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Is Jill Biden a medical doctor? Megyn Kelly slammed for calling FLOTUS's title 'fake'

Megyn Kelly has called the First Lady a 'wannabe' for wanting to be addressed as Dr Jill Biden

PHILADEPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Jill Biden attended the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday, January 29. Jill is a big fan of the Eagles and the announcers addressed the First Lady as "Dr Jill Biden."

However, Jill being addressed as "Dr Jill Biden" did not go over well with controversial host, Megyn Kelly. Megyn, however, was later berated on the Internet for claiming that Jill's doctorate was fake.

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What did Megyn Kelly tweet? 

Megyn Kelly tweeted, "Announcers for this Eagles-49ers game just spotted the First Lady in a box and of course call her “Dr Jill Biden.” Wonder if she realizes what a wannabe she looks like insisting on this fake title. Get a real MD or just work on your self-esteem." Kelly slammed the first lady by claiming that she looks like a wanna-be with her fake title of being called " Dr Jill Biden." 

Is Jill Biden a medical doctor? 

This is not the first time Jill's doctorate has been mentioned in the media. According to the Obama White House Archives, "Dr Biden earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware in January of 2007. Her dissertation focused on maximizing student retention in community colleges. She also has two Master's Degrees - both of which she earned while working and raising a family." Her PhD had already become a topic of discussion when the Wall Street Journal published an Op-Ed piece titled 'Is There a Doctor in the White House? Not if You Need an MD' by Joseph Epstein.

The opinion piece criticized Jill Biden for being angry when she was not addressed as Dr Jill Biden. However, the WSJ was criticized for publishing the article because it was widely described as sexist, according to Forbes. Epstein also claimed that only medical professionals should be addressed as 'Dr' The article also claimed that people with doctorates in hard sciences such as physics and chemistry have the right to use 'Dr' but not those in the humanities and social sciences. According to Forbes, Biden's dissertation is 137 pages long, including 80 pages of text plus references and appendices. However, it is based not only on reading academic sources, but also on surveys she conducted of students, faculty and career counselors at community colleges, as well as interviews she conducted. In another column by Kyle Smith, he also criticizes Jill's insistence on addressing her as "Dr Jill Biden." He explained, "PhD holders who have genuine accomplishments don't make you call them 'Doctors,' which is why you never hear about 'Dr Paul Krugman' and 'Dr George Will.' None of the professors I knew at Yale, even the ones who were eminent in their fields, insisted on the title."

Jill Biden's response regarding her doctoral degree 

Appearing on the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' Jill Biden responded to the controversy, saying, "That was such a surprise. It caught me by surprise as well. I did not see that one coming. One of the things I'm most proud of is my doctorate. I mean, I worked so hard for it. But look at all the people who came out in support of me," she said. "I mean, I am so grateful, and I was - you know, I was just overwhelmed by how gracious people were toward me," Yahoo reports. In a tweet, she responded to the WSJ opinion piece by saying, "Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters' will be celebrated, rather than diminished." Many celebrities, including Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton, supported her at the time. "Her name is Dr Jill Biden. Get used to it," Clinton said in her tweet.

'You sound jealous and petty'

The Internet quickly reacted to her response. A user said, "I’m in the process of getting my PhD you better believe once I get it. Dr will be front and centre of my name." Another wrote, "When the worst criticism you can muster of the First Lady is her use of a title she legitimately earned..." A tweet read, "PhDs existed before MDs. You sound jealous and petty." Political Commentator, Brian Tyler Cohen said, "Do you realize that getting a PhD doesn’t mean you’re a medical doctor? Are you that ignorant or are you just treating your audience as if they are?." A user added, "How many time do we need to set this straight? The word doctor is derived from the Latin verb “docere,” meaning to teach, or a scholar. Dr Biden has a doctorate, hence the title. Physicians were called doctors much later." A user claimed, "Women should celebrate each other. Don't be like Megyn." "Go to any university anywhere in any country in the world...they are filled with people who have PhDs. They are all referred to as Dr and they are not medical doctors! Get over it, Megyn," read a tweet. Influencer Jo wrote, "Aww, poor Megyn… she’s showing her thirsty for relevance card again. Dr Jill Biden got her doctorate, and therefore, she has earned the title of, wait for it thirst queen - Doctor. You can add that to the laundry list of reasons you’re envious of her. You sad, small woman you."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.