Doctor Who?

When I received my Ph.D degree several decades ago in a different country and in a somewhat pompous culture, I proudly introduced myself as Dr. Jain to all and sundry. The strange looks I received surprised me till my a frank colleague told me that “proper” doctors are financially well off and do not appear in tattered attire of “pretend” doctors just starting out in their career. The point was driven home and the title disappeared and was replaced by Ph.D. added to the name. After a few years even that was dropped because no one really cared what your educational qualifications were in my rather firmly grounded profession.

Even though we Canadians consider ourselves modest, there is a proliferation of the kinds of doctors around. When I see a doctor, in a party or in a grocery store, I feel the urge to tell her of my latest aches and pains. But every one in the healthcare industry claims to be a doctor, some with justification and others to raise their status a little higher. Dentists are perhaps justified in taking this elevated title, professors in academy too particularly when they are being addressed by students. It is open to debate whether practitioners of scientifically suspect treatments like chiropractic and naturopathy should assume a title which misrepresents their qualifications and hides the true nature of their profession. That said, if a lawn care company can call itself “Lawn Doctor” why shouldn’t a young man flipping burgers in the stall in the neighbourhood plaza call himself a Burger Doctor. Being able to serve hundreds of delicious burgers every day requires skill which many with Ph.D. degree may envy, particularly the writer whose last hamburger was mistaken, with justification, for a lump of coal.

The issue really is that a title should represent something concrete. In days gone by, the doctor was a person who looked after the physical health of the community. Poor sick went to his clinic and rich sick sent for him to drop everything to attend to their real or imaginary ailments. The doctors were on call every second of the day and the patients did not hesitate in relating their latest discomfort to them wherever their paths crossed. The doctors of yore did not necessarily have high level of education; in many developing countries that is still the case today. There is a vast difference in levels of education required to qualify as a medical doctor. In developing countries most medical degrees are equivalent, in terms of years spent in earning them, to a bachelor of whatever in other subjects though they are certified as M.D. Medical schools in North America generally require several years of post secondary education before accepting candidates for admission. However, in public’s perception of the title of doctor, the level of education is not critical, the type of service is. While Joe Blow, lawn doctor may be shrugged aside as funny, Dr. Joe Blow, lawn care specialist is not acceptable. While Dr. Joe Blow, naturopath or optometrist or pharmacist or chiropractor or Ayurvedist or whatever may be considered a grey area by some, it is undeniable that this pretension misleads general public into believing that their professions are equivalent to legitimate science based practice of medicine. Similarly, Dr. Joe Blow, Ph.D., is acceptable when the card is handed around in a conference but Dr. Joe Blow in a social gathering is misleading and deserves a long boring detailing of some one’s problems with constipation.

The title of Doctor does indicate a high level of education and secures favourable treatment from insurance companies and lenders. Still, I find it embarrassing that the credit card company put the title on my card and it often causes inconvenience to my wife, a “proper” doctor, when strangers wish to contact me and she is called to answer the phone. Relatively, this is a small inconvenience compared to confusion in the validity of professions caused by indiscriminate use of the title. May I suggest that academics call themselves phony doctors and the fringe professions use the title, Pseudo-doctor, to make it clear to the public what they really represent.

Problems of Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Spain.

While agreeing with many in the media that the news of the death of Euro is greatly exaggerated, I suggest that the current crisis was caused by grossly overfeeding the economies of countries abbreviated as PIGS who did not, perhaps could not, restrain themselves. To get them healthy again the bloated countries will have to suffer the pangs of hunger for some time; for more feeding of them by ‘not so prosperous now’ economies may kill the patient, not revive it.