RE: joke time
May 13, 2022 at 8:13 pm
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2022 at 8:13 pm by A. Secular Human.)
(May 13, 2022 at 4:04 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:(May 13, 2022 at 3:14 pm)A. Secular Human Wrote: Untrue, and unfair.
Sorry (not sorry) to be a fuddy-duddy on this. After achieving a four-year university degree in a related field, aspiring dentists also attend (and must pass) medical school. They then obtain clinical experience (like a residency) and then must pass board certification tests. "DDS" after their names designates that they have satisfactorily completed the aforementioned requirements for their certification. They are called "Doctor", because they are indeed, doctors.
I'm a bit sensitive on this topic, as I have dentists in my family.
A better joke is:
What do you call someone who graduates at the bottom of their class in medical school?
"Doctor".
That’s not an always thing. No idea how in works in the US, but dentists in most Commonwealth countries don’t always go to medical school - they get their undergraduate degree, then go to dental school. They’re also called ‘Mr’ or ‘Ms’, not ‘Dr’.
In fact, here in NZ, dentists - by law - cannot call themselves ‘doctor’ unless they have (in addition to a dental degree) a medical degree or a PhD.
Boru
In the States, "DDS" means "Doctor of Dental Surgery". They can do surgery (in the mouth), and prescribe drugs. Here, dental school *is* medical school...specialized for dentists. It's beyond me why dentists get so little respect for what they've accomplished, and what they do.
I also don't understand why the mouth is treated separately, when it comes to the practice of medicine. It's even covered by separate insurance policies. Last time I checked, the mouth is also part of our body...
Disappointing theists since 1968!