Presented By MD. Monsur Rahman MPT- Musculoskeletal Disorders MMIPR,MM(Deemed to be) University Mullana, Ambala, India.

1. Can a physiotherapist use the
title "Doctor"?
Presented
By
Dr. MD. Monsur
Rahman (PT)
B.P.T (G.B. Savar, Dhaka, BD.)
M.P.T. in Musculoskeletal Disorders
MMIPR, Mullana, Ambala, India.

2. Many say that physiotherapist are not Doctors???
True?? or, Not True??
Before coming any conclusion
First Let us examine
What is the origin of "Doctor"??
• "Doctor" word derived form Latin verb "docere” (Ref-Wikipedia /The wall
street journal)
• Meaning 'to teach‘ or, by extension 'scholar'
• So the word doctor means-'Teacher' or, 'scholar'

3. Then why?
 Medical graduates address themselves as “Doctor”
 Why not? Physiotherapist ,also a medical graduate use the title
“Doctor”
 Some says physiotherapist are paramedical profession
 Even some address them as Technicians

4. Please refer the-WHO
Health workers classification
(http/www.who.int/hrh/statistics/health_workers_classification.pdf)
Physiotherapists described as independent profession under
ISCO code 2264/WHO & 3226/ILO
Whereas paramedical practitioner's describe under ISCO code 2240/WHO
Physiotherapist are not paramedical profession

5. Then what is the confusion????

6. When this was started and why?
 Let us go back and see what is the history of it
 Because this is not something that we can just search in the Dictionary!!
 As, Dictionaries are only descriptive, and their entries are based on from
common usage of term
 Its roots can be traced, way back to the early church..
 From Roman times through the middle ages until well into the 18th century
(Ref-Wikipedia /The wall street journal)

7.  When the term “doctor” referred to the “Apostles”, Church “Fathers” and
other Christian authorities who thought and interpreted the Bible
 The doctorate appeared in medieval Europe as a license to teach (Latin:
licentia docendi) at a medieval university
 Later, in 19th century throughout much of the academic world, the term
“Doctor” refers to someone who has earned a doctoral degree form a
university
 This is normally the Doctor of philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D.
 Ph.D. recipients may well be nonmedical, but they are most assuredly doctors

8.  In the fundamental Technical & Historical meaning of the “Doctor”
 More so than M.D. can hope to claim
 Let us examine what ‘Standard’ say about it ‘Doctorates’ regarded as Level 8 in
international standard classification of education 2011(ISCED 2011)
 Whereas Doctor as a noun when refers to a medical practitioner, who would
actually hold a qualification at
 Level 6 or Level 7 of ISCED 2011,such as the M.B.B.S or the M.D

9. Then why??
General practitioner's in the field of medicine, even though holding
Bachelor level degrees such as M.B.B.S or, B.D.S addressed themselves
as- “Doctor”??
Even the practitioners of alternative systems of medicine such as
BAMS,BHMS,BUMS,BNYS use the term doctor
Though the appropriate terms for such practitioners already exists
 BAMS Vaid
 BHMS Homeopath
 BUMS Hakim
 BNYS Yogi

10. Then what went wrong??
According to the wall street Journal
• Jealous of the respect shown to scholars by the title doctor
• Medical schools in the 18th century (particularly Edinburgh in Scotland) began the
practice of addressing their graduates as “Doctor”
• Fundamental right of using the term “Doctor” is only for those who achieved the
doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in their respective fields and not just mere ego or proudness
or, courtesy

11. One should not mislead or
confuse the public-
For example
Dr. Monsur Rahman
Physician?? Dentist?? Cardiologist??
Radiologist??

12. Confusing & Misleading

14.  Medical Community has used the term “Doctor” to such an extent that
 Today public relates the word doctor more so with medical profession than
Ph.D.
 After very long history of consistent usage of the term Doctor by medical
community & it is impossible to take out that

15. Rather.. It would be great, if all medical professional also suffix there respective specialty

16. Now the conclusion is
whether the physiotherapist can use the term “Doctor”??
The answer is Yes..
• Physiotherapist can use the title “Dr.” and write it in front of their name
• Also Said that-
Indian association of physiotherapist (IAP)
Indian medical Association(IMA)
Medical Council of India (MCI)

17. Has any statutory power to regulate the physiotherapy
profession in India
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/physiotherapists-can-use-
the-title-dr/article2368020.ece
Also please read the full report on open letter from IMA & IAP answers at
http://www.physiotherapyindia.org/notices-public/3579-open-letter-to-dr-s-s-agwarwal-and-
dr-k-k-Aggarwal-regarding-defaming-physiotherapy-profession.html

20. It is now clear that
 Fundamentally/Technically only Ph.D. has right to use the word Doctor/Dr.
before their name
 Using the word doctor in medical profession is just a mere ‘tradition’ and
‘convention’
 Hence when all the medical graduates are using the term Doctor

21. To avoid
Confusion
Physiotherapists who holds a
professional degree of 4.5 years
Bachelors in physiotherapy(B.P.T)
from recognized college/university Can
very well use the term “Doctor” in front
of their name