deep_sea2 t1_j2723dv wrote
The way the language evolved, the meaning of the word doctor changed from "teacher" to "physician." If I am not mistaken, back in the middle ages, a doctor was more often to be considered a doctor of theology (which is why you often hear people call St. Aquinas "The Doctor").
You may want to ask this to /r/AskHistorians because I doubt that there is a simple answer to how this word changed meaning.
mb34i t1_j2744o6 wrote
Yeah, currently we address people by their job title, so the PhD's tend to be addressed as "professor" rather than "doctor".
But we do use "doctor" for the honorific that goes with the person's name, for example you called Thomas Aquinas "St." (saint), he could also be addressed as "Dr. Aquinas".
djddanman t1_j27j4vw wrote
It's interesting, in undergrad my professors all went by doctor but in grad school at another university in the same state my professors go by professor
Jkei t1_j28b7o0 wrote
Because they're different titles. You can call yourself doctor at any point in life after earning a PhD from any university, but professorship is a step further and requires active tenure at a university.
djddanman t1_j28zuhy wrote
Some of my undergrad professors were tenured but still went by doctor
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