Can Someone with a Doctorate Use "Dr." Before Their Name, or Is It Just for PhDs?

Hi Hetal,

My question is: can a Doctorate certificate holder add the prefix "Dr." mentioning DMS in brackets? Or is only a PHD degree holder allowed to add the prefix "Dr."? I am awaiting a prompt reply.

Thanks,
Hetal

Hello Hetal,

ONLY PhDs OR Medical Doctors can use the "Dr." prefix. Even Honorary Doctorates shouldn't be using the prefix, though many do so. Can you explain WHY you have this doubt/query?

Regards,
TS

Dear Hetal, TS has given you a brief reply and asked a relevant question. Please read the contents in the following links and also kindly explain what DMS stands for. I had completed DMS, which stood for Diploma in Management Studies, before doing my Master's degree; that Diploma was given to people who could not pursue their studies to Master's level.

- [Doctorate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctorate)
- [Issues in Ethics: Use of Graduate Doctoral Degrees by Members and Certificate Holders](http://www.asha.org/Practice/ethics/Use-of-Graduate-Doctoral-Degrees-by-Members-and-Certificate-Holders/)

Thank you.
Regards

Dear TS, Your comment reminds me of an incident that my late friend once told me about. My friend, who had a Ph.D. in textiles, called the hospital to inquire about an appointment and introduced himself as Dr. XXXX when asked for his name. The consultant's secretary mistakenly assumed that he was a medical doctor and scheduled an early appointment for him compared to other patients. However, when the consultant met my friend and learned that he did not hold a medical degree, he admonished him and issued an official warning.

The moral of this incident is that sometimes we may unintentionally mislead others. It is high time that there is a new designation to differentiate between medical doctors and other doctorate holders.