Hello Doctor, are you a real Doctor?

Hello Doctor! (Can I Call You M.D.?)

By Katherine Hobson, The Wall Street Journal, WSJ.com:

The American Medical Association released a survey this week on the state of the public’s knowledge about who is — and isn’t — a medical doctor. For those playing along at home or office, here’s a pop quiz, consisting of some of the AMA’s survey questions plus a few of our own:

For each title, is the job holder an M.D.?

Orthopedist/orthopedic surgeon: Yes, obviously! Except it wasn’t so obvious for the 16% of respondents who said “no” or were unsure.

Chiropractor: Not an M.D., a fact known by 64% of those surveyed.

Dentist: We thought it was obvious that a dentist is, well, a dentist, not an M.D., but 69% thought otherwise.

Physical therapist: Not an M.D., but 22% said “yes” or were unsure.

Nutritionist: Not an M.D. Also: a meaningless title. Same with “food coach,” for that matter. Read more>>