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The answer depends on what 'type' of doctor you are referring to. The short answer is NO, a doctor does not need to have a PhD.

Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) are by definition the true "doctors", as the word doctor comes from the latin for teache; they are usually scientists and instructors at universities. Besides these "true" doctors, our society has also used the term doctor to refer to anyone who has completed a doctorate degree in school. Thus, there are many different types of doctors, spanning many fields. Most often we associate the term doctor with certain health care professionals who have completed a doctorate level degree. Some examples of those are:

Doctors of Medicine (MD) - use medications and surgery to treat almost anything

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) - in the US they are similar to MDs

Doctors of Chiropractors (DC) - use manual therapies to treat the spine and neuromusculoskeletal system

Doctors of Dentistry (DDS) - treat problems involving teeth and gums

Doctors of Optometry (OD) - deal with issues involving the eyes

Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) - deal with issues involving the feet

Doctors of Veteriny Medicine (DVM) - treat animals using medicine or surgery

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12y ago

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