A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into specialty training with the end goal of securing a license to practice within their respective jurisdiction. Medical graduates may also pursue non-clinical careers including those in basic research and positions within the healthcare industry. A worldwide study conducted in 2011 indicated on average: 64 university exams, 130 series exams, and 174 assignments are completed over the course of 5.5 years. As a baseline, students need greater than an 85% in prerequisite courses to enroll for the aptitude test in these degree programs.[1][failed verification]
Undergraduate medical degrees[edit]
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, BMBS, MBChB, MBBCh)
- Bachelor of Medicine (B.Med)
- Bachelor of Surgery (B.S)/(B.Surg)
• The MBBS is also awarded at the graduate level, meaning the applicant already has a 4-year degree prior to commencing their medical studies (graduate entry). [2] [3]
Graduate medical degrees[edit]
- Doctor of Medicine (MD, Dr.MuD, Dr.Med)
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
- Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)
Comparison of allopathic medical degrees[edit]
| Medical degree type | Undergraduate
(Post-secondary) |
Graduate
(Post-baccalaureate) |
Graduate
(Post-baccalaureate) |
Graduate
(Post-baccalaureate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree name | Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery | Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery | Doctor of Medicine | Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Degree abbreviations | MBBS, BMBS, MBChC, MBBCh | MBBS, BMBS, MBChC, MBBCh | MD | DO |
| Admission | Follows secondary education (standard course) | Follows an undergraduate degree (graduate-entry) | Follows an undergraduate degree (professional doctorate) | Follows an undergraduate degree (professional doctorate) |
| Duration | 6 years (between 5 and 6) | 4 years (accelerated) | 4 years | 4 years |
| Countries offering the degree (not exhaustive list) | United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa | United Kingdom[4] | United States, Canada, Israel, UAE, Australia | United States |
Some countries, especially Eastern European and former Soviet republics (Russia, Ukraine, Armenia) offer post-secondary, undergraduate, 6-year medical programs, which wrongfully confer Doctor of Medicine as their medical qualification. Professional doctorate degrees, including the latter, should only be awarded if admission mandatorily follows an undergraduate degree. Thus, their medical degree should be a bachelor degree, such as Bachelor of Medicine.
Post-graduate medical degrees[edit]
- Doctor of Medicine by research MD(Res), DM
- Master of Clinical Medicine (MCM)
- Master of Medical Science (MMSc, MMedSc)
- Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Medicine (MM, MMed)
- Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
- Master of Philosophy in Ophthalmology (MPhO)
- Master of Public Health and Ophthalmology (MPHO)
- Master of Surgery (MS, MSurg, MChir, MCh, ChM, CM)
- Master of Science in Medicine or Surgery (MSc)
- Doctor of Clinical Medicine (DCM)
- Doctor of Clinical Surgery (DClinSurg)
- Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc, DMedSc)
- Doctor of Surgery (DS, DSurg)
Alternative medical degrees[edit]
- Ayurveda - BSc, MSc, BAMC, MD (Ayurveda), M.S. (Ayurveda), Ph.D. (Ayurveda)
- Siddha medicine - BSMS, MD(Siddha), Ph.D(Siddha)[5]
- Acupuncture - BSc, LAc, DAc, AP, DiplAc, MAc
- Chiropractic -
- Herbalism Acs, BSc, Msc.
- Homeopathy - BSc, MSc, DHMs, BHMS, M.D. (HOM), PhD in homoeopathy
- Naprapathy - DN
- Naturopathic medicine - BSc, MSc, BNYS, MD (Naturopathy), ND, NMD
- Oriental Medicine - BSc, MSOM, MSTOM, KMD (Korea), BCM (Hong Kong), MCM (Hong Kong), BChinMed (Hong Kong), MChinMed (Hong Kong), MD (Taiwan), MB (China), TCM-Traditional Chinese medicine master (China)
- Osteopathy - BOst, BOstMed, BSc (Osteo), DipOsteo
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ BMJ — 13 August 2011, Volume 343, Number 7819
- ^ "Medicine (Graduate-entry/ Accelerated) | University of Oxford".
- ^ "Medicine (Graduate entry)".
- ^ Paul (2021-10-14). "Graduate Entry Medicine". The Medic Portal. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
- ^ "A Career in Siddha Medicine – आयुष मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार". Retrieved 2021-11-23.
