To paraphrase Dr. Paul Drouin, Doctor, contracted ‘Dr' or 'Dr.,' originates from Latin meaning ‘teacher,’ from docēre ‘to teach.’[1] Throughout much of the academic world, the term Doctor is an academic title used since the 13th century to refer to someone who has earned a doctoral degree, the highest academic degree conferred by a university.[2] This is normally the Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated PhD or Ph.D.

Basha Gerstenfeld’s PhD degree implies she has earned her doctoral degree and can, therefore, use the title 'Doctor,' abbreviated 'Dr' or 'Dr.'

 

But in many English-speaking countries, it is common (starting in the mid-18th century[3]) to refer to physicians by the title of doctor, regardless of whether or not they hold a doctoral-level degree. The word Doctor has long had a secondary meaning in English of physician.[2] A physician is a medical doctor, either an M.D. or D.O., who has completed graduate training and acquired licensing to provide health care. So this can cause some confusion, as all physicians are doctors but not all doctors are physicians.[4]

 

Basha Gerstenfeld does not have the equivalent or comparable degree to a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), or a Doctor of Naturopathy (N.D.) and therefore is NOT a physician or naturopath.

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References

[1] "Doctor.” 2019. Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[2] “Doctor (title)” 2019. Wikipedia.org. Retrieved 25 June 2019. 

[3] Byrnum, William. "When did medical practitioners start to be called 'doctor'?". 28 June 2013. History Extra. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[4] Whitlock, Jennifer. Doctors, Residents, Interns, and Attendings: What's the Difference?. 19 May 2019. In verywellhealth.com Retrieved Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[5] "Professional Titles". Emily Post Institute. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[6] Cocchi, Renee. "'Truth in Advertising' legislation for providers growing in popularity". 19 October 2012. Healthcare Business & Technology. Catalyst Media Network. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[7] “Post-nominal letters” 2019. Wikipedia.org. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[8]  "Clarification of the Title "Doctor" in the Hospital Environment D-405.991". American Medical Association. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[9] "Punctuation". Publication 28 - Postal Addressing Standards. US Postal Service. May 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

[10] Vildilill, Will. “Etiquette for the Alphabet Soup of Post-Nominal Letters”. 15 January 2016. LinkedIn.com. Retrieved 25 June 2019.

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(Paul Drouin, Quantum University. https://admission.quantumuniversity.com/s/article/the-title-of-doctor1-2020-03-03-13-22-34)