Identifying One's Self as a Physician

The laws are pretty strict, when it comes to identifying one's self as a "doctor." I used to know a young man, who was an optometrist. Upon graduation from optometry school, he had his personal checks printed with "Dr. John Doe," and he signed his name that way. One day, he received a very official letter, stating he would suffer some serious consequences if he continued to indicate he was a "doctor," without acknowledging he was an optometrist. In other words, he was required to add "O.D." at the end of his signature, so people would not mistake him for a medical doctor.

So, how is it Catherine Baldwin, Mike Darwin, or anyone else performing cryonics procedures can be identified as a "surgeon," in a report meant for the general public/potential clients? One must be a physician, to be a surgeon, so in a way, Alcor and Suspended Animation seem to be falsely identifying people as physicians, when some of these people have had no formal medical training, AT ALL. Some of their most "qualified" "surgeons" have been veterinarians. Shouldn't cryonics organizations be required, by law, to provide the qualifications of anyone they refer to as a "surgeon" (physician).