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Vets as ‘Doctors’; long overdue or a misleading amendment?

vetreportMarch 16, 2015

For most vets, revealing our profession is often met with the question, ‘isn’t that more difficult than becoming a doctor?’ To which we might answer modestly that there’s really no way of comparing the professions but that yes, it is an equally long degree which covers even more applications of the same biological principles. The fact that the depth and breadth of our training is comparable to that of dentists and doctors is just one of the reasons why many vets are thrilled that the RCVS has decided to allow vets to use the courtesy title ‘Doctor’.

The decision follows consultation of veterinary surgeons, veterinary students, other veterinary professionals, practice managers and members of the public; 81 % were in favour of the change, 13% were against it and 6% did not mind either way. The issue had been raised in a bid to align the UK with international practice as the majority of international vets already use the title including those from the US, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The aim of the change is to provide greater clarity for the profession and offer reassurance to clients and the animal-owning public that all veterinary surgeons registered with the RCVS, regardless of where they qualified, possess veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard.

The right decision?

Despite the majority vote, some feel that calling vets ‘doctors’ is a misuse of the title and that actually, as veterinary surgeons we should align ourselves with the human medical profession who revert back to ‘Mr/Mrs’ after reaching such a status due to a historical quirk. Similarly, there’s the argument that the title could be misleading as vets are neither medical doctors, nor do they hold a PhD. And finally some feel it’s just not necessary and could lead to more confusion as some vets may exercise their right to change their title, while others may not, leading to a lack of uniformity.

RCVS President Stuart Reid, who made a consideration of the use of the doctor title one of his commitments when he took office in July 2014, “I am very pleased that the response from the consultation gave Council such clear direction and has allowed us to bring UK vets in line with the majority of veterinarians worldwide. It was my privilege to pose the question, which has been well and truly answered by the profession and the public.”

Title change need-to-knows

• Using the title is optional – you do not have to use it if you don’t want

• You can start using the title straight away – details of how your RCVS register can be amended will be released by the RCVS shortly

• Vets using the title should be careful not to mislead the public; it is important that the use of ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ does not suggest or imply that you hold a medical qualification or a PhD

• Vets should use it in conjunction with their name and either the descriptor ‘veterinary surgeon’ or the post-nominal letters ‘MRCVS’

Official guidance on use of the title can be found at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/supporting-guidance/advertising-and-publicity/

What are your thoughts? Will you be proudly displaying your new ‘Doctor’ title or do you disagree with the change? Perhaps you hold a PhD and feel that this detracts from your success? Join the debate on this contentious topic in the comments section below!