Healthcare Hullabaloo: Bizarro #3

Being in the medical business, I meet and know hundreds of Doctors. I know all types of Doctors as well – Internists, Surgeons, Osteopaths, Podiatrists, Chiropractors, Dentists and Veterinarians.

They all have two things in common:

1) They all work in health care and

2) Everybody calls them ‘Doctor’

Three of my closest friends are also Doctors. I’ll keep things anonymous and just call them Dr. R, Dr. C, and Dr. G. All three, as you might surmise, are very smart fellows.

Dr. R is one of my oldest and dearest friends. He is also my personal physician. We go all the way back to the third grade. Dr. R went to a state college and then attended medical school in the Caribbean. He is a very capable clinician, and he treats many people besides me, including many friends and family members. I would recommend his services to anyone.

Dr. C and Dr G are different from Dr. R. As I said, Dr. R is a very bright guy. Dr C and Dr. G, however, are on a completely different plane – they are both brilliant – two of the smartest people I have ever had the pleasure of calling my friend.

Upon meeting them, you probably wouldn’t know that they were Doctors. They don’t fit the usual mold. Dr C looks like a mountain man and Dr. G looks like an Iowa farmhand.

But the biggest reason why you wouldn’t know these guys were Doctors is that nobody calls them Doctor.

You see, neither of them work in the health care field – they have academic PhD’s and they don’t practice medicine in any way, shape or form.

I am not belittling their educations – far from it. Dr. C received his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from a world renowned University. Dr. G received his PhD in Engineering from a top ranked engineering school (yes, Sheldon, some Engineers have their Doctorates – not everyone is like Wolowitz).

In fact, the level of their education far exceeds the level of many people who enjoy the term ‘Doctor’ in both social and professional settings.

So why do only those people with advanced degrees who work in health care enjoy the title of ‘Doctor’?

Some might argue that the coveted title of Doctor should only be applied to those who save lives. The problem with this argument is that not all medical professionals are in the position to save lives. Even physicians who do research and never see or touch a patient are honored with the title of Doctor.

Besides, this type of thinking belittles the academic and professional accomplishments of those PhDs are who work outside of medicine.

Dr C is a world-recognized contributor in the field of wind turbine technologies. Dr. G invents new materials – materials that replace our dwindling supply of natural resources. Forget about saving patients – these guys are helping save the planet. How many Doctors in the health care field can match that claim?

In spite of all this, Dr. C and Dr. G are only called Doctor when they deliver a lecture or write a research paper. Meanwhile, the guy who squeezes my dog’s anal glands insists that everybody calls him ‘Doctor’.

Bizarre.

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