Should you be allowed to use the title "Doctor" by license (without a doctoral degree)?

This is dependent of where you are. In BC Canada we have been granted use of the title d.tcm in our province by our provincial government. However, in other provinces where this is not in effect, they should NOT be using the title. Although I have noticed some individuals doing so.

Most MDs or Dentists, etc. Do NOT have doctoral degrees either in the sense of Ph.D doctoral studies. See the following article, and look up the difference between a professional degree/ title vs a research degree.

One is government/ college of practitioners issued and the other is issued from a degree granting learning institution (ie university).

Needs a clearer question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate

Mach5,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to this poll. I have posted a larger discussion in the forum section. I don't think legality is really the issue. Clearly many states and provinces allow this but that does not mean it should be allowed. Why this occurs has to do with lobbying, access to care and timing of licensing, etc. I was a bit confused by the MD comment you made because a doctorate does not necessarily mean a PhD. MD's, DDS's, DC's and ND's all have doctoral degrees. The language is not really important and is largely semantics but these are all considered first professional degrees (at least in the USA). I agree there is a difference between a clinical/professional degree and and a research or academic PhD., but that said, having a license does not mean you have a doctorate of any type. In fact in the US most Acupuncturists and Oriental Medicine providers have Masters degrees.

My question is why should you be called "doctor" without a doctorate of any type, especially without a clinical doctorate? Are you/we saying that an MSOM is equivalent to a DAOM or an MD? Now, don't misunderstand, a degree does not ensure competency and I have had many non-doctorate professors that are phenomenal practitioners. That is not really my focus for this question however. What I am concerned with is how we as a professional community can allow this discrepancy. If you read my position in the forum it elaborates more.

This disregard and misuse of title is inappropriate. It is misleading to patients and implies a level of training that has not been achieved. We are the only profession that allows this. In the US, this is also a problem because it conveys an expectation to both the patient and other providers that practitioner may or may not be able to attain. Should we start calling all massage therapist, dental hygienists and physical therapists "doctor"? Look at the problems in unlicensed, unregulated states where people with mail order naturopathic, nutrition and holistic health degree can use the title Naturopath or Nutritional Counselor! If it were truly only a matter of competence, then there would not be such insistence to use similar titles to lure and sell patients.

My guess is that people without doctorates who use the title vote yes and with a doctorate vote no. Looking forward to continued discussions. Thank you again for your time and insight.