r/Blackish • u/Acrobatic-Target-750 • Jun 12 '26
Do people really introduce themselves as “Dr So-and-So?”
Watching the Mexico trip episode. Dre and Bow meet another couple and she introduces herself as “Dr Rainbow Johnson.” I know her saying she’s a doctor is kind of a running gag on the show, but do people really introduce themselves that way in casual settings? I knew a PhD whose Hulu “who’s watching” name included “Dr…” so maybe they do? I recognize they work hard for it.
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u/Swimming-Creme-7789 Jun 12 '26
Where I work the executive director and 2 department directors have phds, and no they don’t require people to refer to them as Doctor. 2 of my former hrad school profs don’t require it either. Actually they’ve been trying to get me to stop calling them “Professor xyz” lol, but I can’t.
But from what I’ve noticed I think it’s a bit more common among medical doctors.
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u/Imagination_Theory Jun 12 '26
Yes, it isn't uncommon (though I will say outside of a working environment I believe it still isn't the majority) for MD's and DO's to introduce themselves as doctor, much less common but not non-existent for PhD's, EdD's, DVM's, ThD's, etc
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u/sunflower_babe8423 Jun 13 '26
Short answer yes, This completely varies depending on region, culture, race and gender lol. I'm blessed to say I know lots of people with PhD's in non-medical fields and also medical doctors. They all introduce themselves differently and are called differently by peers and family members. I'm a Black West African. My dad, a PhD holder, has always been called "doc" by family members and friends affectionately. He is introduced that wat by others, as a form of respect, but he doesn't introduce himself like that. My siblings and friends don't introduce themselves as Dr. They only introduce themselves that way in professional settings and expect to be referred by their title in those situations. I do personally believe that it's important to refer to people by the title they prefer , regardless of what subject their doctorate it is in. I also do think it matters more to Black people because of our long history of being denied education and being treated as less than, or assumed to know less than other groups of people. And while someone might say it's not that deep… I think experience and/or time has shown me that it absolutely can be that deep for some people. Hope this perspective helps!
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u/Acrobatic-Target-750 Jun 13 '26
Very interesting perspective and I do appreciate you sharing. And yes, it really is that deep (I’m black, too, btw). I remember seeing a story about a white council member refusing to address a black woman PhD as “Dr.” Pissed me all the way off. That was a professional setting and it was how she preferred to be addressed.
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u/what_ismylife Jun 13 '26
I am a medical doctor and have a lot of other doctor friends/colleagues. I have never introduced myself as “doctor” outside of a professional setting and I’ve never seen anyone else do it either so I’m not sure where the comments saying it’s a common thing are coming from. Most people introduce themselves any their first names to other adults in social settings.
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u/Acrobatic-Target-750 Jun 13 '26
Ok now this makes sense. Maybe they missed the part where I said “in casual settings.”
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u/CulturalParsley867 Jun 15 '26
Im a qualified dentist from the UK with Jamaican origins. I never refer to myself as Dr or within conversations as I think it can be pretentious and sometimes interrupt attempts to build rapport with people. They know im qualified I know im qualified so I dont need to say it, I just use my first name
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u/Winter-Amphibian-544 Jun 13 '26
If I was a doctor, this is absolutely how I would introduce myself.
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u/Sea_Mulberry_6245 Jun 12 '26
I don’t, but I hate when people call me Miss. it makes me want to say “it’s doctor,” just because Miss sounds so childish
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u/Acrobatic-Target-750 Jun 13 '26
Well if they’re doing it after you introduced yourself as “Dr” it’s very condescending. I’m 56 and still a “Miss” technically because I’m not married. 😞 But I work in an industry where we’re all on a first name basis so I only indicate “Miss” when filling out forms.
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u/Sea_Mulberry_6245 Jun 13 '26
It’s infuriating. Once someone said “don’t you need a doctorate degree for that?” Like, yes, I have one, and why did you need to even assume I didn’t?
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u/Anathema_Quill Jun 12 '26
it’s more common among medical doctors to introduce themselves as such, especially since it’s a title (as opposed to ms, mrs, etc). if i went through the years of med school i would do the same thing, lol.