Medical doctor, PhD holder, Honorary doctorate awardee: Who deserves the Dr title?

 

 

Who should rightly use the title Dr? This question has sparked intense debates in certain quarters. How do we distinguish holders of honorary doctoral degrees from those with academic qualification using titles?

A fundamental distinction exists between honorary doctoral degrees and academic qualifications, particularly the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). 

Unlike the PhD, which demands rigorous scholarly inquiry, original research, and academic rigour, honorary doctoral degrees symbolise exceptional individual achievements, contributions, and service to society, distinct from academic accomplishments.

Honorary doctoral degrees acknowledge non-academic achievements, including exemplary leadership, innovative entrepreneurship, exceptional artistic expression, and humanitarian endeavors. 

In the United States, these degrees are denoted by “Hon” or “HC” (Honoris Causa) in parentheses, preceding the degree 

In an interview with Nigerian Tribune, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Administration) University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olapegba stated that medical doctors should not attach the title “Dr” to their names.

He noted that there is a craze for titles in Nigeria compared to abroad where medical doctors do not use the “Dr” title. According to him, it is only those that earn a PhD that are called “Dr.” 

He added that those who are awarded an honorary doctorate degree are not entitled to be called “Dr.” 

He said: “This is an ongoing controversy. Basically, abroad, for example, in United States of America precisely, medical doctors are not called Dr. 

“It is only those that earned an academic PhD that are addressed with ‘Dr’ title unlike here in Africa where everyone wants to be referred to using their title. For example, a veterinary doctor will also call himself a doctor, while a person who produces and prescribes herb will call himself doctor, that is ‘agbomola’ which is the Yoruba name for traditional medicine seller.

“Funny enough some professions use titles which do not exist. This includes surveyors who address themselves as ‘Surv.’ ‘Pharm’ is use to refer to pharmacists. Townplanners uses the title, ‘Tpl’. So there is a craze for titles. 

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“So for someone who was awarded with a honorary doctorate degree, the person should not use the Dr title. The person should use ‘PhD Honoris causa’ at the back of their name to indicate that they were honoured with PhD by a university. 

“So they are not supposed to be addressed as Dr. Sadly because there is no regulation about it, everyone uses the title. If it was strictly regulated, such will be put to an end.”

Also speaking in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, the Director General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Professor Ayo Omotayo, was also of the opinion that a medical doctor should be addressed as a physician and not addressed with the Dr title.

According to him, when medical doctors take further courses in the field they are addressed as ‘registrar’ and later ‘consultant’. 

He, however, argued that a person who has bagged an honorary doctorate degree award can also be addressed with the title “Dr” just as a person who worked to earn PhD from a university.

“Ordinarily medical doctors are not to be called doctors. They are basically physicians; that is the more reason you see they are addressed as registrars and later they graduate to be called consultant. 

“Those who have PhD are the ones to be called a ‘Dr’ and those who bagged honorary titles are also free to be called Dr because they were given in honour of some achievements they might have had that otherwise qualified them to be called Dr, but not truly at the same level with those who worked hard to get the award. But then, society accepts them. Even though they did not go through the academic process, they can be addressed with the title if they have truly contributed in other areas which makes them worthy to be given the title.”