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.

Undergraduate medical degrees

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, BMBS, MBChB, MBBCh)
  • Bachelor of Medicine (B.Med, MB, BM)
  • Bachelor of Surgery (B.S)/(B.Surg)

The MBBS is also awarded at the graduate level, meaning the applicant already has an undergraduate degree prior to commencing their medical studies (graduate entry).

Graduate medical degrees

  • Doctor of Medicine (MD, Dr.MuD, Dr.Med)
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Comparison of allopathic and osteopathic medical degrees

{| class="wikitable"

!rowspan=2|Medical degree type

!rowspan=2 width=250|Undergraduate<br>(Post-secondary)

!colspan=3|Graduate (Post-baccalaureate)

|-

!

!

!Osteopathy

|-

|Degree name

|Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery;<br>or<br>Bachelor of Medicine

|Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

|Doctor of Medicine

|Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

|-

|Post-nominal letters

|MBBS, BMBS, MBChC, MBChB, MBBCh;<br>or<br>MB, BM, BMed

|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

|5 to 6 years

|4 years (accelerated)

|4 years

|4 years

|-

|Countries offering the degree<br>(not exhaustive list)

|Pakistan, United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Australia, China, and Saudi Arabia

|Pakistan, United Kingdom and Ireland

|Pakistan, 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 confer the title Doctor of Medicine as their medical qualification.

Post-graduate medical degrees

  • 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 Medicine of by research MD(Res), DM
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
  • Doctor of Clinical Medicine (DCM)
  • Doctor of Clinical Surgery (DClinSurg)
  • Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc, DMedSc)
  • Doctor of Surgery (DS, DSurg)
  • Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM)

See also

  • Credentialism and degree inflation
  • Medical education
  • Medical school
  • Medicine
  • Physician
  • Surgeon
  • Alternative medicine degrees

References