[General] Her father is a doctor

[Silverobama]

I have a student whose father works as a doctor (by profession) and her father also got his doctoral degree (not Ph.D degree) before he became a doctor. Here, if one wants to work as a physician in a hospital, one at least needs to get a doctoral degree. If I want to describe the education level of this father, which one is natural?

a) Her father is a doctor. (Not right to me and also ambiguous.)
b) Her father has a doctoral degree.
c) Her father is a Ph.D.
d) Her father is a doctorate.

Please enlighten me.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm not well-versed in these things, but I'd expect to hear "Her father has a PhD".

 

[5jj]

her father also got his doctoral degree (not Ph.D degree)

Well then, you can't say he has a PhD.

If in your country it is necessary to have a doctorate before qualifying as a physician, the 'He is a doctor' tells us that he is a physician and has a doctorate.

 

[tedmc]

A degree in medicine (e.g. MBBS/MD) is a first degree and not a doctoral degree. A Ph.D is a doctoral degree. So his father has two degrees.
In some countries like the US, one needs to have completed a degree before being accepted into a medical degree course.

 

[Silverobama]

Well then, you can't say he has a PhD. If in your country it is necessary to have a doctorate before qualifying as a physician, the 'He is a doctor' tells us that he is a physician and has a doctorate.

I'm not well-versed in these things, but I'd expect to hear "Her father has a PhD".

A degree in medicine (e.g. MBBS/MD) is a first degree and not a doctoral degree. A Ph.D is a doctoral degree. So his father has two degrees.
In some countries like the US, one needs to have completed a degree before being accepted into a medical degree course.

In my country, after one finishes his postgraduate studies, he can take the exams for the doctoral degree and then the "after-doctorate degree". I know English speaking countries have different system and terms from my country. But I hope I can learn an expression from you. The original ones are not good enough and ambiguous. A quick look on some Chinese websites tells me that one can be a doctor when he finishes his undergraduate studies.

I think I made a mistake here, 5jj. I thought "PhD" stands for something like "Doctor of Philosophy". Her father is not a doctor of Philosophy but doctor of medicine.

After her father got her doctoral degree, her father became a physician (doctor).

 

[5jj]

1. We don't use the expression 'doctoral degree' much. We prefer 'doctorate' or simply PhD. (Degrees at this level are normally PHDs.) This degree has nothing to do with being a physician/surgeon, though physicians and surgeons in some countries my choose to undertake research leading to a PhD.

2. The MD (Doctor of Medicine) qualification is a professional qualification in some countries. It is not usually referred to as a 'doctoral degree' or 'doctorate', because it is at a lower, non-research level.

3. In the situation of your friend's father in your country you can simply say "Her father is/became/qualified as a doctor". There is no need whatever to talk about his degree(s)/ qualifications. If he is/became a doctor then he obviously qualified as one. If he qualified as a doctor, then we would normally assume that he began to work as one unless you say that he didn't.
'

 

[Silverobama]

"Her father is/became/qualified as a doctor".

Much appreciated for your detailed explanation; they're very helpful. One last question about the above. Do I read them as:

a) Her father is qualified as a doctor.
b) Her father became qualified as a doctor.

 

[5jj]

Her father is a doctor.
Her father became a doctor.
Her father qualified as a doctor.

 

[Yetanotherprobus]

In the Canadian health-care professions such people are commonly referred to as MDPhDs, pronounced emdeepeeaitchdees.

 

[Tarheel]

Since Americans are lazy, we would simply say the person is a doctor.

 

[tedmc]

You have confused a doctoral degree, more commonly known as a doctorate or Ph.D, with a doctor's degree.
Different countries have different requirements for one to qualify as a doctor, and fulfillment of a degree is not the only requirement. There are others, such as that the degree has to be accredited by the regulating authority, completion of a period of housemanship, and, in my country, to have served the government for two years.

 

[Tarheel]

In the USA the degree is an M.D.

 

[5jj]

with a doctor's degree.

We don't call a professional qualification for doctors a doctor's degree.

 

[tedmc]

We don't call a professional qualification for doctors a doctor's degree.

It's the simple way of calling it. What do you call it then? I know it is an MBBS/MD from a university, just as I would call a BArch is an architect's degree.

 

[5jj]

It's the simple way of calling it.

But it's not the natural way.

What do you call it then?

We say:

He qualified as a doctor ...
He got his MBBS (/MD) ...
He graduated ...

I would call a BArch [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] an architect's degree.

I wouldn't. I'd call it a degree in architecture.

 

[5jj]

And, before anybody asks, an LLB is a degree in law or a law degree; it is not a lawyer's degree.

 

[Tdol]

Or s/he is an MD.