Is it a Brazilian thing, or is there some other country in the world where (some) people get hung up about the fact that the word "doctor" may refer to both physicians and holders of doctorate degrees?

I'm trying to find some information online, but I'm having trouble tracing the origin of this myth and finding out whether it's a local belief. Is it?

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I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "get hung up by" or what myth you're talking about lol

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Originally posted by Lews I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "get hung up by" or what myth you're talking about lol

Sorry, I should've been more specific.

Here in Brazil there's a myth that physicians shouldn't be called "doctors" because doctor is a title that was originally used to call those on whom doctorate degrees have been conferred, and there's no reason why we should call physicians "doctors" if they haven't gone through graduate school - and they blame an obscure imperial law from 1827 for this alternate use.

Of course, this is wildly inaccurate, as doctor has come to have both meanings in most European languages, of which Portuguese happens to be one. So, if this myth exists here, I wonder if it exists in some other place where a European language is spoken.

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Nope. Never heard of this nonsense.
If anything, it's the other way around. If you say the word "doctor", everyone assumes you're talking about an MD. If you're taking about another type of doctor i.e a holder of a doctorate degree, you have to specify which.

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third world problems.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lira Is it a Brazilian thing, or is there some other country in the world where (some) people get hung up about the fact that the word "doctor" may refer to both physicians and holders of doctorate degrees? I'm trying to find some information online, but I'm having trouble tracing the origin of this myth and finding out whether it's a local belief. Is it?

Yes, pedantics the world over get hung up about this

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Originally posted by Intellekshual Nope. Never heard of this nonsense. If anything, it's the other way around. If you say the word "doctor", everyone assumes you're talking about an MD. If you're taking about another type of doctor i.e a holder of a doctorate degree, you have to specify which.

I feel the same, personally... this is what seems to wind these people up so much

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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN third world problems.

In my experience, people who spout such nonsense here do perceive this as a symptom of a backwards society (usually due to cultural cringe). If FuzzQi heard about this in Kiwi-Aussie land, then it's no surprise someone pedantic sees their peers under an unfavourable light...

Do you remember where you heard that, Daniel?

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If anything it is the opposite in the US, but even then rarely have I ever heard anyone have a problem with it.

Usually context and qualifiers are enough, and mostly people will say they have a "doctorate of xyz" or a "PhD in ..." if they aren't a MD.

Yeah, in America it's definitely the other way around, where people (ignorant people) are more likely to say you shouldn't call someone a doctor unless they have an MD.

Most people I know just say "I have a doctorate in ____", regardless of if its Medical or Philosophy. Though no one really introduces themselves as a doctor unless they are a medical doctor.

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Yea, the only time I've ever heard doctor generally used in the introduction of someone, like at a lecture or speech, and in that case they usually say "introducing Dr. Blahblah, a PhD in field XYZ".

If I am talking to someone who has a doctorate and talking to them in a formal tone then I will also say/write "Dr." instead of Mr. or Ms./Mrs.

Here you also get a lot of self-helpy type books written by "FirstName LastName, PhD." Although it sometimes happens that the author's PhD is in a field that has nothing to do with the advice he or she is doling out.

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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN third world problems.