Origin of ‘Doctor’ word and the ‘Dr’ prefix:

Since times of Christ, the title ‘doctor’ was used for authorised teachers (Latin docēre, meaning teacher). Apostle St. Paul speaks of himself as a doctor of the Gentiles in faith and truth (1 Timothy 2:7), and Doctor gentium is one of the titles given to him in the liturgy. In the course of time, some of the most illustrious theologians were designated as "Doctors of the Church". The use of Doctor as an academic title dates back to the founding of the medieval universities. The doctorate was first granted in the early twelfth century in civil law (doctores legum), later in canon law (doctores decretorum) and, during the thirteenth century, in medicine, grammar, logic and philosophy1.

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