Hrisomalos N F
J Natl Med Assoc. 1987 Nov;79(11):1210-4.
The title "Doctor" has an interesting and not commonly understood inception, and those entitled to use the accolade Doctor have had an interesting evolution. The title is now used by a plethora of individuals with a variety of skills and levels of achievement. A random survey of the population reveals that the public strongly equates the bearer of the title Doctor as an MD-bearing individual, ie, a physician (94 percent), while only 23 percent of those who utilize the title are truly physicians. This discrepancy leads to confusion in interpretation of persons introduced as Doctor in newspapers, books, and television, and in daily life. Physicians themselves contribute to the problem, as 40 percent refer to themselves as Doctor when asked to describe what they do for a living. Public education is recommended regarding the use of the title Doctor, and a distinction (the actual degree obtained) should be used whenever this term is used.
“博士”这一头衔有着有趣且鲜为人知的起源，而有权使用这一荣誉称号的人群也经历了一段有趣的演变历程。如今，众多具备各种技能和不同成就水平的人都使用这一头衔。对大众进行的随机调查显示，公众强烈地将“博士”这一头衔的持有者等同于拥有医学博士学位的人，即医生（94%），然而，使用这一头衔的人中只有23%是真正的医生。这种差异导致在报纸、书籍、电视以及日常生活中，当提到被称为“博士”的人时，人们会产生理解上的困惑。医生自身也加剧了这一问题，因为在被问及从事何种职业时，40%的医生会称自己为“博士”。建议开展关于“博士”这一头衔使用的公众教育，并且每当使用这个词时，都应该明确（所获得的实际学位）。
