Doctor of Medicine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or MD, from the Latin Medicinae Doctorem meaning "teacher of medicine,") is an academic degree for medical doctors. It varies between countries, from being a first professional degree, to being a relatively rare higher doctoral academic research degree.
[edit] United States and Canada
In the United States, the M.D. degree is the most common degree held by physicians and surgeons. Medical doctors are trained in accredited schools of medicine which are overseen by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. An M.D. is one of the two professional degrees required to practice the full scope of medicine, the other being the D.O. degree (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine).
Admissions to medical schools in the United States is competitive, with about half of the approximately 35,000 applicants matriculating to a medical school. Before graduating a medical school and achieving the degree of Medical Doctor, students have to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and both the Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills parts of Step 2. The M.D. degree is typically earned in four years. Following the awarding of the M.D., physicians who wish to practice in the United States are required to complete at least one internship year (PGY-1) and pass the USMLE Step 3. Most, in order to receive Board Eligible or Board Accredited status in a specialty of medicine such as general surgery or internal medicine, then undergo additional specialized training in the form of a residency. Those who wish to further specialize in areas such as cardiology or interventional radiology then complete a fellowship. Depending upon the physician's chosen field, residencies and fellowships involve an additional three to eight years of training after obtaining the M.D. This can be lengthened with additional research years, which can last one, two, or more years.
In Canada, the M.D. is the basic medical degree required to practice medicine; as well, in most provinces, the provincial college of physicians and surgeons grants practice rights to American-trained osteopathic physicians.
Though the M.D. degree is a professional doctorate, and not a research doctorate, many holders of the M.D. degree conduct clinical and basic scientific research and publish in peer-reviewed journals during training and after graduation. Some M.D.'s choose a research career and receive funding from the NIH as well as other sources such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. A few even go on to become Nobel Prize Laureates.[1]
The abbreviation "M.D." is frequently used post-nominally in the US, being put after the name as a title; however, it is also used on its own in informal writing, as an abbreviation for "medical doctor." It is one of the most recognized degrees in the general public and the media, and sometimes incorporated into the titles of television shows such as House MD.
[edit] Similar Degrees
M.D.s and D.O.s have many similarities, and may function in similar ways, but there are some distinctions between the two. (see D.O. for distinctions)
There are no institutions in Canada that offer D.O. or comparable degrees; however, there are schools that train health practitioners in classical osteopathy.[2]
[edit] United Kingdom, Ireland and Commonwealth countries (excluding Canada)
In the United Kingdom and many other Commonwealth countries, the M.D. is a higher doctoral degree reserved for those who have contributed significantly to the academic study of medicine or surgery. An M.D. typically involves either a number of publications or a thesis, and is examined in a similar fashion to a Ph.D degree.
The entry-level professional degree in these countries is that of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (M.B.B.S or M.B.Ch.B), earned with typically five to six years of studies and training at university. A four-year course has recently been implemented by 14 universities which can only be entered with a previously completed degree in a relevant subject (usually biology or biochemistry).
There is also a similar advanced professional degree, the Master of Surgery (usually Ch.M. or M.S. but M.Ch. in Ireland, Wales and Oxford and M.Chir. at Cambridge), obtained after an M.B. Ch.B. or M.B.B.S.
