Misters or doctors? It’s a question of degree

A LETTER headlined ‘Academic distinction’ (Irish Examiner, September 9) asked why you refer to the Iranian president as Mr instead of Dr Ahmadinejad since he is the holder of a PhD in civil engineering.

Any basic university degree is awarded on merit after four years of study.

Generally, an honours degree is necessary to attain a master’s degree, which is awarded after a period of research in a chosen subject.

A doctorate follows further in-depth research and is mainly confined to academically-minded people.

It is an affectation to refer to holders of this degree as ‘doctor’ and it is sheer vanity for the holders to describe themselves as such.

The farmer’s wife who undertakes an adult education course involving much personal sacrifice to attain a certificate or diploma, or the office worker who attends university at night and gets a bachelor’s degree, have qualifications as meritorious as any higher degree earned in an academic environment.

Even though a medical degree is not a doctorate, we should reserve the title of ‘doctor’ for the medical profession, which is theirs by tradition.

WB O’Flaherty

> 5 Wilton Villas

Glasheen

Cork