To Dr or not to Dr

To Dr or not to Dr that is the question. Well it's this week's question.

Just over a week ago I had an article published on a magazine site. The editorial team chose to credit me as 'Dr Emily Garside'. It wasn't a request from me, but entirely a decision from their end. I noticed, reasoned they had in their wisdom decided it was appropriate to use my name and title and thought nothing of it. Then I got a disgruntled message on twitter.

Now a disgruntled message on twitter isn't unusual, in response to an article or even simply an opinion expressed, twitter is a medium that lends itself to complaining. Now let me be clear that this individual was not a troll, was not at any moment impolite and even was discreet enough to keep the entire conversation to direct message. But what they raised I couldn't entirely agree with, and has given me food for thought.

They disagreed with the use of 'Dr' in the credit. Note again, this wasn't my call. But I was called pretentious for including it there and in my twitter handle.

So am I pretentious for using my title? or should I insist upon it given how hard I worked for it?

I admit to sometimes feeling a little embarrassed about it. When giving some post show talks at a theatre this summer, my embarrassment became (and still is) a bit of a joke between myself and the director I worked with. It's not I don't think I deserve to be referred to as Dr G, I just think sometimes it sounds a bit odd. Sometimes it even feels like people are mocking me when they use it. Or worse they mock me when I do.

What are the times when I insist upon it then? well few actually. I tick the box on forms, because well, it's my title and it also avoids the minefield of Mrs, Miss or Ms.

I use it in work too-in email signatures mainly. I work in an alt-ac position (that's a position within academia/universities that isn't academic in nature) and firstly, it's the norm in my institution to use a title in email signatures. Secondly lets' just say occasionally academics need reminding that their 'support staff' are on an equal footing in terms of professional qualifications.

Likewise in seeking employment, I use my title. Why? well in that instance I'm trying to impress people. And without putting that title in there's a big old employment gap where my PhD is. So I show it off. Which occasionally also bites me in the arse when people see it as a marker of snobbery or over-qualified status.

So the conclusion we come to here is yes I do use my title in a professional context. Why? because it's a professional qualification. It's not like I go around asking my friends to address me as Doctor G. Although some do, mainly to take the piss when I'm being stupid.

I use it on twitter for professional reasons-I want people googling me to know I'm the same person as my linkedIn or Academia.Edu page. There's also a thriving academic community on twitter I'm part of, so again it seems the norm.

But why then do I sometimes feel embarrassed? why do I feel that people think exactly like the person who challenged me and think I'm being a pretentious wanker by using my hard-earned title Dr?

A friend raised a valid point that nobody would ever accuse a married woman of 'showing off' by using Mrs. Why then should I be embarrassed or worse made to feel embarrassed by the use of Dr?

I conclude this in the same way that I did with my twitter adversary above. I ask, would a man be a) embarrassed in the same way and b) would a man even be challenged in the same way?

Probably not is my conclusion.

I'm not going to go around demanding to be addressed by my proper title. Rarely would I correct anyone who called me 'Ms or Miss'. In many circumstances no it isn't relevant and will never come up. But I'm also not going to hide it either. I'm going to tick the box on the form, if asked I'll say Dr, and I'm damn well not taking it off my twitter handle either.