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Did I just become a Dr? (When do you specifically become a doctor?!)

Hi - first time posting (at least for a very long time) and I hope this is in the right place.

I'm just looking to find out precisely when we are 'Doctors' and can use the title? Our medical school found out our finals results yesterday (and hoorah I've passed!). A lot of people are posting statuses with 'Hey I'm now officially Dr X' and our MSA has also just send out congratulations for final years officially becoming doctors.

I always assumed it would be after graduation that we would be Doctors? I've trawled the internet and can't seem to find an official answer from anywhere.

Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

ForestCat

Congratulations!

Normally I would say it’s when your provisional registration starts which is normally just before black Wednesday.

It’s a bit of semantics really. I mean you will be Dr X soon and passing finals pretty much amounts to it, but not technically officially a doctor yet I’d say

Reply 2

Spencer Wells

Doctor (or Dr) is not a protected title in the UK. It would therefore not be unreasonable to use the title from the time that you have been awarded your degree. Medical Doctor (or physician) is protected, and you cannot call yourself this (or practice medicine) until you have provisional registration with the GMC, which begins when you start work as an F1.

Reply 3

medafinil

Congratulations!

Doctor, as said above, is a courtesy title so you can use that as soon as you have been awarded the degree. This is when the assessment board ratifies the awards. Likely to be in June, after you have completed all the modules - as some will still be credit bearing (e.g Elective)

Reply 4

Democracy

Graduation I thought. Congrats.

Reply 5

nexttime

My med school suggested it was after finals too.

I never changed my title with any official body though (bank DVLA etc) so I don't know how they'd feel if you tried to change that having not yet graduated. Its correct that its not a protected title, so maybe they'd just accept it.