Why must medical doctors carry Dr. in-front of their names?

Congratulations to Rathakrishnan MD! Reading that he’s finally a (medical) doctor at 64 really amazes me. His courage and perseverance should be emulated by all!

One thing that I am not comfortable with all these medical graduates be them MDs or MBBSs. Why should they carry Dr. in-front of their names? What does the MMA have to say about this? Reason being is these medical practitioners with MD or MBBS qualifications who do not have PhD degrees should not have Dr. preceeding their names, unlike those PhD graduates, who has the full right to use it! Can't I just call them with their first name or surname if they would rather use that instead?

It's also the same with the so-called 'engineers' who are not registered professional engineers with the relevant accrediting bodies of the country where they practice such as BEM in Malaysia. Shame on you too for claiming to be an 'engineer'! Some of these 'engineers' do not even have a first degree to qualify themselves to be called graduate engineers, but just a diploma in engineering!

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The Star Online > Nation

Monday September 12, 2005

He’s finally a doctor at 64

BY LEE YUK PENG AND PERCY D’CRUZ

MALACCA: It has always been T.S.N. Rathakrishnan's dream to be a doctor.

He finally achieved his long cherished wish when he graduated from the Melaka Manipal Medical College here – at the age of 64.

Dr Rathakrishnan: ‘I almost called the whole thing off during the first two years of study in India ... studies and reference work were proving to be too much’

However, he had to skip the convocation ceremony on Saturday as he was helping a friend set up another medical college, where he is to be the principal.

Currently, Dr Rathakrishnan is helping Dr Mohamed Ishak Syed Ahmad, president of the Society of Complementary Therapies of Malaysia, set up the College of Complementary Medicine.

His wife Dr R. Vimala is a radiologist at Kuala Lumpur’s Pantai Hospital while their son – and only child – Dr R. Rahul is a registrar at the neurology department of the Singapore National University Hospital.

It took the retired plantation manager seven years to complete his medical studies, after he first enrolled at India’s Manipal Medical College.

After two-and-a-half years, he returned home to complete the course here in December last year.

He could have done it years ago but had to put his dream on hold because of family commitments.

Dr Rathakrishnan went to the Madras Christian College in India to pursue his Bachelor of Science degree in 1959.

When he was about to enter medical school in 1963, his mother summoned him home, as his dad was seriously ill.

Being the eldest of three siblings, he assumed the “man of the house” role after his father died a year later.

Later the same year, he joined the Guthrie Group, where his father had worked for 30 years. He started off as a cadet planter and retired in 1997 as a senior administration manager.

It was after his retirement that he decided to pick up from where he had left off to pursue his childhood dream.

“I almost called the whole thing off during the first two years of study in India.

“Studies and reference work were proving to be too much,” said Dr Rathakrishnan, who is probably the oldest person in the country to graduate from a local medical school.

“I have a heart problem and went through much stress, tension and plenty of burning the midnight oil.

“I am proud to have finally done it,” he said, adding that he was grateful to the late Datuk K. Pathmanaban, who was then the chairman of the college, for his support.

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