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Practice Guidelines

Using the Title "doctor"

Licensed individuals who have earned a doctorate degree may use the title "doctor," provided they disclose the field in which they hold the doctorate. An earned doctorate is a doctoral degree conferred by a recognized college or university authorized to confer doctoral degrees in the state (or, for foreign schools, in the country) in which it is located. Licensees in the health professions may not use the title "doctor" when offering to perform professional services without indicating the profession in which the licensee holds the doctorate. For example, for an individual with a Ph.D. in Music who holds a license in speech-language pathology to use the title, "doctor," he or she must indicate that his or her doctorate is in music.