# דוקטור vs. רופא



## sawyeric1

They both mean "doctor". What differences are there in usage, meaning, and register? Can you only use דוקטור before someone's name as a title?

Thanks


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## shalom00

People sometme use דוקטור instead of רופא, especially older people, but it is not common.


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## aavichai

also Doctor in Hebrew means PhD
(maybe in English too? i don't know)

so if someone has a PhD in literature, he is also called Doctor


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## shalom00

Of course, in that case, he is not a רופא, unless he is both.


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## shalom00

I knew a brillant fellow who got a doctorate in Math, then decided he wanted to become a cardiologist, and now he is a very successful one.


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## Tamar

About adding the title doctor before someone's name:
Yes, we do add the title, such as ד"ר חן Dr. Chen, both for Phd and medical doctors (when I call Kupat Holim and ask to make an appointment, I ask to make an appointment with ד"ר חן). 
But a דוקטור is not necessarily a רופא, רופא is only a medical doctor.


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## Egmont

aavichai said:


> also Doctor in Hebrew means PhD
> (maybe in English too? i don't know)
> 
> so if someone has a PhD in literature, he is also called Doctor



Yes, that is true in English also. If you are at a university that does not have a medical school and you hear someone called "Doctor," that person is almost certainly not a physician (רופא).


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## Drink

Egmont said:


> Yes, that is true in English also. If you are at a university that does not have a medical school and you hear someone called "Doctor," that person is almost certainly not a physician (רופא).



You might address this person as "Doctor" or "Dr. So-And-So", but there are very few situations where you would say "my friend Sam is a doctor" and not mean medical doctor.


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## sawyeric1

Tamar said:


> Yes, we do add the title, such as ד"ר חן Dr. Chen



Can you say "רופא חן"?


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## amikama

sawyeric1 said:


> Can you say "רופא חן"?


No. רופא is not used as a title.


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## sawyeric1

It's funny how you call someone by דוקטור, but if you don't refer to them directly you have to switch to רופא


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## sawyeric1

... unless they are a PhD holder


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