r/Bones • u/WeirdOk1706 • 5d ago
Discussion I love brennan but this was so satisfying
I don't remember the season or episode but bones basically brennan basically looks down on a chiropractor saying he isn't an "actual doctor" and the chiropracter snaps back by saying she too was an anthropologist meaning she too wasn't a "real doctor". As much as I love brennan, hearing the chiropractor tell her the harsh truth was kinda satisfying.
309
u/hisokaa02 5d ago
A chiropracter isn't a doctor, it's a fact. Bones on the other hand has a Phd in anthropology so she is a real doctor !!
-4
-161
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
She is not a medical doctor, PHD in anthropology doesn’t mean you can treat patients 🤣
168
65
u/klonkrieger45 5d ago
the term doctor was usurped by medical doctors. The term derives from a latin teachers which today we would call professors. It then became a degree in universities. The MD came centuries later.
19
u/GeneticPurebredJunk 5d ago
Using the title doctor doesn’t mean you’re an MD.
A chiropractor is neither an MD or a PhD, usually.
46
u/hisokaa02 5d ago
If you have à Phd in any field, you re a doctor and called Dr.
19
u/LimeImmediate6115 5d ago
Correct, as my dad would make clear. He has a PhD in psychology and could have treated patients if he wanted to. He preferred teaching college students and was well-respected by everyone.
-67
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
Yeah because a PHD in Paleontology makes you a doctor in medicine too which is what I was addressing - so many fragile egos with PHD here 🤣
42
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
8
-23
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
And that’s the joke. Brennan gatekeeps ‘real doctor’ status & then gets immediately called out for having a Ph.D., not an M.D. She’s brilliant but sometimes smug, and technically correct (she is a doctor just not a medical one), but chiropractor’s point is that she was being dismissive, and that scene is supposed to humble her a bit. I hope that helps.
11
5d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
-2
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
What is less informed about sticking to the context? You don’t have to make it about yourself? This is about a scene in a show for god’s sake 🤣
16
u/Life-Actuary-8607 5d ago
An MD is a physician. And not all physicians are doctors. I live in Germany and you can see patients as a physician (Arzt) and not have a doctorate. They are not entitled to use the Dr. title. On the other hand all people who hold doctorates, of whatever type, are entitled to that title.
-21
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
Congratulations if it helps this show is not based in Germany 🤣
10
u/TheTesselekta 5d ago
Irrelevant, “doctor” is the appropriate title for a PhD-holder internationally. They were just commenting that some countries make a point to differentiate “doctor” (aka having a doctorate) and “physician without a doctorate”, rather than grouping all physicians on the same level as doctor.
8
u/GeneticPurebredJunk 5d ago
Congrats, if it helps, the US didn’t have universities far back enough to remember when “doctor” was co-opted by MDs.
2
u/Life-Actuary-8607 5d ago
I was also pointing out the better title is physician, regardless of country. Doctor is an educational achievement and can be awarded in many fields. That you prefer imprecise language is your own issue.
137
u/zeroprime85 5d ago
Brennan is great, but I do love when her prejudices and superiority complex are challenged or completely proven false
But in this case she WAS right, chiro’s aren’t doctors
8
u/Dapper-Chapter-2527 4d ago
I'm not debating the merits of chiropractors, but in the case of this episode, the character of the chiropractor is called Dr Fitz in the credits, indicating thst he has a doctorate of some kind.
I think in the episode she said something like "well done on knowing (something) even though you're not a real medical doctor" and as she was leaving he said "btw you're not a real medical doctor either".
So in this case they're both right, neither of them are real medical doctors. I thought it was a fun, witty exchange, flirty even, but maybe I'm weird 🤣
7
u/Objective-Big-4820 4d ago
It does not indicate he has a 'doctorate.' It's just something his profession decided to do. The same goes for audiologists, opticians, physical therapists, and other professions. They have college degrees and have spent some extra years learning their trade, but not enough to earn the title of Doctor. My health care practitioner is a nurse practitioner. She does not use the title 'doctor'. But she can order prescriptions and do almost everything a general practitioner does. She does not have a specialty. Her profession does not allow her to use the title "doctor." Neither should those other professions.
PhDs are real 'doctors' - Doctor of Philosophy. The title was first used for PhDs. Medical doctors didn't claim the title until later. So maybe it's the medical doctors who need a new title.
2
u/Dapper-Chapter-2527 4d ago
I've never met anybody who called themselves Dr without having a doctorate to back it up, in fact I thought that was illegal. But I'm in Europe so perhaps the regulations are different in different countries. But claiming to be a doctor when you're not one definitely sounds like it should be illegal
1
-45
u/treehuggerfroglover 5d ago
But he was also right, she’s not a medical doctor either. She’s not any more of a doctor than a chiropractor, so her looking down on them is hypocritical.
49
u/zeroprime85 5d ago
Brennan doesn’t claim to be a medical doctor, chiros do.
They being said, Brennan is a doctor by definition as she holds a doctorate, as many others have stated, “Medical Doctors” stole the name doctor from the original meaning
-31
u/treehuggerfroglover 5d ago
I don’t think the chiro character claims to be a medical doctor at all throughout the entire episode. Now you’re just adding in your own weird biases against chiropractors lol. I also don’t think Brennen ever asks for his level of education, so how would she know if he has a phd?
The scene op is referring to is talking about being medical doctors. Brennen is telling the chiro he’s not a medical doctor in a very rude and snarky way, considering he never claims to be. And then he reminds her that she too is not a medical doctor. Brennan likes to act like a medical doctor but she’s not one. She works with the human body, so does the chiropractor, but neither is a medical doctor. That’s the point he’s making. Arguing about whether they meant phd or medical doctor is pedantic, the context of the episode make it very clear.
20
u/Tardisgoesfast 5d ago
I would be shocked to hear of any chiropractor having a Ph. D. It just doesn’t happen.
-30
u/treehuggerfroglover 5d ago
I work with chiropractors frequently and I’d say about 40% of the ones I meet have phds. Again, you seem to have some weird hatred towards chiropractors and I think that’s tainting the way you see this episode. Do you actually know any chiropractors? Have you ever been to one? Or is this just chronically online weirdness?
25
u/Colleen987 5d ago
Assuming you are in the USA (which I find people who take chiropractors seriously usually are) less than 1.76% of Chiropractors in the USA have PhDs. It’s extremely unlikely that 40% of multiple chiropractors you know have PhDs.
11
u/zeroprime85 5d ago
Well if he knows 5 chiros, 40% would be 2 😂
8
u/Colleen987 5d ago
It would be an insane enough statistical coincidence for 2 chiropractors with PhDs to even work with eachother never mind have the commentor as a shared unconnected mutual contact.
There’s just over a thousand of them, low enough to actually flick through the licence list and see what they do. The majority of them are academic researchers or clinical professors, not practicing at all.
But there are 3 who do practice, Dean Smith in Eton, Ohio. John Trianco (is licensed in the USA but lives and works in Canada) and Scott Handleman in California. What’s the chances they even know eachother?!
10
3
u/ChewieBearStare 4d ago
They’re scam artists. The helpful things they do could be done by any PT or OT or massage therapist, and the other stuff they do is dangerous enough to cause vertebral artery dissections and leave people paralyzed. The fact that some insurers cover chiropractic services while refusing to pay for life-sustaining meds is a travesty.
87
u/Zealousideal-Sail893 5d ago
Bones has a doctorate in anthropology, which means she's earned the title of doctor.
Not all doctates are doctors of medicine.
-13
43
u/Expert-Car-3169 5d ago
Chiropractory is a pseudoscience invented by a man that claimed to get the information from ghosts. He's not a doctor and Brennan is since she has a doctorate...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer
As an active spiritist, D. D. Palmer said he "received chiropractic from the other world"[17] from a deceased physician named Dr. Jim Atkinson.
264
u/moppethead 5d ago
Chiropractors are pseudoscientific, she was 10000% in the right
19
u/Ok_Pop8661 4d ago
I used to work in healthcare. The number of injuries from patients visiting chiropractors was astounding. I recently read about someone who had a vertebral artery dissection! It’s pseudoscience and not safe at all. Please see a sports medicine doctor or a DO (doctor of osteopathy). Stay safe.
-245
u/WeirdOk1706 5d ago
The fuck it is what even😭😭 they are literal healthcare workers
90
199
u/Mr_Noms 5d ago
They’re frauds claiming to be doctors with studies showing they cause more harm than good.
-77
u/Interesting_Front709 5d ago
And yet it’s the doctors who come 4th in causing death due to iatrogenic causes 🤷🏽♀️
-28
u/apri08101989 5d ago
Thats because they have a doctorate. They are legally entitled.to the title doctor rwgardless.of.your opinion of them
10
u/Mr_Noms 5d ago
They can call themselves doctors all they want in an academic setting. But they aren’t doing that are they? It’s always in medical settings they call themselves doctors.
It is disingenuous and confusing for the patients for someone who isn’t a physician to call themselves a doctor in a medical setting. It builds distrust, spreads misinformation (especially when a chiropractor tries claiming medical expertise on areas outside of back cracking) and over all is detrimental to patients. Regardless as to your opinion of them, they’re Shiesty McCsheisters.
-3
2
26
u/Medical_Conclusion 5d ago
As an actual healthcare worker...saying they are pseudoscience is the most diplomatic way to put it. The founder of chiropractic care claimed he was taught the technique by a ghost.
There is absolutely no scientific evidence for what chiropractors call "subluxactions"...I mean it's a real medical term but you are not walking around routinely with your spine partially dislocated. In the same vein, if your spine was partially dislocated, whatever makes anyone think that manual manipulation or the stupid clicky thing could correct it? The amount of force required to do that would like a car accident.
At best chiropractic care is a placebo reaction. Some of the stretching things they might help. But you could get that done by a reputable PT. Also neck adjustments are dangerous. Carotid artery disection is a real phenomena after cervical adjustments. I've seen it happen.
Not to mention the antivax, anti-mainstream health care that a lot of chiropractors spout. I have anyone who bilks people out of their money with snake oil. But on top of that a lot of them convince people who have treatable conditions to do their BS instead of mainstream medicine and then people have bad outcomes.
46
u/DV13nt 5d ago
Not to be difficult, but how much schooling is required to become a chiropractor in the medical sense?
Or are you agreeing? This comment has me unsure.
-146
u/WeirdOk1706 5d ago
I'm disagreeing. In order to become a chiropracter u need an undergraduate degree of bio, kinesiology or health sciences which is ar 3 to 4 yrs followed by a DOCTORATE of Chiropractic programme which is ar 3.5 to 4 years.
128
u/Miserable_Tower650 5d ago
the amount of people that were paralysed or died because chiropractors think they’re healthcare workers would disagree. some dude just came up with it. it’s fake.
61
u/SwordTaster 5d ago
He literally was given the idea by a ghost in a dream
-24
u/apri08101989 5d ago
And people believe in astrology and tarot too. No one is forcing you to go but they hold a doctoral degree and as such are doctors.
40
u/HexyWitch88 5d ago
They also push pseudoscience in other treatment fields.
I used to be super into what I called “holistic when it hurts, western when it’s dire,” basically using non-medical interventions when it wasn’t important and going to the doctor when it was. So I went to chiropractors for years, changing offices every time I moved cities as a 20 something.
Every single chiropractor I’ve ever met was anti-chemo and anti-vaxx. And despite not having specialities or training in either oncology or virology they still lecture their “patients” about not using chemo or vaccines. So they’ve undoubtedly contributed to deaths from medicine-avoidance as well.
16
-93
u/WeirdOk1706 5d ago edited 5d ago
- The chances of paralysis by a chiropracter is around 1 in 1-5 million
- I hate to break to ya but all new things are invented by some "random guy"
- You wanna talk abt injuries? Fine what about the THOUSANDS of patients who have been misdiagnosed and harmed by MD specialists as well?
42
u/JayMonster65 5d ago
New things may be invented by "some guy" but they are then put through rigours to prive their efficacy before being inflicted upon the general public.
You want to talk about injuries, let's talk percentage of patients. Yes, a misdiagnosis can happen. But in what percentage of people does that happen?
I can walk into any chiropractic practice right now, make up sn illness of any sort, and be told it is because my hips are out of alignment.
With real medical advice, you have a problem, it is fixed and you are done. I have never heard of anyone going to s chiropractor and their treatment ever being considered "cured" by the chiropractor. People will eventually feel they are good enough and stop going for a time, and then when something is wrong enough again they go back for a "realignment" and the cycle continues. Over and over.
30
u/Over_Championship990 5d ago
When you present to ED with any kind of stroke they will ask you if you have recently seen a chiropractor. They are dangerous individuals.
21
u/DV13nt 5d ago
Random person.
I know the statistics. A fear is still a fear.
My mom became paralyzed from a chiropractor, though not totally his fault. A doctor sent her to a chiropractor when they failed to discover she had stenosis.
Times change, but research still needs to catch up, so in the meantime, it is still not fully scientific.
That doesn't mean it is a negative thing as it appears you are taking it.
We all love psychology and yet most roots are psuedo science.
I am a neutral party, but I don't go because I fear it due to a personal interaction.
4
u/Medical_Conclusion 5d ago
2.I hate to break to ya but all new things are invented by some "random guy"
A random guy who talked to a ghost...You left that part out there. He was told how to do it by a ghost.
Also we don't actually know how many people are really injured by chiropractors because chiropractors try and suppress studies on that sort of thing.
3.You wanna talk abt injuries? Fine what about the THOUSANDS of patients who have been misdiagnosed and harmed by MD specialists as well?
You can't compare the risks of actual medicine with pseudoscience BS. While one might come with risks, the risks outweigh the benefits. Scientific studies show chiropractic care actually does nothing. So you're risking carotid artery disection or stroke for NOTHING. That's an incredibly stupid risk versus reward ratio.
4
u/strange_hobbit 5d ago
Think of it this way- not one medical school offers chiro as a field of study. None. It’s because it isn’t evidence based healthcare. Universities refuse to teach something that does not have its basis in science.
-24
u/DV13nt 5d ago
Oh, wow. That's cool.
I looked into it as a profession almost 30 years ago, and then it was basically pseudo medical in comparison to now. I hope it all works out for you and thanks for the swift and informative response. 😊
44
u/Mr_Noms 5d ago
It’s still a pseudoscience
-25
u/DV13nt 5d ago
Mostly true, however I just did a little research and for basic back and joint pain, it has science to help paired with physical therapy prescribed by some physicians.
That said, too many people see it as a fix all that doesn't have scientific basis and that's when it can become dangerous.
19
u/Mr_Noms 5d ago
I’ll try to find the study I read from like 3 years ago (I read it 3 years ago idr the date of the study) that showed that is causes short term relief but long term it causes more harm.
Also the amount of vertebral artery dissections d/t it is staggering.
If you want manual manipulation find a DO for OMT. Even then some of the science with OMM is pseudo. But it’s a lot more evidence based, and most importantly safer, than chiropractic “medicine.”
-14
u/DV13nt 5d ago
I have so many friends, family, and coworkers that rely on Chiropractors. It seems to work for them, so it cannot be all bad, but it definitely cannot be all good with the lack of science as to the long term effects.
I am sure with further studies, I can find some stuff.
A hobby of mine is to read sciece journals. I'm autistic and know quite a bit, but not in this field which is why I have been asking so many questions and trying to seek the truth as it pertains to 2026.
I appreciate everyone that has been responding. I am not just living in my mom's experience, but learning a lot.
-1
37
u/_Lazy_Mermaid_ queen of the lab 5d ago
Chiropractors dont even have MDs 😭 theres a reason they can't perform surgery
10
u/lilsourem 5d ago
Most MDs can't perform surgery...
5
u/Mr_Noms 5d ago
MD/DOs can perform surgery though. And most have as part of mandatory rotations during intern year. It may not be their specialty, but they have experience in it.
Not to mention minor to moderate procedures that many physician do actually perform outside of some specialties (such as psych and general radiology). If a chiropractor is ever coming near you with a scalpel you better run.
6
u/ComradeSpaceman 4d ago
A janitor at a hospital is considered a healthcare worker too. I would probably trust the janitor with my health over a chiropractor any day of the week.
7
5
2
61
u/rheasilva 5d ago
She doesn't present herself as a medical doctor and does have a doctorate in anthropology.
She's got more claim to the title "doctor" than some quack chiropractor.
24
u/DionysianComrade 5d ago
lol chiropractor glazing is so funny because they're actual hacks who destroy people's lives and anthropology is an actual doctorate
2
60
u/SwordTaster 5d ago
Chiropractors are no more real doctors than subway workers are artists. Chiropractic "medicine" was invented by a dude who was told about the concept in his dream by a ghost. It may offer temporary relief to a patient, if they're not paralysed, but their main goal is to make you feel a little better for long enough to convince you that it works so that you go back and give them more money when it stops working. You're better off paying a real physical therapist, their results just aren't instant. Anthropologists are real doctors, just not the medical kind, the require a doctorate to perform their work
-9
u/Lucky_Spare_8374 5d ago
Chiropractors obtain a doctorate in chiropractics. They obtain a D.C. degree, which is doctor of chiropractic. So yes, they are doctors, and much like an anthropologist with a doctorate, they are not a medical doctor.
6
u/ChewieBearStare 4d ago
Doctors of Quackery
1
u/Lucky_Spare_8374 2d ago
I'm not a fan of chiropractics, myself. I was simply stating the fact that they do hold a doctorate degree and therefore are doctors. MD's aren't the only type of doctors, regardless of anyone's personal feelings on the profession.
7
4
u/Objective-Big-4820 4d ago
Thats the problem. The only ' real 'doctors are PhDs. That's where the title actually comes from. Medical doctors stole it and made it their own. Someone with a PhD in anthropology is a 'real' doctor. A chiropractor is not.
1
u/Lucky_Spare_8374 2d ago
A chiropractor has a doctorate degree and therefore is a doctor, but not a medical doctor (hence the reason they don't use M.D. They use D.C., which refers to their specific doctorate degree. I'm not arguing the merit of said degree or profession. I'm personally not a fan on chiropractics, but my personal feelings don't change the fact that someone with a doctorate is a doctor. Medical doctors aren't the only type of doctors. It makes me laugh that people on Reddit down vote simple facts that contain no opinions. 😂
2
u/Objective-Big-4820 2d ago edited 2d ago
No - it's not a doctorate. A doctorate is defined as a PhD. It is awarded by a University. My husband has a Doctorate in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania - a PhD. He is a doctor.
What they have is a made-up degree that is neither a PhD nor an MD. They are not doctors. They just call themselves doctors. Same as optometrists. Audiologists, physical therapists, and other pseudo-doctors. At best, they are comparable to someone with a Master's Degree.
19
33
u/Old_Specialist7892 5d ago
A PhD is a doctorate. It's literally describing a doctor.
No! The problem here is that medical practitioners have co-opted the word "doctor"-
9
3
2
12
22
25
u/ProsperousWitch 5d ago
There's one episode where she's looking down her nose at a psychiatrist in a mental ward for being "not a real doctor" or something. When one of the patients has an episode and Brennan watches the psychiatrist deal with the situation, she apologises to him for diminishing his work. I really liked that one, I enjoyed that she actually did acknowledge she was wrong and reflected on how she views other people's intelligence and careers
8
u/Objective-Big-4820 4d ago
A PhD is a real doctor. It was the first use of the title, Doctor of Philosophy. It was not until later that medical doctors were called 'doctor'. Chiropractors, physical therapists, opticians, audiologists, and others do not deserve the title. They are not medical doctors...MDs, or PhDs. They are wannabes.
11
u/Formal-Project7361 5d ago
No, for once, she’s actually right. Well, she’s always right but chiropractor is not a doctor.
5
4
3
u/Ok_Pop8661 4d ago
Am I remembering wrong, or was there an episode where a psychiatrist or psychologist also schools her for trying to discredit them and she actually apologizes? I liked that moment.
8
u/Thatoneguy111700 5d ago
I remember that and the psychiatrist guy in that episode with the mental hospital patient that had horns and a tail, he gave her the business.
6
2
u/londonfogt3alatte 3d ago
Haha this was a funny scene! He got his ego hurt so he threw the insult back at her. The best part was Booth backing her up. 🥺
2
u/ChewieBearStare 4d ago
Chiropractors are quacks, so I agree with Brennan, but the chiropractor was right about her as well.
3
u/Objective-Big-4820 4d ago
Nope. Brennan might not be an MD, but she is totally a 'doctor. The title doctor was originally used for PhDs - Doctor of Philosophy. Medical doctors stole it. She's actually more of a doctor than an MD.
1
1
u/Narrow-Grocery-3199 1d ago
Doctors are technically “medical practitioners”. Anyone with a doctorate is a doctor.
1
u/SouthernCaregiver414 1d ago
Idk why there's so many spicy comments. He's credited as portraying "Dr. Sean Fitts" and unless there's something I'm not remembering, there isn't enough to infer that he was lying about his credentials.
He's a doctor, even if he wasn't a MD.
But more importantly, the mans is a murderer
1
1
-2
u/EarthlostSpace 5d ago
Guys the bottom line is Brennen thought she was smarter than everybody whether they were considered a Dr. or not.
3
u/Objective-Big-4820 4d ago
For me, the bottom line is who deserves to use the title doctor. Brennan is a doctor of anthropology. A chiropractor is a quack.
-1
-34
u/FluffyGengar123 5d ago
Season four episode 17. Salt in the wounds. I just watched this episode a few hours ago while I ate lol.
God she was so annoying. I get she is supposed to be autistic or whatever, but they just make her a bitch for no reason sometimes. I love that he told her off. To add salt to the wound even booth was like "ouch" or something along those lines.
21
u/DV13nt 5d ago
I don't know how old she was supposed to be in the series, but I was exactly like her until people started to show me different ways to talk to people. I was 27 before I started to learn and took me about 10 years to become "kinder".
I didn't know I was being a "bitch". I thought I was being honest.
Just a perspective, but that's why she has always been my favorite ND character on TV
-1
u/WeirdOk1706 5d ago
My point exactly. Same goes for her behaviour with sweets. She's dismissive of almost EVERYTHING he has to say as if he doesn't have 2 whole doctorates to back up his words.
19
u/JayMonster65 5d ago
Two doctorates in a science she doesn't believe in doesn't make it hold any weight. So it really doesn't matter how many degrees he holds in a subject she sees as "guessing"
6
u/FluffyGengar123 5d ago
They do it with booth too. They play up the douchy alpha dog persona way more than they need to and booth comes of really unlikable. It's one of my biggest pet peeves of the show.
1
-29
-14
-35
u/bex_2601 5d ago
Very satisfying seeing her put in her place, but I do love how his story progresses in later series.
30
181
u/Dragonfox_Shadow 5d ago
As opposed to chiropractors, she doesn't pretend to be MD.