What exactly does a PH'd mean anymore ???

[Motokid]

Look...this is not a study of music, or art...it's a study of what she admits was something she did when she got drunk at weddings. I don't care if she's funding it herself, it's rediculous and pathetic. There's a reason why girls don't do it more, it's because guys don't mind looking like idiots more often than girls do.

This is just plain idiotic. I think if she's awarded a PhD in "air guitar" it sully's the overall reputation of all PhD's.

Why not get a PhD by studying pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, or hide and seek? How about a PhD in beer-pong (ping-pong beer drinking game)?

This is air guitar????? It's a drunk/stoned silly, juvenile, attention whore's stunt that has as much socially redeaming value as a good fart joke. Society gains nothing from some joke of a woman studying anything about air guitar.

It's madness and it's rediculous, and it should be embarrassing for anyone who is studying, or has received a PhD in a "real" subject. Just becuase others have gained a PhD in something silly, does not justify the continuation of silly degrees.

Someone in academia should stand up and tell this stupid female to stick her air guitar up her air behind.....

 

[Lemming]

I'm just about to start a Ph.D in theoretical physics and shudder to think she is going to get one in "air guitar". I mean, how much can you actually study in the subject? It's a disgrace and she is an idiot I'm afraid.

I've nothing against artists studying for a Ph.D but surely the silly studies should not be awarded with a Ph.D. A Ph.D should make people stand out as people who have worked hard to understand and have control over an important area actually worth studying. Air guitar is a hobby and a Ph.D in it's study will mean nothing to everyone! This women is a fake.

As for honourary Ph.Ds, surely these people receiving them cannot call themsleves Doctor....., can they?

 

[clueless]

As for honourary Ph.Ds, surely these people receiving them cannot call themsleves Doctor....., can they?

Doctor Honoris Causa, that's what they are called

 

[Lemming]

Doctor Honoris Causa, that's what they are called

That must mean nothing surely. It's criminal that a footballer or a comedian should become a doctor having no background in an area of research. It would be criminal to call them doctors too.

 

[Motokid]

Lemming, it's nice to meet you. It's nice to know somebody else in this forum finds this idea to be crap-in-a-can....good luck with your "real" degree.

 

[clueless]

That must mean nothing surely. It's criminal that a footballer or a comedian should become a doctor having no background in an area of research. It would be criminal to call them doctors too.

I don't know what they entitles them too and I heard of a case when students got angry about one of these mock doctors things and decided to give the same title to a pig (The police confiscated the pig and it was never seen again).

But don't get so flustered about the letters in front of a name. After all, GPs called themselves doctors and they haven't done any research after. The difference is in the letters after the name.

 

[leckert]

Look...this is not a study of music, or art...it's a study of what she admits was something she did when she got drunk at weddings. I don't care if she's funding it herself, it's rediculous and pathetic. There's a reason why girls don't do it more, it's because guys don't mind looking like idiots more often than girls do.

This is just plain idiotic. I think if she's awarded a PhD in "air guitar" it sully's the overall reputation of all PhD's.

Why not get a PhD by studying pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, or hide and seek? How about a PhD in beer-pong (ping-pong beer drinking game)?

This is air guitar????? It's a drunk/stoned silly, juvenile, attention whore's stunt that has as much socially redeaming value as a good fart joke. Society gains nothing from some joke of a woman studying anything about air guitar.

It's madness and it's rediculous, and it should be embarrassing for anyone who is studying, or has received a PhD in a "real" subject. Just becuase others have gained a PhD in something silly, does not justify the continuation of silly degrees.

Someone in academia should stand up and tell this stupid female to stick her air guitar up her air behind.....

While I agree with your philosophy, and I concur that a Doctorates degree in "Air Guitar", regardless of funding, is absurd, how does it impact anyone other than the idiot who puts it on a resume?

If the only thing that distinguishes my family doctor from this "attention whore" is some letters before or after his name, I should find another doctor.

I don't disagree that the pursuit is "silly", unacademic, and meaningless. However, who can determine what is not silly, unacademic, and meaningless?

If the school powers-that-be (forgive my ignorance in university organization), decide it is a worthy pursuit, then they take the risk of devaluing the rest of their doctorates programs. If students feel strongly enough, they will select a school that does not offer a doctorate in "Air Guitar", and, eventually, the schools that do will be reduced to the ranks of the "Neilsen's Institute of Trucking and Electronics". I certainly don't want any sort of legislative body (outside of the school) determining what is and isn't an appropriate academic pursuit. What if they decide that something I am in favor of is inappropriate? Possibly a state funded school should be made to meet the requirements of a state-sponsored cirriculum (?), but a private school should be able to offer degrees in anything it desires. The market will sort out the losers.

 

[Motokid]

Ultimately the decision will come down to what educational institution will buy into her sales pitch on the worth of this field of study....and that's what scares me.

How many "I Just Stole Your Money and Gave You A Worthless Diploma" University's are out there?

I for one, think a Ph.D is something that deserves respect, and a Ph.D in Air Guitar does not meet my requirements for being deserving....

(I once stated in a thread that I did not consider Vatican City to be a "real" country either....so that just shows where I'm coming from here....)

 

[leckert]

Ultimately the decision will come down to what educational institution will buy into her sales pitch on the worth of this field of study....and that's what scares me.

How many "I Just Stole Your Money and Gave You A Worthless Diploma" University's are out there?

I for one, think a Ph.D is something that deserves respect, and a Ph.D in Air Guitar does not meet my requirements for being deserving....

(I once stated in a thread that I did not consider Vatican City to be a "real" country either....so that just shows where I'm coming from here....)

I completely agree with what you are saying (excluding the Vatican City stand! ). I would not respect someone with a Ph.D in Air Guitar, either. But I do think its okay that she gets one. If she ever intends to get a job, I think she should not list this on her resume, and I think the school that actually prints "Air-Guitar" on a lambskin deserves the ridicule, and possibly reduced tuitions, it will get.

 

[clueless]

I think the school that actually prints "Air-Guitar" on a lambskin deserves the ridicule, and possibly reduced tuitions, it will get.

Quite right. The problem is here all universities charge the same. If they deserve ridicule, there are always students whose grades are not high enough to go to other universities and will pay to go to those and if they still have vacancies, they will fill them with overseas students who pay a lot more for the privilege and don't know what they are letting themselves into.

Talk about PHDs. Undergraduate courses are not better. You can get a Bsomething on caddying (Don't know if that's a BA, BSc or what).

 

[Miss Shelf]

I have decided to unveil my debut air-novel here in this post. I am proud to be an air-author.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I agree completely with Moto.. this woman getting a PhD makes a mockery of all the other people who have actually tried hard at "real" subjects and have got their "real" PhD. I plan on getting a PhD in medicine when I leave school, and I know that I would be outraged if I had gone through 7 years of medical school to get the same title as some idiot with a fake guitar.

While I agree with your philosophy, and I concur that a Doctorates degree in "Air Guitar", regardless of funding, is absurd, how does it impact anyone other than the idiot who puts it on a resume?

I think that it degrades the whole title of Dr. If someone like this can get a PhD, it slips the entire prestige of the title down a notch. It's absurd that she is able to get away with this, personal funding or not.

I don't disagree that the pursuit is "silly", unacademic, and meaningless. However, who can determine what is not silly, unacademic, and meaningless?

I can. This is silly, unacademic and meaningless.

 

[Zolipara]

I think that it degrades the whole title of Dr. If someone like this can get a PhD, it slips the entire prestige of the title down a notch. It's absurd that she is able to get away with this, personal funding or not.

The work done is more important than the actual subject.

 

[Lemming]

...I plan on getting a PhD in medicine when I leave school, and I know that I would be outraged if I had gone through 7 years of medical school to get the same title as some idiot with a fake guitar.

I don't want to be too pedantic MonkeyCatcher, and I'm not sure how it works in New Zealand. But in England my friends studying the seven year medicine degree at my university will not get a Ph.D, but in fact get two Bachelor degrees.

So in fact you will have the same title, i.e. you will both be able to start your name with 'Dr' but your methods of achieving that title will be different.

A strange anomaly I always find amusing is that when a qualified medical doctor spends ages studying further to then qualify to become a surgeon, he/she is no longer allowed to use the title 'Dr.' and once again becomes 'Mr.'/'Mrs.' Having a Ph.D would ensure you can call yourself 'Dr' for the rest of your life.

My dictionary defines doctor to be (among a few other things) 'a person licensed to practise medicine' OR 'a person who has been awarded a higher academic degree in any field of knowledge'.

On top of this 'Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)' is defined as 'a doctorate awarded for original research in any subject except law, medicine or theology.'

 

[cajunmama]

A strange anomaly I always find amusing is that when a qualified medical doctor spends ages studying further to then qualify to become a surgeon, he/she is no longer allowed to use the title 'Dr.' and once again becomes 'Mr.'/'Mrs.' Having a Ph.D would ensure you can call yourself 'Dr' for the rest of your life.

Here in the States, a surgeon is still called Doctor. I think it is a British thing.

 

[leckert]

Here in the States, a surgeon is still called Doctor. I think it is a British thing.

In the States, a surgeon has a PhD.

 

[Miss Shelf]

This reminds me of something that happened about 20 years ago. My dentist, who was also married to my cousin, had been my dentist since I was a preteen. One day when I was well into my 20s, I happened to notice his medical degree on a wall and said in astonishment, "you're a doctor??". He was mock offended. Up to then I didn't realize that dentists and other specialists were medical doctors. I've never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the Christmas tree-I'm the one that flashes on and off!

 

[leckert]

This reminds me of something that happened about 20 years ago. My dentist, who was also married to my cousin, had been my dentist since I was a preteen. One day when I was well into my 20s, I happened to notice his medical degree on a wall and said in astonishment, "you're a doctor??". He was mock offended. Up to then I didn't realize that dentists and other specialists were medical doctors. I've never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the Christmas tree-I'm the one that flashes on and off!

My brother is dating a veterinarian.

She owns her own clinic, and they took me to see it when I visited them last.

I walked in and looked around in amazement, and said something as intelligent as "Wow! This is just like a Doctor's office!"

She politely, and immediately, informed me that she was, in fact, a doctor!

And I said, "No, I mean like a Medical Doctor!"

She looked at me as if I were a retarded chimp.

"I am a Medical doctor"

She took me to her office and pointed to her diploma.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine So, apparently, Vet's too, are doctors!

 

[Miss Shelf]

you're lucky she didn't neuter you right there!

 

[leckert]

you're lucky she didn't neuter you right there!

No doubt!

I'm sure I will give her cause again! That's just my nature.