If Someone has a Phd are They a Doctor? (Answered)

Getting Doctor (Dr.) Title before your name is a big achievement and a pride movement. You will see there are a lot of professors who have this title before their name and must have wondered how can you get it. The common answer to it is that you will need to complete a PhD to get the doctorate title. But it is really important to know if someone has a PhD are they a doctor or not. Therefore here we will help you to know more about it and the difference between a doctor and a professor.

Quick Takeaways

• PhD is the highest level of education that you can achieve in your academics.
• If you have a Ph.D., you will be called a doctor.
• A Ph.D. doctor is different from an MBBS doctor as an MBBS doctor will only be considered in the healthcare sector.
• Not all professors are doctors but all the PhD doctors can be a professor.

However, we will still recommend you to read till the end so that you do not miss any important facts related to whether someone who has a PhD will be a doctor or not.

What is a PhD?

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the highest level of education that you can achieve in academics. Getting this degree means that you will be taking part in expert-level research. When you are taking up this degree, you will have to undertake a lot of research projects and sometimes may also teach the students of the freshman year. You will also need to complete a long thesis related to the subject you are studying.

If someone has a PhD are they a doctor?

PhD is the highest academic degree that you can take up. You will go for your Ph.D. after you complete your master’s program. When you complete a PhD, you get eligible to use the doctor title and thus we can say that if someone holds a PhD, he/she will be titled as a Doctor in their own field.

Are all professors doctors?

Not all the professors are doctors but all the doctors are professors. There are many universities that appoint professors who only have master’s degrees. On the other hand, as discussed a doctor is the one who has completed their PhD degree. Thus only professors who have completed their Ph.D. degree can use the title doctor before their names. However, one thing you must remember is that you will have to capitalize both the titles professor and doctor before the names of the individuals holding the position.

Who can use the title Doctor?

As we already discussed one who holds the PhD, is known as the Doctor of their respected department. The doctor term is very confusing as most of the healthcare-related qualifications are also known as Doctor. Some of the healthcare-related professions related to doctor titles are Dentists, medical doctors, Paediatrics, etc. However, there is a debate going on, on this issue that the term for both the medical doctors and PhD holders should be different as it creates a lot of confusion among people.

PhD Doctor vs. MBBS Doctor

Although you may believe that both doctors are the same, there is a huge difference between both of them. A PhD doctor is one who has given 2-5 years in the post-graduation. Whereas, for MBBS you will need to spend around 5.5 years. A PhD Doctor is a title given to people studying the highest degree level in different subjects. On the other hand, if we talk about an MBBS Doctor, they are the ones who come in the healthcare sector.

What is the difference between a doctor and a professor?

The following table will help you to know the difference between a doctor and a professor-

Doctor	Professor
The doctor is the one who has completed their PhD in a specific field.	To become a professor you will need not have a PhD, you can also become one with the help of a master’s degree.
You will be generally teaching the students of higher level.	You will be teaching the students of lower level like first year or second year.
You will need to give your least 3-4 years in your post-graduation.	You will only be spending one year in your post-graduation year.
The average salary you get as a doctor is around $98,000 depending upon the area you are living and the experience you have gained.	The salary of a professor without a PhD is low which is between $64,000 to $170,000.
You will have to take part in a lot of research and have to teach the students.	You will have to teach the students, create the course content, take part in research, etc.

How do you address someone with a PhD?

If someone is holding a Ph.D., you must know what is the title you will have to use for addressing him/her. It is very confusing to understand how to address someone with a PhD holder. The title that you will be using before the name of the PhD holder is “Dr.”. It is the title that is used before the name of everyone who has received a Ph.D. in a particular field instead of using Mr., Mrs., Miss., etc. An important fact that you must remember here is that you will not have to use the title and the degree together before the name of a person who has received the degree.

When can you use the title Doctor after PhD?

Completing your PhD degree is a great achievement and definitely you will be excited using the title Doctor. When you complete the PhD and are notified by your university or the institution, you can officially use the title Doctor. Further, you must remember that you can also officially use the Ph.D. degree after your institution conferred that you have completed the Ph.D.

Conclusion

A PhD is the highest educational degree that you can take in your academics. If you have a PhD, it means that you are known as a Doctor. However, you must remember that not all professors are Ph.D. doctors and not all Ph.D doctors are known as professors. When you get a Ph.D., you are addressed by the title Dr. You can use it when your institution officially conferred that you have completed your PhD from the institution. 

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