After the optometry school graduation ceremony, can you start calling yourself doctor or do you have to wait to get your liscence? If you have not received your license yet, can you call yourself doctor as long as you are not practicing optometry?
Are the board exams after graduation from optometry school or prior to graduation?
The advice given on this thread so far is accurate and correct, especially KHE's counsel; he is indeed wise. Until you're licensed, your OD really has no meaning in the real world, does it?
However, there are two exceptions where you could possibly use your OD title and remain "legal".
1) In social settings - if you're trying to impress some chick at a fancy restaurant and you make a reservation for Dr. Jones, you wouldn't be breaking any laws, ruffling any feathers, or upsetting any optometry boards because only you and your girlfriend would know...who cares. Besides, you are a "doctor" in the technical sense (OD), just not licensed. In this case, you're not saying you're an optometrist or physician, just "Dr. Jones". Also, if you're going to see your physician, dentist, or health care provider, and tell the clerk/receptionist you're "Dr. Jones" instead of "Bob", so? You're not misleading anyone and you're making it known that you're not some average Joe, but a well-educated patient -- no different than the patient with an EdD or PhD in 19th century British Horticulture.
2) In academic settings - Let's say, after graduation, but before you get licensed, the local community college hires you to teach biology or some life science class. If you have your students refer to you as "Dr. Jones", you're not being illegal because you a) hold an OD degree and b) are teaching in an academic environment alongside PhDs, JDs, MDs, etc. It's a perfectly acceptable title in those circumstances. I have a friend who has a JD from the same law school I attended (Michigan State) and she got a job teaching business law at a small four-year school. She is not licensed to practice law in Michigan. Her students refer to her as "Dr. S" and she gets paid the same as the PhD professors. It would be no different for you with an OD and no license in a similar situation.
The key is: how you hold yourself out to the general public. If you call yourself Dr., remember people will first assume you're an MD. Most people with advanced degrees do the Name, degree format (e.g., Bob Jones, OD, Bob Jones, PhD, etc.) rather than (Dr. Bob Jones) because the degree format tells others something (usually), whereas the title format says jack squat (MD, DO, PHD, PharmD, JD, EdD, DPM, DVM, DDS, OD, AuD, DPT?????????????). If you have an OD, but are not licensed, then using the OD after your name implies a) you earned the degree + b) you're licensed. If not licensed, I would avoid the OD as it would imply you're actually working as an opto. Likewise, using Dr. without qualifying would imply you're practicing, and since you're not licensed, that would be bad.
In this case, you introduce yourself as "Dr. Smith" and someones asks you, what kind of doctor are you? You say, "I have a Doctor of Optometry degree from Ferris State University." That person then says, "Oh, so you're an optometrist?" You say, "no, not yet". This creates confusion and can be misleading. Not good. Likewise, signing your name John Smith, O.D., implies you're a practicing optometrist, not just a holder of an optometry degree. It's very tricky.
I remember a case from 2001 where a foreign-educated MD (Mexico), who was not licensed anywhere in the US, and was American-born, was working as a transplant coordinator at a hospital in Michigan. He had a legitimate medical degree. He also held a BS degree in med technology (the degree required for his job). He signed all paperwork "John Smith, MD" and people referred to him as "Dr. Smith". This, however, falsely created the perception among others that he was a licensed physician. One of his co-workers held a PhD in pathology and was also referred to as Dr.; however, he signed his name "Bob Jones, PhD" and his degree implied no licensure. The MD guy was fired for misrepresentation and sued the hospital on the grounds that he earned the degree and should be able to use it. The trial court found the hospital citing case law that regardless of whether one earned the MD, to use MD after one's name implied competence to practice medicine, not just possession of the degree.
In a clinical setting, it's best NOT to use the title or degree unless you are licensed.
SO...the best answer is, unless you're teaching, or trying to impress in a lame social situation, don't do it and wait until you're licensed. It's ok, however, if your mom sends you stuff in the mail addressed to Dr. X, and you puff yourself up while eating out or something.
Remember one thing too, if you're ever out (eating, theatre, etc.) and there's a medical emergency, and some idiot calls out "is there a doctor here!", keep your mouth shut, continue eating, and let medical first responders/EMTs handle the problem. That is, of course, you are also an EMT
🙂
In the above example, it's clear they are looking for a physician, not an optometrist, psychologist, or expert in medical anthropology.
