https://www.cmaj.ca/content/re-who-entitled-be-called-doctor
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5026525/
In a
2011 article in the New York Times, Dr. Roland Goertz, who was then the board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said that physicians were worried about losing control over the title of “doctor” because it could lead to loss of control over the medical profession itself. “There is real concern that the use of ‘doctor’ will not be clear to patients,” he told the newspaper.
In 2009, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario provided input to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care about
the use of the title “doctor.” One of the main concerns was that the lack of consistent requirements for professionals permitted to be called “doctor” would be confusing to the public. “Within a health care setting, the public typically associates the title ‘doctor’ with those who provide medical treatment and advice,” the letter states. “Identifying non-physician doctorates by the title ‘doctor’ may lead to misconceptions from the public that such individuals, when working in a health care setting, are able to offer medical treatment and advice.”
According to Kathryn Clarke, senior communications coordinator for the college, restricted titles are an essential public-protection component in regulating health professions. They help patients identify various health care professions, distinguish the qualified from the unqualified and differentiate practitioners who are regulated from those who aren’t.