History Main / MDEnvy

* Pick a veterinary nurse. Ask them, "Oh, so when are you going to become a veterinarian?" Run away very quickly. Veterinary nursing, it must be emphasized, is an entirely different profession from veterinary medicine, since it's the nurses who run the labs, the nurses who restrain the patients, the nurses who handle all the bodily fluids, the nurses who give the injections and insert tubes and control anaesthesia and set up [=IVs=] and the nurses who report symptoms to the doctor. They are ''not'' "just people who are too stupid to become vets."
** This goes for pretty much ''any'' kind of nurse. Especially in the hospital, it's the nurses who actually effect 99% of patient care.
*** Especially since - whether the doctor in question is a physician or a vet - it is the nurse's job to say, "You're treating X patient for Y condition with X medication" so the doctor doesn't screw up. Direct quote:
-->'''A Veterinarian:''' I can't read a urinalysis! In vet school they told us, 'You'll have techs for that'!

** Which is ridiculous for anybody who has some knowledge of medical practice, and is aware of how easy it is for an anesthetist to kill a person with even a minor mistake.

* In ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'', veterinarian Andrew [=MacDhuie=]'s defining feature is his great bitterness with his profession and not being able to use his skills to help people.
* Groucho averted this in ''A Day At The Races'' by just [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught practicing on humans anyway]].

* The envy and inadequacy suffered by Kirstie Alley's character Marjorie as a woman who has married into an entire family of doctors is the catalyst for the entire plot of ''Sibling Rivalry''.
* Speaking of the MD vs DO debate, the movie ''Alien Apocalypse'' has Bruce Campbell as a DO who saves the world from alien conquest using the power of osteopathy and pointed sticks. He continually complains about no one takes him seriously because he's a DO.
* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''[[StarTrekTheVoyageHome Star Trek IV]]'': When Dr. [=McCoy=] starts to diagnose Chekov's condition, the other MD in the room [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]]: "What's your degree in? [[NotThatKindOfDoctor Dentistry?]]"
** Of course McCoy, practicing incredibly more advanced medicine from the 23rd century thinks they're butchers, extorting them to "put away their butcher knives," then goes on to effortlessly cure Chekov and a nearby woman undergoing dialysis.

* Ross from ''{{Friends}}'' holds a doctorate in paleontology. He uses the title "Doctor" as often as he can, and refers to himself as a doctor when the context implies "medical doctor".

* Ben from ''MyFamily'' is a dentist, and is shown to have such a strong inferiority complex around doctors that his children lie about the profession of a friend's parent to avoid his reaction.
* Carla from ''{{Scrubs}}'' can become very defensive when anyone uses the phrase "just a nurse".

-->'''Aris Boch''': Dr. Jackson, if you don't mind treating my wound.
-->'''Dr. Jackson''': I'm an archaeologist.
-->'''Aris Boch''': I know, but you're also a doctor.
-->'''Dr. Jackson''': [[NotThatKindOfDoctor ...of archeology.]]
--->--''StargateSG1''

* It's not uncommon for a veterinarian in fiction to "have issues" about being only a vet, not a ''real'' doctor: for instance, in ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'', Andrew [=MacDhuie=]'s defining feature is his great bitterness with his profession and not being able to use his skills to help people.
** Somewhat ironic, considering that veterinarians actually go to school longer than medical doctors, due to treating more than one species.
** Adding to the irony is the fact that, since there are fewer schools of veterinary medicine than human medicine, they're more selective, meaning that your typical DVM had to have had better grades than your typical MD.
*** Though there are more MD schools, there are also far more applicants, so the average GPA is slightly higher for MDs ([[http://www.get-into-medical-school.com/gpa.html 3.66 in 2008]]) than DVMs ([[http://vetschoolinfo.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-grades-do-i-need-to-get-into-vet.html 3.57 in 2008]]), and premeds have to take the notorious MCAT instead of the standard GRE. That said, the trope is obviously discredited as a large majority of students in vet school could get into med school if they wanted (assuming they don't bomb the MCAT) but choose to go to vet school anyway, and any vet who wanted to be a doctor would have gone to DO school or to the Caribbean (if they really want the letters MD), both of which are easier than getting into vet school. Also, med schools expect exposure to clinical human situations from premeds whereas vet schools require exposure to animal situations, so you can't really just jump from one to the other when things don't work out.
**** Well, in America anyway
** Groucho averted this in ''A Day At The Races'' by just [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught practicing on humans anyway]].

*** ''"The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!!"''

** Of course McCoy, practicing incredibly more advanced medicine from the 23rd century thinks they're butchers, extorting them to "put away their butcher knives," then goes on to effortlessly cure Chekov and a nearby woman.
*** ''The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!!''

*** '''The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!!'''

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]
* This Troper can't help but wonder whether the Engineer in ''TeamFortress2'' ever suffers from this, given that he has eleven [=PhDs=] but the characters only ever call the Medic "Doctor".

--->-- Paul Fussell, ''Class''

** Groucho averted this in ''A Day At The Races'' by just [[OnlyCheatingIfYouGetCaught practicing on humans anyway]].
* In ''MeetTheParents'' Greg has no shame or inferiority complex about being a male nurse, but is constantly asked by his fiancé's family why he didn't want to go all the way and become a doctor. Several of them are doctors.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''[[StarTrekTheVoyageHome Star Trek IV]]'': When Dr. [=McCoy=] starts to diagnose Chekhov's condition, the other MD in the room [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]]: "What's your degree in? [[NotThatKindOfDoctor DENTISTRY?]]"
** Of course McCoy, practicing incredibly more advanced medicine from the 23rd century thinks they're butchers, extorting them to "put away their butcher knives," then goes on to effortlessly cure Chekox and a nearby woman.

** Another episode features Jerry dating a dermatologist, with him claiming the whole profession is "just put some aloe on it" and referring to her as Pimple-popper MD. It backfires on him big time when he learns that dermatologists also treat skin cancer.

** Another case of TruthInTelevision, as evidenced by a couple of this troper's acquaintance; he's an MD, she's a PhD. He gets absolutely frosted when people call her Dr. (name) in front of his MD friends. She, on the other hand, doesn't get too worked up over any of it, though she'll occasionally tweak him by asking how five years of painstaking research grants the same title as four years of "Stick your tongue out and say Ah."

** Mind you medical treatment of mental illness have actually proven to help people. While doctors of Psychology are seen at being better at discrediting their forbearers and peers.

-->'''Dr. Jackson''': ...of archeology.

* It's not uncommon for a veterinarian in fiction to "have issues" about being only a vet, not a ''real'' doctor: for instance, in ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'', Andrew MacDhuie's defining feature is his great bitterness with his profession and not being able to use his skills to help people.

** This troper's sister who is studying medicine (and indeed, invoking of this trope as we refer to her as "doctor" rather than "medical student" has become something of an in-joke in the family) recently happened upon a statistic that the profession whose practitioners are most likely to commit suicide is dentistry. As to whether said statistic is actually related to this trope is anyone's guess, but it does make you think...

** Then there's the time Russ showed up. He crowed that Ross was jealous of him being a "real doctor." Ross remained unimpressed. "You're a doctor of gums! That's the smallest body part you can major in!" This troper agrees. Russ has most likely hit his glass ceiling already, whereas Ross can and did go much further.

* Sarah from ''QuiteUglyOneMorning'' is an anesthesiologist, and has several rants in the book about arrogant surgeons, and people who are surprised to learn that one needs to be a doctor to practice anesthesia.
** Which is ridiculous for anybody who has some knowledge of medical practice, and is aware of how easy it is for an anesthesiologist to kill a person with even a minor mistake.
** She's British, and therefore an anaesthetist. please.

* Averted in the BottleEpisode "Secrets And Lies" of ''ER'', where a nurse reveals she originally studied to be an MD but then switched to nursing so she could spend more time with each patient. She even lampshades the trope and claims that not all nurses have MDEnvy.

* ''[[EndersGame Shadow of the Hegemon]]'':
-->'''Petra''': Oh, yes, I forgot, we trust your fellow conspirators to see all and miss nothing, because, after all, ''they'' aren't psychiatrists.\\
'''The Psychologist''': I'm a psychologist.\\
'''Petra''': Ouch. That must have hurt, to admit you're only half-educated.
* It's not uncommon for a veterinarian in fiction to 'have issues' about being only a vet, not a ''real'' doctor: for instance, in ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'', Andrew MacDhuie's defining feature is his great bitterness with his profession and not being able to use his skills to help people.
** Somewhat ironic, considering that veterinarians actually go to school longer than medical doctors, due to treating more than one species.
** Adding to the irony is the fact that, since there are fewer schools of veterinary medicine than human medicine, they're more selective, meaning that your typical DVM had to have had better grades than your typical MD.
*** Though there are more MD schools, there are also far more applicants, so the average GPA is slightly higher for MDs ([[http://www.get-into-medical-school.com/gpa.html 3.66 in 2008]]) than DVMs ([[http://vetschoolinfo.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-grades-do-i-need-to-get-into-vet.html 3.57 in 2008]]), and premeds have to take the notorious MCAT instead of the standard GRE. That said, the trope is obviously discredited as a large majority of students in vet school could get into med school if they wanted (assuming they don't bomb the MCAT) but choose to go to vet school anyway, and any vet who wanted to be a doctor would have gone to DO school or to the Caribbean (if they really want the letters MD), both of which are easier than getting into vet school. Also, med schools expect exposure to clinical human situations from premeds whereas vet schools require exposure to animal situations, so you can't really just jump from one to the other when things don't work out.
**** Well, in America anyway
** Groucho averted this in ''A Day At The Races'' by just [[OnlyCheatingIfYouGetCaught practicing on humans anyway]].

* In ''MeetTheParents'' Greg has no shame or inferiority complex about being a male nurse, but is constantly asked by his fiancé's family why he didn't want to go all the way and become a doctor. Several of them are doctors.
** In fact, they all assume he flunked out of being a doctor, and they need to see a copy of his transcript before they'll believe he actually got top marks and preferred to be a nurse to get more time with patients.
* The envy and inadequacy suffered by Kirstie Alley's character Marjorie as a woman who has married into an entire family of doctors is the catalyst for the entire plot of ''Sibling Rivalry''.

* Speaking of the MD vs DO debate, the movie ''Alien Apocalypse'' has Bruce Campbell as a DO who saves the world from alien conquest using the power of osteopathy and pointed sticks. He continually complains about no one takes him seriously because he's a DO.
* Most alternative medicine doctors tend to exhibit this trope. with their level of envy inversely proportional to the amount of science contained in their discipline.
* This Troper can't help but wonder whether the Engineer in ''TeamFortress2'' ever suffers from this, given that he has eleven [=PhDs=] but the characters only ever call the Medic "Doctor".
* In Bill Cosby's "Tonsils" routine from the ''Wonderfulness'' album, the young Cosby addresses an orderly: "Hey, you! Almost a doctor!"
* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in ''StarTrek IV'': When Dr. [=McCoy=] starts to diagnose Chekhov's condition, the other MD in the room [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]]: "What's your degree in? [[NotThatKindOfDoctor DENTISTRY?]]"
* In ''{{Coupling}}'' Jane claimed her new boyfriend was a surgeon. He was actually a butcher.
* ''OutOfPractice'' was a short lived sitcom about a family where everyone was a doctor except for the youngest son, Ben, who was a relationship counselor (although he may have had a psychiatric doctorate, I can't recall). He always had a slight complex about this, although his other relatives always stressed that he was doing important work. Of course, his brother Oliver was a plastic surgeon, which, while an important profession, isn't generally thought of as being a "proper" doctor either.
* In one episode of ''{{Bones}}'' Temprance thanked a chiropractor for his help but couldn't help noting that he wasn't a "real medical doctor". As she left he pointed out that she isn't a medical doctor either (she's an anthropologist).
** Another episode featured an M.D. making a snide remark about academics being people who couldn't do the "real" doctorate after Brennan said her doctorate was a [=PhD=]. Brennan herself, however, is quite proud of her doctorates and never shows envy towards M.D.s, which makes sense, what with an academic doctorate taking way more time and often being much harder to obtain than a medical one.
** Another case of TruthInTelevision, as evidenced by a couple of this troper's acquaintance; he's an MD, she's a PhD. He gets absolutely frosted when people call her Dr. (name) in front of his MD friends. She, on the other hand, doesn't get too worked up over any of it, though she'll occasionally tweak him by asking how five years of painstaking research grants the same title as four years of "Stick your tongue out and say Ah."
* Subverted in the case of this troper's real life. No matter how many times I'm automatically addressed as "nurse" while on my hospital volunteer shift, it's no problem politely correcting people with "Actually, I'm just a volunteer."
* Surgeons in the UK use the titles 'Mr', 'Mrs' or 'Miss' instead of the 'Dr' they use after initially qualifying as a medic. This is due to an old tradition, whereby if you go back a few hundred years, surgery was a trade to which one was apprenticed, rather than something one became after academic study.

** Mind you medical treatment of mental illness have actually proven to help people. While doctors of Psychology are seen at being better at discrediting their forbearers and peers.

* Alan from ''Two and a Half Men'' is often belittled for being a chiropractor and not a "real" doctor.

In comedies, the high status attached to physicians is always shown to loom large over those who come close to, but do not attain the sacred mantle - such as other health professionals, doctors in non-medical fields, and sometimes even medical doctors whose specialty is perceived as less challenging or useful than others. Similarly, a Nurse has a different set of skills than a doctor (even a "male nurse", but don't use that word because it's kind of offensive) and they don't like to be confused for one.