What is the difference between Ph.D and Doctor?

Answer 1

A doctoral degree is a general degree type from which many specific programs of study fall. Some of those programs may fall under the PhD category, or EdD, DSW, PsyD, which are known as Academic Doctorates. MD, DO, DC, DPM, etc. are "professional doctorates". In the US, Physicians are addressed as "doctor" 24/7, whereas academic doctors are properly addressed as "doctor" only in the academic environment. Addressing a professional as Mr or Miss can be taken as rude.

However, this protocol varies depending on the culture in which one lives:

In Latin cultures, any profession gets a title; for example, a notary public in Mexico, is introduced as "Notarius" Vasquez, and lawyers as, "Abogado" Lopez.

In the UK, Physicians graduate with Bachelors in Medicine, but may be addressed "Dr. so and so", whereas Surgeons lose the title Doctor, and are introduced as Mr. or Miss, etc. in deference to the old tradition from which Surgery arose, i.e., barbers.

In Russia, people apparently call Physicians "Dr" when trying to be especially polite and it's not that important, nor rude to address a physician as Mr. or Ms., etc.

In Germany, if you are a Physician, and hold an academic and educational title, as, e.g, MD, Phd and Prof, then one is addressed using all of the above, and they sign letters as; "Herr Prof. Dr. Dr. Ernst Klaus".