There’s a recent debate going on about whether or not people who have a PhD ought to put prefix their name with “Dr.” or not. It’s a debate that’s been had plenty of times before. When the flight attendant asks if there’s a doctor on board, don’t use the credentials unless you’re comfortable raising your hand. That’s one school of thought. The other says that anyone who has completed a PhD should use the prefix. What’s appropriate is probably somewhere in the middle, and should take into account cultural norms as well.
In the academic world, a PhD usually makes you qualified to teach a particular subject. There’s a big difference between a career in academics and a career spent saving lives – in prestige, that is. Adding a few letters in front of your name is a quick way to kick your social status up a few notches.
Another way to look at the appropriate use of Dr. might be the extent to which your research has had a real impact on society. Many of today’s greatest inventions are born from research institutions where people dedicated their entire lives to creating something, and then licensed the intellectual property (IP) to be commercialized. A British firm called IP Group has based their entire business around taking intellectual property from universities and turning it into cold hard pounds.
About IP Group
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