Can I call myself a physicist yet?

[flatmaster]

I have my BS in Physics with a chem minor. I've done two years of gradschool at UAH. I'll be back to classes in the fall at UAB Huntsville. At Auburn, I was awarded TA of the year from the dept. So how about it? Can I call myself a physicist?

 

[Cyrus]

You can call yourself modest.

Sarcasm aside, do you do physics for a living?

 

[Pengwuino]

Someone told me you can only call yourself a physicist when you have your PHD. Then of course there's a professor of mine who said we could call ourselves physicists when we were taking upper division physics courses. Who knows. If you're still in school, you're a student, that's for sure. If you're unemployed, you're a bum. If you work as a physicist, I guess you shoudl call yourself a physicist!

 

[Cyrus]

Someone told me you can only call yourself a physicist when you have your PHD. Then of course there's a professor of mine who said we could call ourselves physicists when we were taking upper division physics courses. Who knows. If you're still in school, you're a student, that's for sure. If you're unemployed, you're a bum. If you work as a physicist, I guess you shoudl call yourself a physicist!

You should not even be allowed into a physics classroom, let alone calling yourself a physicist.

 

[Pengwuino]

You should not even be allowed into a physics classroom, let alone calling yourself a physicist.

I hate you.

That professor also said to get a PHD so you can say 'Dr.' when you're making a table reservation at a restaurant. It sounds very cool.

 

[flatmaster]

If you're unemployed, you're a bum.

Under this definition, I'm a bum. However bum and physicist and not orthogonal.

 

[Cyrus]

I hate you.

That professor also said to get a PHD so you can say 'Dr.' when you're making a table reservation at a restaurant. It sounds very cool.

If I had a PhD, I'd tell people to call me Cyrus. The title isn't to impress people working at restaurants.

 

[Chi Meson]

You said "orthogonal."

You physicist, you.

 

[flatmaster]

ok.. I think I'm a physiscist

 

[drizzle]

yeah, I don't know.. my prophessors and colleagues think I'm way good at physics, but seriously I'll give myself 80% [though, I used to be on top of my class], right now I'm a research assistant, and applying for a job at my local university [teaching assistant], I’m expecting to start after summer, but I wouldn’t call myself a physicist unless I invent something really rocks the world…high expectations

 

[Cyrus]

yeah, I don't know.. my prophessors and colleagues think I'm way good at physics, but seriously I'll give myself 80% [though, I used to be on top of my class], right now I'm a research assistant, and applying for a job at my local university [teaching assistant], I’m expecting to start after summer, but I wouldn’t call myself a physicist unless I invent something really rocks the world…high expectations

It's spelled professors. Why would you go from an RA to a TA? That's a step down, not up.

 

[drizzle]

It's spelled professors. Why would you go from an RA to a TA? That's a step down, not up.

thanks for the correction, I don’t know how things work where you live, but here I have to go though all steps if I want to major in physics as an assisted professor, you see I didn’t teach after graduation, but I start my master study after 2 yrs [thanks to my GPA and professors recommendations] while I’m still studying master my advisor took me on as a research assistant [that’s temporarily on a couple of researches], got it!

 

[Cyrus]

thanks for the correction, I don’t know how things work where you live, but here I have to go though all steps if I want to major in physics as an assisted professor, you see I didn’t teach after graduation, but I start my master study after 2 yrs [thanks to my GPA and professors recommendations] while I’m still studying master my advisor took me on as a research assistant [that’s temporarily on a couple of researches], got it!

What is an 'assisted professor': are you trying to become a professor? I think I understand about 60% of what you write.

 

[drizzle]

What is an 'assisted professor': are you trying to become a professor? I think I understand about 60% of what you write.

that's enough for you you can't handle more than that!

 

[Cyrus]

that's enough for you you can't handle more than that!

FYI: I generally don't like it when people I don't know post responses to me as if I were a close buddy. I don't know you that well.

 

[drizzle]

FYI: I generally don't like it when people I don't know post responses to me as if I were a close buddy. I don't know you that well.

lick your elbow! * you are way far from being a close buddy






* [just in case you asks cause I don’t want to post replies again] it’s a saying I learned, it means if you could lick your elbow then what you think is possible, but it isn't

 

[physics girl phd]

I have my Ph.D. in physics and my job title contains the word "physics", but I still cringe when my husband says I'm a physicist. I just teach physics at a university. I guess I'd only think of myself as a physicist if I was employed at a national lab and was classified as a full time research physicist under some gs grade... or something similar. Since that's not the case, I think I'd be doing hack job if one thought of me as a "physicist".

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It depends entirely how you look at it. The first definition in Websters is "a specialist in physics". In a room full of post-docs doing fundamental research, "specialist" means one thing, but for the average person, including the majority of working non-scientific professionals, it means something else entirely.

When I finished college with a BS in Physics, I began doing industrial designs that required that I have general liability and professional errors and omissions insurance. Some kind of title was required for me that was representitive but not misleading. "Graduate Physicist" was finally the language chosen.

 

[Cyrus]

It depends entirely how you look at it. The first definition in Websters is "a specialist in physics". In a room full of post-docs doing fundamental research, "specialist" means one thing, but for the average person, including the majority of working non-scientific professionals, it means something else entirely.

When I finished college with a BS in Physics, I began doing industrial designs that required insurance. Some kind of title was required for me that was representitive but not misleading. Graduate physicist was finally the language chosen.

"Design Engineer"

Anyways, it doesn't matter because I think the thread is self serving and pointless. Why not just make a thread that says I got an award as being a TA, everyone clap for me. I honestly see no other point to this thread than that.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

"Design Engineer"

I studied physics, not engineering. They knew what I was doing.

 

[turbo]

I have my Ph.D. in physics and my job title contains the word "physics", but I still cringe when my husband says I'm a physicist. I just teach physics at a university. I guess I'd only think of myself as a physicist if I was employed at a national lab and was classified as a full time research physicist under some gs grade... or something similar. Since that's not the case, I think I'd be doing hack job if one thought of me as a "physicist".

Though I started on that track, I never ended up getting a degree in Chemical Engineering. A few years later, when I found myself working as a process chemist in a $$$$$ pulp mill, I had no problem saying "chemist" when people asked what I did. When fractional percentages of improvements in the efficiency of that mill could pay my salary for years (even decades) I felt no compunction in claiming the title. I beat out a newly-minted CE for my position though I had no degree, and we became close friends after his hire a year later.

 

[Cyrus]

lick your elbow! * you are way far from being a close buddy






* [just in case you asks cause I don’t want to post replies again] it’s a saying I learned, it means if you could lick your elbow then what you think is possible, but it isn't

Then why do you pm me and respond to my posts as if we are? It's out of place. Again, I don't understand half of what you're saying.

 

[Cyrus]

I studied physics, not engineering. They knew what I was doing.

I know you studied physics, but you weren't hired to do physics, were you?

My point is that physicists are hired to do physics.

A physicist can be hired to do something that's non related to physics, but at that point your no longer a physicist.

 

[Cyrus]

Though I started on that track, I never ended up getting a degree in Chemical Engineering. A few years later, when I found myself working as a process chemist in a $$$$$ pulp mill, I had no problem saying "chemist" when people asked what I did. When fractional percentages of improvements in the efficiency of that mill could pay my salary for years (even decades) I felt no compunction in claiming the title. I beat out a newly-minted CE for my position though I had no degree, and we became close friends after his hire a year later.

That's because you were actually doing what a chemist does.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I know you studied physics, but you weren't hired to do physics, were you?

I was being paid to use what I had learned. Also, this [my first application for insurance] was for a project funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. I was self-employed.

My point is that physicists are hired to do physics.

What is "doing physics"? I use the physics that I studied every day. If you mean research, then that would be a research physicist.

A physicist can be hired to do something that's non related to physics, but at that point your no longer a physicist.

I was being asked what qualifies me to do the work I was insuring. The real answer is that I can figure out what I need to know because, and only because of my physics degree.

 

[drizzle]

Then why do you pm me and respond to my posts as if we are? It's out of place. Again, I don't understand half of what you're saying.

urrrrrrrrrrrgh... you really want to piss me off
when did I do that! are you drunk!

what! the post about the other thread days ago! was 1 post and I asks you NOT to reply to it!


and hey, you are not embarrassing me

if you mean it, why don't you ignore my posts and quit being picky about it!

 

[Pengwuino]

I know you studied physics, but you weren't hired to do physics, were you?

My point is that physicists are hired to do physics.

A physicist can be hired to do something that's non related to physics, but at that point your no longer a physicist.

Everything has its root in physics So you can say it!

Then again does that mean anyone doing any scientific/engineering job can say they're a physicist... hmmmm, i don't like where this is going.

Point is, get a job with "physicist" in the title just to be on the safe side.

 

[lisab]

Everything has its root in physics So you can say it!

Then again does that mean anyone doing any scientific/engineering job can say they're a physicist... hmmmm, i don't like where this is going.

Point is, get a job with "physicist" in the title just to be on the safe side.

True...my secretary's job is rooted in physics, after all!

I have a lowly little BS in physics, currently employed to to chemistry (long story). I definitely don't think of myself as a physicist.

But I have always been under the impression that to be called a physicist, you need a PhD and several years of research and publishing. Very different from an engineer, a chemist, a nurse, or a forester.

Getting a BS in physics is not like training for a vocation.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Everything has its root in physics So you can say it!

Then again does that mean anyone doing any scientific/engineering job can say they're a physicist... hmmmm, i don't like where this is going..

No, because they didn't specialize in physics. Duh!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think you are all missing the point. There are times when one is asked for a title related to one's education. You have to say something. How you wish to define the meaning of "specialist" from there is arbitrary.

Also, there is a difference between a physics grad and an engineering grad. In fact I learned how to capitalize it.

 

[Pengwuino]

Whenever I think of someones title, it's always their work title as opposed to their education come to think of it. This is actually quite a head scratcher. If you wind up as an ice cream man and got your phd in physics, can you really call yourself a physicist? On the other hand, what if you've been doing physics-related work for 20 years then decide to change careers to being a food preparer, is it fair that you can no longer call yourself a physicist? I don't see anything wrong with "I'm a physicist currently flipping burgers"

One thing I and actually a couple of friends of mine have wondered is if you stick with the title of "physicist" being someone with a phd and experience and such... what do you call someone with just a BS or MS? We can't be engineers because we certainly have no formal engineering training...

 

[Feezik]

You right. very right!
without a copy of certificate, it mean nothing to prove quality!

 

[qntty]

I think you are all missing the point. There are times when one is asked for a title related to one's education. You have to say something. How you wish to define the meaning of "specialist" from there is arbitrary.

But if one isn't actively involved in doing physics then there seems to almost always be a title that's more descriptive than "physicist".

Physics girl phd could say she's a Physics Professor

flatmaster could say he's a student [of physics]

It seems that physicist would became an overly vague term if it could mean anything from a student to an engineer.

 

[lisab]

Whenever I think of someones title, it's always their work title as opposed to their education come to think of it. This is actually quite a head scratcher. If you wind up as an ice cream man and got your phd in physics, can you really call yourself a physicist? On the other hand, what if you've been doing physics-related work for 20 years then decide to change careers to being a food preparer, is it fair that you can no longer call yourself a physicist? I don't see anything wrong with "I'm a physicist currently flipping burgers"

One thing I and actually a couple of friends of mine have wondered is if you stick with the title of "physicist" being someone with a phd and experience and such... what do you call someone with just a BS or MS? We can't be engineers because we certainly have no formal engineering training...

To complicate things even more, the job title is usually a committee decision (or worse, an HR committe decision ). I'm a Research Technologist...what the heck is that?!? In my field, it means a scientist who primarily works in the lab...a hands-on scientist. But no one knows that...it sounds like a made-up title!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Tell me this: Are all engineers the same? Do all engineers bring the same knowledge and skills to the table?

 

[Cyrus]

What is "doing physics"? I use the physics that I studied every day. If you mean research, then that would be a research physicist.

If you are making something for a customer, you've entered the world of engineering. Even if your degree is in physics, you're an engineer.

I was being asked what qualifies me to do the work I was insuring. The real answer is that I can figure out what I need to know because, and only because of my physics degree.

Doing insurance work doesn't make you a physicist. You're an insurance guy with a physics degree. The same way I'm an Aerospace engineer with a Mechanical Degree.

 

[Cyrus]

Then again does that mean anyone doing any scientific/engineering job can say they're a physicist

That's a stupid question. Clearly, a biologist doing science isn't a physicist. So not "any one doing a scientific/engineering job can say they're a physicist". You bird brain.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If you are making something for a customer, you've entered the world of engineering. Even if your degree is in physics, you're an engineer.

In no way could I claim to be an engineer. I don't have an engineering degree. I was claiming that I was capable of doing engineering.

Doing insurance work doesn't make you a physicst. You're an insurance guy with a physics degree. The same way I'm an Aerospace engineer with a Mechanical Degree.

That isn't what I said. My insurance agent told me that he needed a title in order to file the application in which I was claiming to be capable of doing electrical engineering work.

 

[Cyrus]

Tell me this: Are all engineers the same? Do all engineers bring the same knowledge and skills to the table?

Well, that's why they insert the word (Aero, Mech, Bio, Civil, Chem) infront of the word engineer.

 

[//:phoenix:\\]

I seriously doubt the OP has a BA in physics and minor in chemistry. He seems more like someone who has just started out in physics and thinks it is a nice name to call oneself. "Well I am a physicist!" If you study physics and are pursuing it for a career, you are a student of physics, when you obtain a degree in the field and work as physicist, you are a physicist. I don't think he has a BA because of the latter. Just my opinion though...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Well, that's why they insert the word (Aero, Mech, Bio, Civil, Chem) infront of the word engineer.

What do physics students study?

 

[Cyrus]

In no way could I claim to be an engineer. I don't have an engineering degree. I was claiming that I was capable of doing engineering.

That isn't what I said. My insurance agent told me that he needed a title in order to file the application in which I was claiming to be capable of doing electrical engineering work.

Why couldn't you claim to be an engineer? You were hired to do engineering work, right?

 

[Cyrus]

What do physics students study?

You have a BS in physics, I'm sure you're well aware of what they study. Physicists, by definition, search for the fundamental mechanisms by how things work. Engineers use those mechanism to make things and further technology.

Engineers make a product.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

By the way, as a finer point of law, I could be sued for legally calling myself an engineer. However, I am completely legal and insured to do engineering given that I am careful about the jobs I take. I can't design a bridge, but I can design for concept testing and various types of industrial applications.

 

[Cyrus]

By the way, as a finer point of law, I could be sued for legally calling myself an engineer. However, I am completely legal and insured to do engineering.

Why can you be sued for calling yourself an engineer? What law, specifically says that.

 

[//:phoenix:\\]

If you don't have a degree in engineering and can be sued because of it you merely have the knowledge of an engineer, not the credentials that would make you an engineer. You aren't an engineer but rather someone with knowledge of engineering. Just because a 1 year old baby can add 1 + 1 and know that it equals 2, doesn't make that baby a mathematician. In order to be a mathematician you have to study mathematics and earn the credentials to call yourself a mathematician.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You have a BS in physics, I'm sure you're well aware of what they study. Physicists, by definition, search for the fundamental mechanisms by how things work. Engineers use those mechanism to make things and further technology.

Engineers make a product.

Do you assume that a physics graduate does not lay claim to knowledge specific to physics graduates? Do you think that all engineers gets as much physics as a physics grad?

 

[Cyrus]

Do you assume that a physics graduate does not lay claim to knowledge specific to physics graduates? Do you think that all engineers gets as much physics as a physics grad?

What?...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If you don't have a degree in engineering and can be sued because of it you merely have the knowledge of an engineer, not the credentials that would make you an engineer. You aren't an engineer but rather someone with knowledge of engineering. Just because a 1 year old baby can add 1 + 1 and know that it equals 2, doesn't make that baby a mathematician. In order to be a mathematician you have to study mathematics and earn the credentials to call yourself a mathematician.

Well, I've had my own company for 11 years and I do all sorts of engineering. In fact, my career was made by solving problems that stumped the band.

 

[Cyrus]

If you don't have a degree in engineering and can be sued because of it you merely have the knowledge of an engineer, not the credentials that would make you an engineer. You aren't an engineer but rather someone with knowledge of engineering. Just because a 1 year old baby can add 1 + 1 and know that it equals 2, doesn't make that baby a mathematician. In order to be a mathematician you have to study mathematics and earn the credentials to call yourself a mathematician.

I don't understand the point of this post.