Understanding the title “doctor” in use: Ph.D., M.D., J.D., and Ed.D.
When could we call a person “doctor”, not Ms., Mrs., Miss, or Mr? My 10-year-old kid asked me today that and I believed many people having the same question. So let figure it out.
Firstly, we look at where the word “doctor” came from. The word doctor is derived from the Latin verb “docere,” meaning to teach, or a scholar. Then came a health care provider in any ancient village around the world, the expression “medical doctor”, or “physician”, or “medicus” (in Latin) or “医生 yīshēng” (in Chinese) or “bác sĩ” (in Vietnamese) has been an archaic word.
Secondly, we look at the ladder of education degrees.
1. After finishing a college or some undergraduate schools, where we learn how to think generally and how to perform some tasks in a specific area of some careers, we will get bachelor’s degree (BA or BS). At this rung of the educational ladder, we could find a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery), a DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine), a R.N. (registered nurse) and an M.D. (doctor of medicine).
2. After finishing graduate school, where we learn how to think particularly in a specific area of some careers and how to perform some advanced methods in those careers, we will get a master’s degree (MA or MS). At this rung of the educational ladder, we could find a J.D. (juris doctor), an M.D. with master degree.
3. And after finishing scientific research of dissertation, where we create new knowledge in a specific field of sciences or a new field of science, we will get a doctorate degree (Ph.D. doctor of philosophy, or Ed.D. doctor of education). At this level of knowledge, we could find a scientist who knows how to create new knowledge in his scientific field. Please note that one young person can study continuously (K-20) without practical working in any industry, to reach his or her Ph.D. degree, while to obtain an Ed.D. or an M.D. with the Ph.D. degree, a person must have a least five years’ experience in the field (education or medicine).
To sum up, in the health care area, “doctor” is a pronoun, a word of hailing, a saluting expression to call the professional physician politely and traditionally. A medical doctor is trained heavily with applied knowledge of science to perform health care, so apparently, a medical doctor is not a scientist who generates new knowledge. A medical doctor (M.D.) with the Ph.D. degree, or a registered nurse (R.N.) with the Ph.D. degree, is a scientist who knows how to do scientific research. In the legal area, J.D. is someone accomplished with graduate education and not a scientist on jurisdiction. In other areas, a Ph.D. or an Ed.D. is a noble scientist who has already created new scientific knowledge by completing his or her own dissertation research that is approved by an eminent scientific committee, and the doctoral degree is awarded by a prestigious higher education institution.
