Opinion on Dr. Biden's use of "Dr."

I've been thinking a lot about my education, and education overall after Dr. Jill Biden was criticized for using "Dr." as a title. It was demeaning to Dr. Biden and dismissive of her accomplishments.

According to the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau data, the education levels of people aged 25 and older are as follows.

None to 8th Grade: 3.97%

9th-11th Grade: 6.22%

HS Graduate: 28.52%

Some College, No Degree: 16.12%

Associate Degree: 10.18%

Bachelor's Degree: 21.94%

Master's Degree: 9.57%

Professional Degree (MD, JD, DDS, etc.): 1.44%

Doctoral Degree (EdD, PhD, PsyD, etc.): 2.03%

Like Dr. Biden, I have completed two master's degrees and an EdD. Like Dr. Biden, I have been criticized for my title or even simply because I have a doctorate—even when I'm not using the title. I've been accused of being arrogant and thinking I'm better than others. An HR director said to me, "do you think you're always right?" when out of frustration I stated that none of my many suggestions on a specific matter had been considered. An anonymous peer said I intimidated him and made him feel stupid when I respectfully questioned his interpretation of a policy (he was actually right, and I came back and told him so). Here is what the head of the organization told me in regard to the complaint, which I wasn't allowed to know the nature of and only learned about through other means many months later.

"But if I'm one of your partners, you don't need to talk about your work. We know, they know damn well, how smart you are, and that you've done the research and you teach, and you've been in this business.”

It turns out he had never even worked on the same ambulance with me. Unfortunately, after decades of working in the same place, people know who I am and what my experience is. It isn't as simple as not talking about it. My disagreement in this one case was tied to conflict management, which was put on a performance evaluation and then tied to my mental health. It was removed when I questioned it, but the damage was done. I make no secret of my PTSD, depression, and anxiety because we need to be able to talk about it to help others. Na?vely, I didn’t count on my disclosures being used to hurt me.

People who know me well know I'm confident and competent in certain areas. They know I own up to my mistakes, and that I’ve made my fair share. I tell my students that I don't know everything and never will. Don't ask me to change oil in a car or do electrical work, because it will cost a lot to fix what I did wrong. I strive to model the behavior and attitude I expect from others. I give credit where credit is due.

Growing up, college was never talked about as an option. I was repeatedly told that I was stupid and wouldn’t amount to anything. No one taught me how to study and only tacit attempts were even made to see if I did my homework—no use, I was “stupid.” I only graduated from high school because I went to night school to make up all of the classes I had failed. I graduated in the bottom 10 of about 236 of my class and left home for Indiana about a week later. I lived in poverty and was stuck in a low paying job. I realized that my only viable ticket out was to get more education.

In less than a year after arriving in Indiana, I enrolled in college. Because of my high school grades, I ended up in remedial courses and on academic probation. According to the person who had claimed me as a dependent on their tax returns, it was none of the government’s business how much was listed on line 1 of their 1040, which made me ineligible for any financial aid. All costs of living and college were 100% on my dime—and I never asked anyone to help me aside from the tax return disclosure. I failed my first class. That class was study skills, which was rich with irony. I enrolled a second time, passed with an A, and developed the ability to study.

It took me 11 years on the “pay as you go” plan to earn an associate degree. Four years after that came a bachelor’s, and five years more until a master’s—all 100% paid by me except a one-time $100 Pell Grant. By then I was teaching at a college and was eligible for free tuition (I only had to pay the associated course fees and books). I earned a second associate degree, a second bachelor’s, a graduate certificate, and a second master’s degree. I did the second round not because I was smart, but because I wanted to pursue a doctorate and felt I wasn’t good enough yet. I was afraid of failing and needed more confidence. Just before I turned 50, I earned my doctoral degree. It was the first time since high school that I had ever gone to my graduation ceremony. The person who said I was stupid and that I would never amount to anything never acknowledged my accomplishments. I craved validation and for that person to be proud of me. Instead, silence and rumors of resentment that I had accomplished more academically than they had. It was then that I realized I had accomplished everything in spite of, not because of, the person whose approval I’d been chasing for over three decades.

I’m not smarter than other people. I know what I want, am persistent, and can take a lot of punishment. If the path were easy, there would be more than 2.03% of the population with a doctorate. Like Dr. Biden, I earned the title with blood, sweat, and tears. I’m lucky my family didn’t forget what I looked like. That degree was one of the hardest things I’ve ever pursued in my life. I believed that my doctorate would open doors in employment. It hasn’t as of yet and I went from being able to get an interview and a job without much difficulty, to not getting into an interview or being rejected because “we found someone more qualified,” even though there were more days of interviews scheduled. Was word of my “arrogance” and other “problems” getting around? I have no idea.

People have told me not to speak about my accomplishments. I’ve had negative reactions when people hear my students refer to me as Dr. Chris. I’m often made to feel like I’ve done something wrong and am somehow unworthy of my title. “People will confuse you with a medical doctor” has been said (I’m not using the title on the ambulance because then it might be true). Some people don’t like it when I share my academic credentials at the beginning of presentations. Public speaking 101 says to establish your credibility first. I’m aware I’ve unintentionally overdone it on occasion, but I’m still learning to strike the right balance as to what parts to share and which to omit.

Rather than seeing that I may have some value to an organization, I am frequently shut out. Is my education and experience really the problem or is it the people reacting to me that are not comfortable in their own skin or feel they are somehow inadequate? Everyone has value and everyone is smart, but about different things. Formal education isn’t required to be smart. Show me a well-traveled person and I’ll show you someone who has the equivalent of a degree. I reached my hard-fought goals against the odds and in the face of discouragement and many barriers. I tell my students about my academic journey and that if I can do it, they can do it. I tell them not to let others tell them they can’t do something. I ponder adding that reaching their goal won’t always be a positive experience. I can’t bring myself to say that out of fear that I’ll discourage someone who would otherwise get us to Mars, solve our social ills, or eradicate all cancers. That’s what I wanted to do—to make a difference and leave the world a little better than I found it.

In the end, I appreciate that I’ve had opportunities that others won’t get, because of their sex, gender, race, or other personal attributes. Education, like good health, should be a right, and not a privilege. Dr. Biden should be able to feel comfortable in her own accomplishments and not be taken to task for them. Dr. Biden advocates for access to education and her efforts are needed. We need to appreciate and respect what Dr. Biden has accomplished. You don’t have to call me "doctor" unless you are my student (Dr. Chris), or a jerk (Dr. Caulkins), but please don’t punish people like me. We’ve sacrificed a lot and endured plenty of punishment by this point.

https://youtu.be/Bj1cRwDIs_8