Physiotherapists barred from using ‘Dr’ prefix, government says they are not doctorsIn a communication to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the DGHS highlighted objections raised by groups such as the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) regarding a clause in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy, 2025.
Desk: The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has recommended revisions to the new physiotherapy curriculum to drop the use of the “Dr” prefix for physiotherapists, warning that it could create confusion and mislead patients.
In a communication to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the DGHS highlighted objections raised by groups such as the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR) regarding a clause in the Competency Based Curriculum for Physiotherapy, 2025.
The curriculum, released in April, had proposed allowing physiotherapy graduates to use “Dr” before their names along with the suffix “PT.”
“Physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and, therefore, should not use the prefix “Dr”, as it misleads patients and general public, potentially leading to quackery,” Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, mentioned in the letter.
The DGHS stressed that physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and should not represent themselves as such. It clarified that physiotherapists are expected to practice on referral from physicians rather than act as primary care providers.
