I have a PhD in a STEM field. I never ask people I know to call me doctor. But when random strangers on the internet suggest I didn’t “earn” my title? And that my work is somehow less challenging/specialized/important as that of a physician... Well, they can go to hell. My best friend is a cardiologist at a prestigious institution and we both respect each other’s work immensely. I couldn’t do what she does and she’s the first one to say the crap I went through during my PhD might have broken her. Anyone who has worked really hard to be in any field- whether that’s nurse, chef, doctor, social worker, elder care giver, whatever it is...deserves to be recognized and respected for their hard work. Every field has its own challenges.