DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services) recently withdrew its order that barred physiotherapists from using the title ’Dr’ after receiving requests from the physiotherapy community to review this topic.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) argues that only medical doctors should use ‘Dr’ to prevent confusion among patients, while physiotherapists say the title is a reflection of their extensive training and professional expertise.
The debate continues as authorities try to balance professional recognition with clear communication.
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What is your take, should physiotherapists use ‘Dr‘ or keep it reserved for medical doctors?
Physiotherapists play a central role in healthcare, but using “Dr” within the clinical setting can confuse patients who generally associate this with medical doctors. Clarity is essential—titles need to highlight expertise without leading to confusion in patient treatment.
This is a very relevant debate. On one hand, clarity for patients is important so that they know exactly whom they are consulting. On the other, physiotherapists undergo rigorous training and contribute significantly to healthcare, so their demand for professional recognition is understandable.
The “Dr” title is associated with both professional recognition and the long years of hardworking. While it can get confusing for patients to distinguish between medical doctors and physiotherapists, it is more better to use clear designation and add “PT” at the end to avoid confusion. This is better than disregarding their hardwork towards public service.
This is a really interesting and complex debate. While physiotherapists have a lot of training and deserve professional recognition, it’s a valid point that using the “Dr.” title could confuse patients. I think finding a middle ground, like a “Dr. PT” title, could be a great solution to satisfy both sides.
In my opinion If a physiotherapist has a doctorate, they can use the title “Dr.,” but they should always specify their profession. This avoids confusion while recognizing their academic achievements. If the certification is not a doctorate, it is preferable to exclude the “Dr” and instead proudly use PT, MPT, or equivalent designations.
This is a sensitive debate because both sides have valid points. Medical doctors want to avoid confusion for patients, as the title ‘Dr’ is strongly linked with medicine. On the other hand, physiotherapists also study for many years and play an important role in patient care, so they feel the title reflects their expertise. Maybe a clear guideline or separate prefix could reduce confusion while still giving respect to physiotherapists. In the end, the focus should be on clarity for patients and proper recognition of every healthcare professional’s contribution.
Whether physiotherapists should be addressed as ‘Dr.’ remains a debated topic. While they are highly trained healthcare professionals with specialized expertise in rehabilitation and patient care, the title ‘Dr.’ is traditionally associated with medicine and doctoral qualifications. The discussion highlights the importance of recognizing physiotherapists’ crucial role in the healthcare system while also maintaining clarity for patients and inter-professional respect.
Physiotherapy is an important part of healthcare system when it comes to betterment of patient’s lifestyle during his recovery phase.
Adding PT at the end with the suffix Dr helps the patient to distinguish between medical doctors and physiotherapists… this recognise the hardwork of both medical doctors and physiotherapists.
Physiotherapists are highly qualified professionals who play a vital role in patient recovery. I feel they should be allowed to use ‘Dr’ with a clear specification like ‘Dr (Physiotherapist)’ so that patients recognize their expertise while avoiding confusion with medical doctors.
In 2023, MedBound Times did a piece on this topic:
Opinion: Should Physiotherapists be Allowed to use the Prefix “Dr”?
Please have a look.
A glimpse from the article:
“Dr. Munish Raizada met Steven Veengas, DPT, at a physiotherapy center in Long Island, NY. Steven works as a senior physical therapist at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in NY. When asked this question, Steve said that even though he is a doctor of physical therapy (DPT), he rarely uses the term Dr to introduce to his patients so as not to create confusion with doctors (MDs) in the minds of patients. He did, however, mention that a small percentage of physical therapists use the term doctor, and it is not the norm in the US.”
And, finally,
My personal opinion is that physiotherapists should not be using the title of doctor.
I think it should be a big no, since it will create confusion among patients. Also some non-ethical professionals may also take advantage, and this will result in more quackery and end up creating more issues, like ayurvedic doctors doing cesarean sections for delivering babies.
In country where quacks practice medicine without any regulation why a physiotherapist who has knowledge about human body denied the right of prefix as Dr. A physiotherapist would not mislead his patients in case he feels the issue of patient is not under his expertise he will definitely refer to concern department.
Both are medical professionals both have their own responsibilities, so important is they never confuse patient’s related to wheather they are therapist - the one who can care our physical health related to rehabilitation and the another one who we need other than above said as registered medical practitioner.
My take is that only those who have learned the treatment and are entitled to practice need to be called doctors. Others are still paramedics. They work under the guidance of doctors. If paramedics are called doctors, people will get confused, and this can worsen the healthcare system.