I agree, why use 'Dr' if you planned to change career. I have letters after my name but would not dream of using them outside my profession.

I work for the Abbingdon Relate Society, but would never use the acronym after my name.

Perhaps the 'Dr' wasn't Sophie's idea but something the programme makers encouraged because they thought it would make things more interesting?
(ie build her up to watch gruff Siralan knock her down)
Last edited by The Swampster : 19-04-2007 at 10:49

I find this article about Glaxo's reaction to findings that stomach ulcers could be cured by antibiotics (which would have threatened their ability to sell Zantac - which doesn't cure ulcers and which the patient has to take regularly).

http://www.ulcer-cure.com/helicobacter-pylori.html

I think Sugar has a point. Just don't know how relevant it was to quantum physics. "It's not rocket science".

I'm not knocking Alan Sugar as a person. But it's one thing to say that the medicines cost pennies to make - they cost a lot more than that to develop. He seemed to mysteriously forget that. It's a fair point for people to make.

He was saying that pharmaceuticals were just as bad as any other retailer I guess. The suggestion being that it's less "moral" (if Sophie wants to bring morality into it) to make profits out of medicine.

Oh go on!

I can see a new promo for the series. ..... "I don't like bull5hitters, schmoozers, Agro Chemicals, Dr Oetker, Pharma Chemicals, Superdrug, Dr Pepper, Carry on Nurse, Doogie Howser, Dr Vernon Coleman, Boots, Tixylix, Hillary Jones, Carry On Again Doctor, Out of Practice, Junior Disprin or Ventolin - You're fired"



...Nick, lend us a blue pill for the weekend
Last edited by minimalistmatt : 19-04-2007 at 12:06

Yeah SAS lost it last night! Anyone who's a any proper education could tell the difference between physics and Pharmaceutical chemistry.

I'm no scientist but I didn't think quantum physics had anything remotely to do with the pharmaceutical industry.

Maybe Nick or Margaret omitted to mention to sralan that Sophie was not a medical doctor. Physician, physicist - an easy mistake to make surely?!!!!!

I doubt it because whenever she talking to the camera, under her name is a occupation; 'quantum physicist'.
Plus before Sir Alan's pharmaceutical crap rant he was talking nonsense about electrons and protons to her.

He does seem to have a chip on his shoulder about people with an education

What annoys me most is the way SAS is portrayed as this increadible business person with a midas touch. The vast majority of his current level of wealth is down to an extensive property portfolio mostly based in London. There are thousands of paper millionaires around the country just because of the house they live in. His actual businesses such as AMSTRAD are not that successful. Anyone who's ever owned an AMSTRAD product will probably tell you that they are not reknowned for high production quality (look at the SD threads for Sky boxes - many of which he makes because he's the cheapest). I'd like to see how he'd do if the property market crashed and his fortune was drastically reduced. I'd personally rate Stellios, Branson and a few others as true greats of the British Business Community.

The one thing I'll admit is that SAS has got personality. A spin-off series where real, successful business people go head-to-head in the same sort of tasks would be brilliant. Imagine SAS, Stellios or Branson wandering around London Zoo trying to sell children sweets - I suspect SAS would come last in that!

Well at least he wouldn't need to dress up - he could just stand outside the bears enclosure!

Yeah I have often thought how I would love to see the best entrepeneurs in the world go against eachother in an Apprentice setup. they would never do it however, the shame of losing would be too much.

There was a QED or some other BBC2 type show a few years ago, called 'inside the mind of an entrepeneur' which placed a couple of millionaires in tasks against other contestants to see how they treat challenges compared to 'normal' contestants. anybody remember it?

I think he was referring to the fact that it is a science-based industry and making the point that even high-minded scientists are not above a bit of low commerce.

This little clash between high academia and vulgar trade reminded me of Yeats's lines attacking greedy businesses:
'But fumble in a greasy till
And add the halfpence to the pence...'

I know it is considered naff in some circles to use the Dr. title or the letters PhD, but maybe in Sophie's case, it is others who use it, rather than herself. Probably it was the programme makers more than anything, trying to impress us.

Do I take it that "we" just posted to be patronising and have nothing to add?

Actually, contemptuous is the adjective you would be looking for if you were wanting to make an informed comment. I was certainly not annoyed - as I said I thought it was a very good programme.
Last edited by pammi_i : 19-04-2007 at 22:43

Siralans understanding of the real ******* world of pharmaceutical sales leaves fuzzy sirallan breathless

AMSTRAD THE PRODUCT is SHIT and DOES NOT SELL.

AMSTRAD is comercial property.

Maybe you missed the You're Fired episode that followed on BBC2, because Nick was on it and did exactly that. The point could be made in a sentence: "They have to recoup R&D costs to fund future research."

And further, that Nick knows this so well surely suggests that Sir Alan knows it too. He was testing Sophie. If she had come back with one of the many possible put-downs, she might not have been fired.

Sir Alan is looking for someone who can represent him and his companies. He needs someone who can stand up for themselves in the face of hostile questioning. You'll often see him playing devil's advocate, putting a negative point of view just to see how the candidates act. This was just another example.

So moving from manufacturing to commercial property was a good business decision, yes?

Therefore, this makes him a shrewd businessman being able to spot the opportunity, and diversify at the right time.

Very good insight.

Contrary to many popular opinions, most self made millionaires (i.e. not lottery winners, or inherited) are not stupid.

Not quite. Alan's company that controls his property business is called AMSPROP in fact. His airline is called AMSAIR, the company that runs the emailer telephone service is AMSERVE and the holding company for the entire lot is AMSHOLD.

Cliff
Last edited by CJL : 20-04-2007 at 14:52