Being called "Doctor" in Colombia ?

kernow62 says on Sep 24, 2005, 12:18:

I know my wife (a lawyer) is referred to as doctora. I am not sure if it is based on a degree or just the fact that one is a professional person.

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YTO SAN says on Sep 24, 2005, 12:39:

Doctor Well, I'm also Systems Engineer with a Master's on Conmputer Networking Systems, bunch of certifications but do not have a PhD. I think they call Doctor to any professional with higher degrees as a token of respect. I was being called Don unti somebody asked me what I do for a living, after finding out I was a Senior Engineer, everybody started to call me Doctor instead of Don. Just a matter of respect I think

=======YTO SAN

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carldecolorado says on Sep 24, 2005, 13:16:

Doctor Yes you are correct ytosan.

Doctor is simply a salutaion of respect for those with a Professional type carreer. My frineds down there like to ease me and call me Doctor Carlitos since I am an architect here in the states. But typically someone with a professional type career, Lawyer, Engineer, Architect, and so on will be greeted with Doctor.

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Lumpy says on Sep 24, 2005, 13:41:

Wow... that is too funny! My 'real' doctor friends will be pissed to hear that their IT Manager friend is a 'doctor' also! = ) And I didn't have to go thru residency, internships, etc. Thanks for the information.

Lumpy

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SirTropical says on Sep 24, 2005, 13:53:

so many doctors !! if you "master" something in life you will undoubtely in colombia be called a "Doctor".. not necessarily they will refer by that, that you have a degree (x) in any (x) discipline,. but rather the level of respect that you deserve.

In theother hand, be aware... the use of the term "doctor" may be use in a mean and sarcastic way: as the popular saying " anybody can be a "doctor", but not every "doctor" is a "Sir" !!!

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Mr. Hollywood says on Sep 24, 2005, 15:52:

It's great Now that I'm in Colombia I just tell women, "Corazon, you can take off your clothes in front of me, I'm a doctor."

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bkelly says on Sep 24, 2005, 15:58:

I prefer the salutation Don Most of the time they call me Doctor, but I like it when they say Don Brian...it sounds so much more gangsterish.

--bkelly

--bkelly

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Lumpy says on Sep 24, 2005, 16:54:

Hummmm... Don Lumpy doesn't sound to GANGSTA or THUG like! But, "Dr Lumpy" has a nice ring to it. Maybe I'll order personalized plates now! = ) Mr Hollywood... don't tell me that line works?!?!? hahaha

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 24, 2005, 18:50:

Damm, Hollywood, you beat me to it. I like to bill myself as an amateur gynecologist.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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quindioman says on Sep 24, 2005, 23:45:

si senorita aqui llego doctor pingaloca para revisar que todo esta funcionando.

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bufalo says on Sep 25, 2005, 08:15:

All the annoying broads that have money down here and are in charge of something are always referred to as "doctora". I have seen this a lot in real estate agencies and such. One stared talking about how poor people are uneducated, really trying to make herself look better than others, so I shut her up by saying, "maybe these poor people are uneducated, but at least they don´t have people calling them by false titles "DOCTORA"." She got really pissed in front of everyone and now doesn´t talk to me. down here I´m referred to as "Don" and sometimes "Doctor" just because I´m white and live in an OK neighborhood. I tell people to referr to me using my first name, but they don´t.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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utopiacowboy says on Sep 25, 2005, 08:37:

You're right, GIB. My wife will never refer to a medical doctor as anything other than a "medico".

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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jccg says on Sep 25, 2005, 10:15:

be aware It started in Bogota, but it spreads out all arround the country. People without real education, not doctorade, some times, not even professionals, but with money make their "subalternos" call them "Doctor" in order to feel more importans. (this is history). So now days many people call "Doctor/a" to lawyers (they are NOT doctors) or to their bosses, just because it is like a custom. So there is a popular "refrán" that says "doctor se le llama a cualquier HP". So many real doctors take care about that and do not use their title in streets. A popular answer is:
someone: "Doctor"
Doctor: "Mas Doctor sera usted!!"
I get really pissed when somebody callme doctor (I don't have PhD)

Just a comment.... not a general rule

This is just the true!!

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ShazCas says on Sep 25, 2005, 10:44:

Found it very weird... I used to get called 'Doctora' by the secretaries when I was a teacher in Bogota, and I was only in my early twenties! I found it really weird at first, and didn't really like it. But now if I have a Colombian friend who I think is 'a fountain of knowledge' on a particular topic, I'll start calling him/her 'doctor/a' as a joke. I don't like the serious connotations of being called 'doctor/a' simply because you're a professional worker though.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Sep 26, 2005, 06:18:

Ill be Doctora Kat for all th I'll be Doctora Kat for all the problem of the heart. ;-)

engage brain before opening mouth

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ARMacleod says on Sep 26, 2005, 06:43:

I'm a retired professional So I suppose In that case you could call me 'Doc Holiday'?

My stated facts, although interesting at times, are generally irrevelant.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Sep 26, 2005, 06:54:

Is your heart the broken GIB, Is your heart broken GIB, You need a white magnum .;-)

engage brain before opening mouth

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harocha says on Sep 26, 2005, 16:24:

Doctorado = Master DOCTORADO, this is how they used to call the Graduate Education in Colombia before they started using the word MASTER to describe it.

Gringobogota is right about in USA we refer to the Medical professional as Doctor, in Colombia we refer to the Medical professional as a Medico as that is the title which is written on the DIPLOMA, had been established by the “REAL ACADEMIA DE LA LENGUA ESPAÑOLA in Colombia� that each professional should be called by the title that appears on the Diploma, as it was also accepted by them in October 1997 that some professions should have a gender, example: Arquitecto or Arquitecta, Ingeniero or Ingeniera… etc. but one of the few that has not a gender is Medico. Male power, I guess.

So in Colombia they call a lot of people Doctor / Doctora, but it really depends in what social class you are part of and what social class is surrounding you (employees, clients, etc) . High class (estrato alto) will never call the Engineer (doctor) or the Architect (doctor), but it is pretty common to hear the (estrato bajo) calling the professional in (estrato alto) doctor. As a matter of fact the politicians get called doctor by the community, and some of them don’t have any major education.

So some communities in Colombia use the word Doctor in a wrong way, as a matter of fact there is a joke that Colombians use when some one calls them DOCTOR they reply: No me llame Doctor, porque Doctor es qualquier “HP� en este pais.

So my advice to you, don’t let them call you doctor, hehehehehehe…..

Have a great day.

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Hunter says on Sep 27, 2005, 09:34:

Doctor In the past all people in the UK, used to be called Doctor if they had reached a certain level of education at University.

The present day Doctors took the title for themselves some time back.

Hunter

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quindioman says on Sep 27, 2005, 09:36:

i prefer when they call me profe.
This happens all too often as well....."ve que hubo profe? como fue pa' esta noche?

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torbog says on Sep 28, 2005, 12:51:

It is a law Actually, as an example of the many stupid laws that are passed in the Colombian congress, "Doctor" is the title that any profesional (basic Bachelor or Master) should use. It is very old, and probably came to being due to the inferiority complex of some congressman. There you have it, stupid law like the one that lakes compulsory to play the national anthem in every radio station and tv channel at 6am and 6pm.

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gecho says on Oct 18, 2005, 02:01:

real reason, please take note!!! I´m not an historian, but I know some things...

Because our spanish based teaching structure (school and university) some Diplomas during XIX and part of XX century were written with DOCTOR based in latin word DOCTO, which means "skillful in certain subject", so they were several DOCTOR´s or well-prepared students such as lawyers, philosophers, literature, and all related subject, including medical.
So, for ignorant or low level academic people, they used to say DOCTOR to a university graduated man, most of them (first half of XX century) lawyers who worked to and for goverment (national or local) despite the fact they didn{t had any PhD.
Another version of this "word" its the mexican "Licenciado".

So, in this time, DOCTOR is irregulary used by poor people talking about well necktie dressed men, lawyers or high rank people no matter its academic diploma... and, of course, physicians.

That´s it... It´s just a colombian social phenomena, nothing strange.

Hope this info had cleared your curiosity

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