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If someone in TV-land is referred to as "the doctor", it means they're a medical doctor. It might not be explicitly mentioned, possibly even outright denied, but anyone called the doctor seems to be [[Open-Heart Dentistry|able to deliver any and all surgical operations]] and medical [[Techno Babble]] required by the plot. There are no exceptions (well, other than [[Doctor Who|him]]). All those other guys who've got doctorates in science, law and philosophy are helpfully distinguished from ''real'' doctors with vaguely-academic titles like "professor", if they're even awarded one at all.
If someone in TV-land is referred to as "the doctor", it means they're a medical doctor. It might not be explicitly mentioned, possibly even outright denied, but anyone called the doctor seems to be [[Open-Heart Dentistry|able to deliver any and all surgical operations]] and medical [[Techno Babble]] required by the plot. There are no exceptions (well, other than [[Doctor Who|him]]). All those other guys who've got doctorates in science, law and philosophy are helpfully distinguished from ''real'' doctors with vaguely-academic titles like "professor", if they're even awarded one at all.


'''"Not That Kind of Doctor"''' as a trope stems from a modern convention: in the past, "Doctor" had a purely academic connotation—the word itself derives from the Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher". At some point, the word (in English, at least) began to shift from being the title of a learned person or a person with a doctorate, to meaning the same as "physician". Originally, the M.D. was a doctorate in medicine, but in some places, like the US and Canada, it became the first professional degree. (In the UK and Ireland, an MB ChB—bachelor of medicine & surgery—are the first ''undergraduate'' degrees; holders are addressed as "Doctor" regardless. While Surgeons—which require a graduate degree, equivalent to a North American MD in length of education—are only addressed as Mr, Mrs, or Miss in a form of reverse snobbery.<ref>Historically, being a doctor (the equivalent to GP today) was considered a more upper-class and gentlemanly career than surgery, as they do not have to get their hands dirty. Most surgeons are simply working-class barbers. However when the modern era rolled around and surgery become a more specialized and prestigious line of work than ''mere'' doctoring, the surgeons refused the title of Doctor as a sort of passive-aggressive middle-finger to the snobs who denied them the title 300-ish years previously.</ref>) It is easy to see how the term "doctor" was slowly divorced from its academic roots. This has gone so far that it is common for it to be thought that "real" doctors are physicians... which brings us to this trope. And [[MD Envy]] to boot.
'''"Not That Kind of Doctor"''' as a trope stems from a modern convention: in the past, "Doctor" had a purely academic connotation — the word itself derives from the Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher". At some point, the word (in English, at least) began to shift from being the title of a learned person or a person with a doctorate, to meaning the same as "physician". Originally, the M.D. was a doctorate in medicine, but in some places, like the US and Canada, it became the first professional degree. (In the UK and Ireland, an MB ChB—bachelor of medicine & surgery—are the first ''undergraduate'' degrees; holders are addressed as "Doctor" regardless. While Surgeons—which require a graduate degree, equivalent to a North American MD in length of education—are only addressed as Mr, Mrs, or Miss in a form of reverse snobbery.<ref>Historically, being a doctor (the equivalent to GP today) was considered a more upper-class and gentlemanly career than surgery, as they do not have to get their hands dirty. Most surgeons are simply working-class barbers. However when the modern era rolled around and surgery become a more specialized and prestigious line of work than ''mere'' doctoring, the surgeons refused the title of Doctor as a sort of passive-aggressive middle-finger to the snobs who denied them the title 300-ish years previously.</ref>) It is easy to see how the term "doctor" was slowly divorced from its academic roots. This has gone so far that it is common for it to be thought that "real" doctors are physicians... which brings us to this trope. And [[MD Envy]] to boot.


Certain professions blur the line. A psychiatrist or forensic pathologist will necessarily have a medical doctorate, but their main occupation isn't taking care of people's cuts and sniffles. If they're suddenly forced to act like that kind of doctor—like, say, they're on hand when someone gets hit by a car—expect them to act awkward and unsure before they save the day.
Certain professions blur the line. A psychiatrist or forensic pathologist will necessarily have a medical doctorate, but their main occupation isn't taking care of people's cuts and sniffles. If they're suddenly forced to act like that kind of doctor—like, say, they're on hand when someone gets hit by a car—expect them to act awkward and unsure before they save the day.
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'''Aquaman''': A ''hero'' doctor, through and through!
'''Aquaman''': A ''hero'' doctor, through and through!
'''The Atom''': ...a physicist. }}
'''The Atom''': ...a physicist. }}
** [[Played With]], however—his knowledge of physics allows him [[The Incredible Shrinking Man|to shrink down]] and pull off a [[Fantastic Voyage]] to save [[Batman]] anyway.
** [[Played With]], however—his knowledge of physics allows him [[The Incredible Shrinking Man|to shrink down]] and pull off a [[Fantastic Voyage Plot]] to save [[Batman]] anyway.
* ''[[Family Guy]]'': When the Griffin family starts working with [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|Dr. Diddy]] at his record label, Chris asks Diddy if he could perform surgery on himself in the event he got shot. Whereupon Dr. Diddy calmly replies that his doctorate is in optometry.
* ''[[Family Guy]]'': When the Griffin family starts working with [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|Dr. Diddy]] at his record label, Chris asks Diddy if he could perform surgery on himself in the event he got shot. Whereupon Dr. Diddy calmly replies that his doctorate is in optometry.
* In Booster Gold's episode of [[Justice League Unlimited]], he comes across a woman giving birth and tries to pass responsibility to Doctor Simmons, who informs him that she's a physicist.
* In Booster Gold's episode of [[Justice League Unlimited]], he comes across a woman giving birth and tries to pass responsibility to Doctor Simmons, who informs him that she's a physicist.
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** On the other hand, some teachers with a doctorate or professor's degree at some universities and schools don't insist on being called "Professor/Dr. (name)", and even discourage it in many cases. At many other colleges and universities, however, "Doctor So-and-so" or "Professor So-and-so" is the established way for a student to address their doctorate-holding instructor, and to do otherwise would come across as, at worst, very rude.
** On the other hand, some teachers with a doctorate or professor's degree at some universities and schools don't insist on being called "Professor/Dr. (name)", and even discourage it in many cases. At many other colleges and universities, however, "Doctor So-and-so" or "Professor So-and-so" is the established way for a student to address their doctorate-holding instructor, and to do otherwise would come across as, at worst, very rude.
* [[Uwe Boll]] also has a doctorate in literature. Good luck finding an unironic mention of him as "Doctor Boll", though.
* [[Uwe Boll]] also has a doctorate in literature. Good luck finding an unironic mention of him as "Doctor Boll", though.
** Is he [[Small Name, Big Ego|claiming]] [[Blatant Lies|to be a genius]] in that field, too?
** Is he [[Small Name, Big Ego|claiming]] to be [[Blatant Lies|a genius]] in that field, too?
* Doctoral students everywhere. After going through the very long, sometimes soul-sucking process of actually getting that PhD, you damn well want some acknowledgment for it. And yet the public insists on thinking that all doctors are physicians.
* Doctoral students everywhere. After going through the very long, sometimes soul-sucking process of actually getting that PhD, you damn well want some acknowledgement for it. And yet the public insists on thinking that all doctors are physicians.
* The [[Armchair Psychology|radio talk therapist]] Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a doctor of physiology, not psychiatry. Not false advertising exactly (she's perfectly entitled to put Dr. before her name), but misleading.
* The [[Armchair Psychology|radio talk therapist]] Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a doctor of physiology, not psychiatry. Not false advertising exactly (she's perfectly entitled to put Dr. before her name), but misleading.
* Aversion: ''Every'' university graduate in Italy is referred to as "Dottore" or "Dottoressa." Unless, that is, they have some more prestigious title, such as "Avvocato" (<s>avocado</s> lawyer) or even better, "Ingegnere" (engineer.)
* Aversion: ''Every'' university graduate in Italy is referred to as "Dottore" or "Dottoressa." Unless, that is, they have some more prestigious title, such as "Avvocato" (<s>avocado</s> lawyer) or even better, "Ingegnere" (engineer).
** It's so pervasive that many people will tend to automatically address as "dottore" someone who seems to be of high status. Also, even some non-graduates may be addressed by a title if their profession commands respect: the most common example is "Geometra" (a skilled construction technician, who has authority to approve some civil engineering projects).
** It's so pervasive that many people will tend to automatically address as "dottore" someone who seems to be of high status. Also, even some non-graduates may be addressed by a title if their profession commands respect: the most common example is "Geometra" (a skilled construction technician, who has authority to approve some civil engineering projects).
* Dr. Phil is not a medical doctor, but has a doctorate in psychology.
* Dr. Phil is not a medical doctor, but has a doctorate in psychology.
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** In ''[[Crossing Jordan]]'', when Dr. Jack Slocum [[Tyrant Takes the Helm|takes over]], his office door reads "Jack Slocum MD, PhD, JD". So he's ''all three kinds of doctor!''
** In ''[[Crossing Jordan]]'', when Dr. Jack Slocum [[Tyrant Takes the Helm|takes over]], his office door reads "Jack Slocum MD, PhD, JD". So he's ''all three kinds of doctor!''
*** One imagines that he has an uncomfortable time at medical and legal conventions, given the lawyer jokes and doctor jokes that tend to fly at such events.
*** One imagines that he has an uncomfortable time at medical and legal conventions, given the lawyer jokes and doctor jokes that tend to fly at such events.
** Madalyn Murray O'Hair actually was commonly referred to as "Dr. O'Hair" in American Atheist publications, though technically she earned a L.L.B which was [http://books.google.com/books?id=PitAMz7VfKAC&pg=PA29&dq=South+Texas+College+of+Law&hl=en&ei=Y3PATLGlM4W0sAO3wIXYCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false later converted] when all first professional law degrees in the US were automatically changed to JDs. (However, her school wasn't ABA approved so she couldn't sit for the bar exam.) Though in an inversion, she most likely was hoping to be mistaken for "not that kind of doctor", because despite her public legal battles earlier in her life, her articles by this point tended to delve into history, and obviously a Ph.D., especially if it was assumed to be in some kind of study of history as would be assumed for a doctor writing papers on history without mentioning otherwise, would add far more credibility to her many less than mainstream views (and because, as previously mentioned, no lawyer without a M.D. or Ph.D. refers to themselves as a doctor in the first place, so gaining legal credibility wouldn't make sense unless she hoped to be mistaken for a Doctor of Juridical Science, who do refer to themselves as "doctor").
** Madalyn Murray O'Hair actually was commonly referred to as "Dr. O'Hair" in American Atheist publications, though technically she earned a L.L.B which was [http://books.google.com/books?id=PitAMz7VfKAC&pg=PA29&dq=South+Texas+College+of+Law&hl=en&ei=Y3PATLGlM4W0sAO3wIXYCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false later converted] when all first professional law degrees in the US were automatically changed to JDs. (However, her school wasn't ABA approved so she couldn't sit for the bar exam.) Though in an inversion, she most likely was hoping to be mistaken for "not that kind of doctor", because despite her public legal battles earlier in her life, her articles by this point tended to delve into history, and obviously a Ph.D., especially if it was assumed to be in some kind of study of history as would be assumed for a doctor writing papers on history without mentioning otherwise, would add far more credibility to her many less-than-mainstream views (and because, as previously mentioned, no lawyer without a M.D. or Ph.D. refers to themselves as a doctor in the first place, so gaining legal credibility wouldn't make sense unless she hoped to be mistaken for a Doctor of Juridical Science, who do refer to themselves as "doctor").
* First Lady Jill Biden has been criticized for using the title [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-dr-jill-biden2-2009feb02,0,548459.story because she's not that kind of doctor]; her degree is in Education.
* First Lady Jill Biden has been criticized for using the title [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-dr-jill-biden2-2009feb02,0,548459.story because she's not that kind of doctor]; her degree is in Education.
* Nutritionist Gillian McKeith, who "voluntarily" stopped calling herself Dr. Gillian McKeith on the grounds she wasn't a medical doctor, just before the Advertising Standards Authority insisted that she stop calling herself that because the college she got her PhD from was "not accredited by any recognised educational authority".
* Nutritionist Gillian McKeith, who "voluntarily" stopped calling herself Dr. Gillian McKeith on the grounds she wasn't a medical doctor, just before the Advertising Standards Authority insisted that she stop calling herself that because the college she got her PhD from was "not accredited by any recognised educational authority".
** In other words, not only is she Not That Kind of Doctor, she's not actually ''any'' kind of doctor.
** In other words, not only is she Not That Kind of Doctor, she's not actually ''any'' kind of doctor.
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** As did that of the Duke of Wellington who was similarly honoured the same day, June 14, 1814. Blücher at the time joked that if they made him an honorary doctor they should also make Gneisenau, his chief of staff, an honorary apothecary. He and Gneisenau got honorary doctorates (in philosophy) from Berlin University later that year.
** As did that of the Duke of Wellington who was similarly honoured the same day, June 14, 1814. Blücher at the time joked that if they made him an honorary doctor they should also make Gneisenau, his chief of staff, an honorary apothecary. He and Gneisenau got honorary doctorates (in philosophy) from Berlin University later that year.
* In one of dialects of my language 'physicist' meant physician. Nucleus shares the word with kernel. So when female presented herself as nuclear physicist... (given—it was in time when nuclear physics what esoteric area of physics and 'no one' heard of it).
* In one of dialects of my language 'physicist' meant physician. Nucleus shares the word with kernel. So when female presented herself as nuclear physicist... (given—it was in time when nuclear physics what esoteric area of physics and 'no one' heard of it).
* Dr. Dre did not attend any university. He does have an honorary degree in Street Knowledge, though.
* [[Dr. Dre]] did not attend any university. He does have an honorary degree in Street Knowledge, though.
* Despite his claims to the contrary, creationist Kent "Dr. Dino" Hovind does not hold a valid doctorate. He bought his "degree" from a non-accredited "university" where he [[Did Not Do the Research]].
* Despite his claims to the contrary, creationist Kent "Dr. Dino" Hovind does not hold a valid doctorate. He bought his "degree" from a non-accredited "university" where he [[Did Not Do the Research]].
* Dr Pepper and its knockoffs (of course)
* Dr Pepper and its knockoffs (of course)
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* Dr. Lewis Yablonski is a sociologist who in 1967 visited several hippie communes and residences to gather information for a book (later titled ''The Hippie Trip''). When he went to Morningstar in Northern California, he said "I'm Dr. Yablonski, they're expecting me" and the man who greeted him immediately turned around and called out "The doctor's here! Is anyone sick?"
* Dr. Lewis Yablonski is a sociologist who in 1967 visited several hippie communes and residences to gather information for a book (later titled ''The Hippie Trip''). When he went to Morningstar in Northern California, he said "I'm Dr. Yablonski, they're expecting me" and the man who greeted him immediately turned around and called out "The doctor's here! Is anyone sick?"
* According to AP style, the Dr. honorific is only supposed to be used for actual medical doctors.
* According to AP style, the Dr. honorific is only supposed to be used for actual medical doctors.
* Derek Smart, the man behind ''[[Battlecruiser 3000AD]]'' and ''Universal Combat'' claims to possess a doctorate and frequently titles himself as Ph.D, but his thesis is not listed anywhere, and he has not divulged basic details about his doctorate, such as which college he attended or who was his supervisor. There's understandable suspicion that he's lying.
* Derek Smart, the man behind ''[[Battlecruiser 3000AD]]'' and ''Universal Combat'', claims to possess a doctorate and frequently titles himself as Ph.D, but his thesis is not listed anywhere, and he has not divulged basic details about his doctorate, such as which college he attended or who was his supervisor. There's understandable suspicion that he's lying.


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Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Not_That_Kind_of_Doctor"