Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 17, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
News & Reports RCVS
Dr yes or Dr no? THE RCVS is inviting views on a proposal to allow all RCVS-registered veterinary surgeons to use the courtesy title ‘Dr’. The RCVS President, Stuart Reid, raised the proposal last year during a speech at the annual RCVS Day. The aims, he explained, would be to align the UK with international practice, 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, had veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard. Discussing the proposal in more detail, the RCVS notes that veterinary surgeons, like doctors and dentists, are physicians. Doctors and dentists are allowed to use ‘Dr’ as a courtesy title and, it says, allowing members of the RCVS to do the same would provide a level of parity with fellow clinical professionals. It notes that there is nothing in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 that would prohibit properly qualified and registered veterinary surgeons using the title ‘Dr’.
The College also points out that there are legal consequences for misusing the title ‘Dr’: ‘It is important for veterinary surgeons to remember that if the title is used in a misleading way, this could form the basis of a referral to the RCVS Disciplinary Committee, or to the Advertising Standards Agency, as well as being an offence under the Medical Act 1983.’ It notes that veterinary surgeons in other countries use the title ‘Dr’. While in some countries, such as the USA, this recognises academic achievement, in others, such as Australia and New Zealand, the title is a courtesy title associated with professional standing and recognition. Allowing members of the RCVS to use the courtesy title would mean consistency with international colleagues, it suggests. ‘Consistency is important because veterinary surgeons now work within a much wider international context than ever before. There are significant numbers of veterinary surgeons from overseas working in the UK and one effect of this is that members of the RCVS often work alongside
veterinary surgeons who use the title “Dr”. This can be confusing for clients and animal owners, and may lead to an assumption that one veterinary surgeon is better qualified than another, when this may not necessarily be the case.’ The College acknowledges that there may be concerns that, if all veterinary surgeons use the title ‘Dr’, it will not be clear who holds a veterinary degree that carries a doctoral level of qualification. ‘In the medical profession, although all practitioners may use the title “Dr”, those with doctorates make others aware of their qualification by using the relevant postnominals,’ it says, adding, ‘There is no reason why the veterinary profession could not also take this approach.’ More information is available at www. rcvs.org.uk/about-us/consultations/ourconsultations/use-of-the-courtesy-title-dr-byveterinary-surgeons. Comments have been invited by February 16. doi: 10.1136/vr.h57
January 10, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 33
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 17, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Dr yes or Dr no?
Veterinary Record 2015 176: 33
doi: 10.1136/vr.h57 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/2/33
These include:
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Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
News & Reports RCVS
Dr yes or Dr no? THE RCVS is inviting views on a proposal to allow all RCVS-registered veterinary surgeons to use the courtesy title ‘Dr’. The RCVS President, Stuart Reid, raised the proposal last year during a speech at the annual RCVS Day. The aims, he explained, would be to align the UK with international practice, 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, had veterinary degrees of an appropriate standard. Discussing the proposal in more detail, the RCVS notes that veterinary surgeons, like doctors and dentists, are physicians. Doctors and dentists are allowed to use ‘Dr’ as a courtesy title and, it says, allowing members of the RCVS to do the same would provide a level of parity with fellow clinical professionals. It notes that there is nothing in the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 that would prohibit properly qualified and registered veterinary surgeons using the title ‘Dr’.
The College also points out that there are legal consequences for misusing the title ‘Dr’: ‘It is important for veterinary surgeons to remember that if the title is used in a misleading way, this could form the basis of a referral to the RCVS Disciplinary Committee, or to the Advertising Standards Agency, as well as being an offence under the Medical Act 1983.’ It notes that veterinary surgeons in other countries use the title ‘Dr’. While in some countries, such as the USA, this recognises academic achievement, in others, such as Australia and New Zealand, the title is a courtesy title associated with professional standing and recognition. Allowing members of the RCVS to use the courtesy title would mean consistency with international colleagues, it suggests. ‘Consistency is important because veterinary surgeons now work within a much wider international context than ever before. There are significant numbers of veterinary surgeons from overseas working in the UK and one effect of this is that members of the RCVS often work alongside
veterinary surgeons who use the title “Dr”. This can be confusing for clients and animal owners, and may lead to an assumption that one veterinary surgeon is better qualified than another, when this may not necessarily be the case.’ The College acknowledges that there may be concerns that, if all veterinary surgeons use the title ‘Dr’, it will not be clear who holds a veterinary degree that carries a doctoral level of qualification. ‘In the medical profession, although all practitioners may use the title “Dr”, those with doctorates make others aware of their qualification by using the relevant postnominals,’ it says, adding, ‘There is no reason why the veterinary profession could not also take this approach.’ More information is available at www. rcvs.org.uk/about-us/consultations/ourconsultations/use-of-the-courtesy-title-dr-byveterinary-surgeons. Comments have been invited by February 16. doi: 10.1136/vr.h57
January 10, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 33
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on March 17, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Dr yes or Dr no?
Veterinary Record 2015 176: 33
doi: 10.1136/vr.h57 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/2/33
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
