form of 'Authority Bias' being exerted? Yes, if there is such a motive, explicit or implicit. Revealing motive is a separate study. Could there be other motives? Yes. And what motives could they be? For example, the motive for formalizing relationships in a research group or in everyday relationships. Such a motive, I believe, appears when a person seeks to simplify his system of relations.

It depends on the culture (anthropologically speaking) and the environment of the Country in which the subject is found: For example, in Latin American countries it is usual for one to be presented -in any environment- as "the Licentiate or Dr. , bla bla bla"; However, in many others, Doctors - with or without PhDs - are called and presented as "Dr" ... the ideal would be to leave such treatment for the academic and scientific media and environments, as well as if one has a Military Degree or Employment / Rank, the logical thing is that such a Degree and the pertinent treatment is left only for the military environments and means (and I think I know what I say, because I am a PhD and Colonel of the Health Corps and I do not I present with such "adjectives" -I have done it here ONLY FOR THE PURPOSES AND FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES OF THE EXPOSED-)

As we are all aware that individual qualifying under his research or any of his specialize subject the respective university confirms in PhD for which he is known as Dr with his name . In this line he cannot be confined to the PhD degree holder in the medical profession of various lines .

Only think the social members who are not aware regarding his PhD for his subject title such members may misunderstand him as a Doctor of Medical line but immediately on clarifying the PhD for the subject concern , the misunderstanding can be avoided .

This is my personal opinion

Nikolay D Solovyev thanks again for contributing to the discussion and I hadn't considered the cultural aspect of this until I read your answer.

I'm not really sure what the expectation in Ireland is from a cultural point of view. Should PhD's just use their Dr title in an academic setting or is it fair to call themselves Dr outside of academia?

What do you suggest?

Svetlana Belykh thank you for taking time out to join the discussion and you are in agreement with Nikolay!

I like the expression 'those who know. know' and perhaps a person with confidence should not require to use titles out of academic settings. However, the question of whether it is appropriate regardless of the motive is the one I am interested in answering here.

Good luck with your research work in Russia!!

Svetlana Belykh thank you as well for taking time out to join the discussion. Regardless of my motives, the question remains whether it seems appropriate to call myself Dr Kenneth Monaghan, or Dr Kenneth Monaghan PhD, or Kenneth Monaghan PhD when treating patients in a clinical setting?

I certainly do understand the cultural issues presented.

Good luck with your research work in Spain. Ken

Apologies but last post was meant to be replying to Francisco Javier Gala .

Sorry for confusion!!

Rohit Manilal Parikh , thank you for your opinion and for joining the discussion. Am I correct in thinking that what you are suggesting is that if I call myself Dr Kenneth Monaghan in a non-academic setting then I should quantify this by including PhD after my name?

Good luck with your research work in India. Ken

Thank you, dear Kenneth Monaghan

The topic is interesting, but I personally think that there are two partially different issues to be addressed in your question.

1) How can we prevent the so called "Authority bias"?

It is demonstrated that Authority bias is very common in workplaces and its existence was shown by the famous Milgram obedience experiment. In my opinion, strategies to reduce the impact of Authority bias on workers (especially on junior collaborators) and on the quality of work are well summarized in this website about social psychology:

https://effectiviology.com/authority-bias-the-milgram-obedience-experiment/#How_to_reduce_the_authority_bias

In brief, de-biasing techniques include increasing the distance between the subordinate and the authority figure, as well as resizing the perception of the boss's authority. Of course, these recommendations seem to mostly refer to "toxic" working environments, where the leader exerts his/her authority in a bad way. In general, non-toxic hierarchies exist for a purpose, that is to maintain order and to make organizations effectively work towards specific objectives (otherwise, chaos would spread). So, without ludicrously tempting your students to question your own authority for no reason, I personally believe that it is already enough if you simply encourage them to openly share their ideas and opinions, thus taking their valid proposals in adequate consideration when you have to make decisions. Ultimately, the key point is not to create preconditions for anarchy, but a healthy working environment, where roles are clear, some degree of independence is allowed and everyone feels OK.

2) Should PhD graduates feel comfortable calling themselves "Doctor" outside the research/academic environment?

Yes, they can, even from a legal point of view. Most importantly, they shouldn't deceitfully use this generic title with common people to be purposely mistaken for medical doctors (if they are not) in order to provide medical advice when they wouldn't be licensed to do so (in Italy, some cases of this kind have unfortunately occurred). However, this is a fraudulent behavior which luckily appears limited. In any other case, PhD graduates, regardless of their educational background, should feel comfortable calling themselves "Doctor" because they have usually studied a lot, worked hard and deservedly earned this academic title.

I think some like the word (Doctor) to fulfill an ego present inside that tells them that they are superior than other people

Dear Kenneth Monaghan

I think in some way it represents a kind of respect outside the research/academic environment. For me, it is not important.