In what has come as a big shock and shameful act in academia and the society locally, some easily excitable students have started using the title “Dr” prematurely, just after registering for their doctoral studies, which would take them three to four years, or even more, to complete.

 To make matters worse, it boggles the mind why some of these “Drs” are insisting that their family members, friends, relatives and acquaintances should address them as “Dr” before they have even started writing their proposals for their research. 

Many people I have talked to have questioned the intentions and urgency of these ill-advised students for ‘dressing themselves in borrowed robes’ so hastily.

“The title Dr has to be earned. As the highest academic award, it cannot be assumed, and should not be treated lightly,” says Professor Martin Pitt, a retired chemical engineer living in the United Kingdom.

“There was a tradition in the olden days when I was youn,g which I still think is charming. Suppose I had a PhD student called Eva Taylor. I would call her ‘Eva’ and she would call me ‘Dr Pitt’ until the day she passed her PhD exam. 

At that point I would say ‘Congratulations Dr Taylor’ and she would say ‘Thank you, Martin.” At this point, we would have become academic equals,” Pitt explains. 

I agree with Professor Pitt that students should only use the title “Dr” when they have passed their doctoral studies. I have successfully supervised 17 doctoral students, and not one of them used the title “Dr” before graduating.  They followed every step religiously from registration to the viva voce or oral examinations, and when the results were announced, they were told by the chairperson of the oral examination that they 

can now call themselves “Dr”.

A distinguished professor of African languages and linguistics at the University of Zimbabwe, Francis Matambirofa, had no kind words for those students who are addressing themselves “Dr” before graduation.

 “You propose a lady and after she eventually accepts, you immediately start addressing
her as your lawfully-wedded
wife. Now, depending on how bad tempered she is, she may validly be offended and most probably reverse everything in utter disgust and stinging revulsion,” said Matambirofa, adding: “The ticklish and excitable students you make reference should
under no circumstances cross
the river which they are still to reach. 

Since maybe it is prestigious, and if they can’t wait, perhaps they would be justified to call themselves PhD students, but they cannot certainly strut and pace the floor, hands on their waists, calling themselves Doctor already. That would be academically impermissible and pugnacious.” This is loud and
clear to the culprits – do not use the title Doctor before you graduate. The concern about doctorates extends to the use of honourary doctorates.  While it is the practice to honour deserving members with an honorary doctorate, honoris causa, there are some misgivings about how some recipients of honorary doctorates use them.

 The most bizarre thing is that some recipients of honorary doctorates list the degree under qualifications on their resumes (curriculum vitae) as if it is an earned qualification. Some honorary doctoral degree holders even go to the extent of challenging people who have earned PhDs, much to the
chagrin of the latter.

In order to safeguard their hard-earned doctorate, academics in South Africa have formed an association called the South African Association of PhDs (SAAPhDs). The first deputy president of the SAAPhDs Dr Avela Majawu lambasted honorary doctorate holders for putting the title “Dr” before their names, and for demanding to be addressed as such. 

 “This has caused a lot of confusion; everyone wants to be called a Doctor, not having put any sweat on it (sic) … because it’s a sacrifice for someone to study for a PhD, for example, for four years. The other one (honorary PhD) is just an achievement,” explained Majawu. 

While the debate on the use of the title “Dr” may continue raging on, it is advisable for those who are still studying for their PhDs not to call themselves “Doctors”. Those who have earned PhDs feel undermined when they see people claiming to be “Doctors” when they have nothing to show.

* Professor Jairos Kangira is a professor of English at the University of Namibia. E-mail address: kjairos@gmail.com  s