Did physicians gradually appropriate the title of “doctor” from scholars with PhDs?

Let’s talk about the title “Doctor.” Who owns it? The scholar with a tweed jacket and 80,000-word dissertation on Nietzsche’s mustache? Or the person sticking needles in your arm while asking if you’ve been under any stress lately (you mean, besides this?)?

Spoiler: They both do. But the journey to that shared title is less about shared respect and more like a tale of branding, academic arms races, and a dash of title envy.

The Original Doctors: They Were Professors of the PhD Variety… Not Prescribers

Rewind to the 12th century. Universities in Europe are emerging as factories of thought, and the word doctor (from Latin docēre, “to teach”) is the badge of honor slapped on scholars who’ve earned the right to profess… hence professor.

Fast forward a few centuries: Germany invents the modern PhD, and several hundred years later, by the 19th century, it’s the gold standard of academic achievement. It says, “I thought so hard and for so long about one tiny, obscure thing that now I’m allowed to teach other people how to think.” Respect. And it says, “I am entitled to the title of Doctor.”

The Medical Plot Twist

Now, enter the physicians. For a long time, these folks were closer to barbers than professors. They didn’t get called “doctor.” They got called “physician” or “surgeon.” (And fun fact: surgeons were basically tradespeople—think mechanics, but for meat suits.)

Then, in the 17th century, something changed—Scotland happened. Medical schools there decided, “You know what? Let’s step it up. Let’s get academic.” And suddenly, the Doctor of Medicine (MD) was born. Not just a fixer of bodies—but a learned person. A scholar of anatomy, disease, and the fine art of not killing patients.

By the 19th century, the MD was the standard. In 1860, the Royal College of Physicians said, “Enough ambiguity—only those with an M.D. get to be called doctor.” Boom. Doctors it is.

Same Word, Different Worlds

So now we’ve got two flavors of “doctor”:

1. The Academic Doctor (The original flavor): Defender of dissertations. Master of theory. Owner of an H-index. Next time you consider telling your cousin with a PhD in history that he isn’t a “real” doctor, you may want to bite your lip… she is the O.G. type of doctor.
2. The Medical Doctor: Healer. Diagnostician. Has seen your insides more times than your therapist has seen your tears.

Both earned it. Just differently. One by studying for 7 years, publishing in journals no one reads, and surviving peer review. The other by surviving organic chemistry, residency, and thousands of hours listening to people say, “I read on WebMD that…”

So, Did Physicians Steal the Title?

Let’s just say they… rebranded. They upgraded. They earned it in their own lane.

Final Diagnosis

“Doctor” is no longer a title — it’s a Rorschach test. Academics hear it and think of scholarship. Patients hear it and think of stethoscopes. Both are right. Both have receipts.

So whether you’re prescribing ideas or prescriptions, congratulations — you’re a doctor. Just don’t start diagnosing your neighbor’s mole or publishing books on string theory unless you know what you’re doing.