The Right Way to List Your Qualifications Behind Your Name

Did you just earn your ATC credentials? Maybe you’ve had them for a while and stumbled upon this article. Either way — how AT’s have listed the abbreviations to signify their credentials, degrees, and licenses is often varied. In the medical profession, credentials, licenses, and degrees are used to show a person’s level of authority and training. It is common to see these listed as abbreviations behind the person’s name. However, these abbreviations are not always listed correctly. While some are simply listed incorrectly, the order of some is just a matter of individual preferences. Let’s take a look at the different abbreviations and how they should be listed.

Degrees

Degrees signify the level of education achieved by an individual. Academic degrees should always be listed first. You should only list your highest academic degree achieved unless your next lowest degree is in a different field of study. For doctoral students who are classified as ABD (All But Dissertation), ABD should not be used as it is not an academic degree, license, or credential.

License

A license shows that a person has been granted by an authority (usually the state government) to engage in a certain activity or occupation that is unlawful without holding the license. Licenses should…