Doctor of Medicine
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Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), a title referring to one who has completed a course of study and earned a degree in the field of medicine. Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees vary by country in terms of requirements and their status as graduate or undergraduate degrees. However, in all countries that offer M.D. degrees, an M.D. is a qualifying degree certifying the individual’s capacity to treat patients as a physician.
History
The term doctor, from the Latin verb docere, meaning “to teach,” emerged in the Middle Ages, when it was used to describe theologians who were qualified to teach religious doctrine. By the 14th century the title had been expanded to refer to all those who received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. In the 17th century, with the growth of respect for medical training, medical schools, primarily in Scotland, began to address physicians as doctors. Previously, physicians had been excluded from this title because their training was considered to be professional (preparing students for careers) rather than the kind of advanced discipline-specific learning offered via a graduate program.
Furthermore, the title Doctor of Medicine was used to distinguish graduate training for physicians from graduate training for the traditional Ph.D. In the 18th century the shortened title doctor to refer to physicians became commonplace. According to the London Medical Gazette, in 1860, to regulate the use of the term doctor, the Royal College of Physicians declared that only physicians with an M.D. degree could be referred to as doctors.
Undergraduate degree
In many countries, including Australia, China, India, Ireland, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, a medical degree is an undergraduate degree. It is common in countries that offer undergraduate medical degrees to extend the time to earn the degree to five or six years, which is longer than the typical three to four years commonly required to earn a bachelor’s degree in other fields. Undergraduate medical degrees are often titled Bachelor of Medicine or Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) rather than M.D., though they are equivalent to an M.D. degree.
Countries where the qualification necessary to practice medicine is an undergraduate degree often require some level of postgraduate training prior to practicing. In addition, most universities offer an optional master’s degree or Ph.D. degree in medicine. In the United Kingdom, after completing an undergraduate degree in medicine, future physicians must complete a two-year specialty course known as the foundation years. In China a five-year bachelor’s program is followed by a one-year practical internship and a two- to three-year master’s program. Students in Germany complete a practical year followed by state examinations prior to practicing independently.
Graduate degree
Medical degrees are awarded as graduate degrees in countries such as Canada and the United States. Before entering these programs, students must complete an undergraduate degree that includes coursework in medicine-related topics; such classes are typically referred to as premed classes. The course requirements vary, but they often include foundational courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. In Canada, after completing an M.D. program, students must pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I and complete a residency through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Following assessment by the MCC, there are then various routes to licensure.
In the United States, after completing a four-year M.D. program, students complete a medical residency that lasts anywhere from three to seven years, depending on the specialty and the program in which they are enrolled. Following their residency, many physicians will complete a subspecialty fellowship requiring another one to three years of training, which enables them to become a board-certified physician.
Allopathic versus osteopathic medical degrees
Most M.D. degrees focus on allopathic medicine, which is considered to be the traditional approach to medicine, based largely on the use of medication, surgery, and other interventions to treat disease. However, there is also a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.), a qualification for practicing osteopathic medicine, which focuses on both the mind and the body and on treating the body as a whole system. Regardless of whether the degree is a D.O. or an M.D., the qualifications and coursework are very similar, and, in all countries that offer a D.O. degree, the qualification confers the same ability to practice medicine as an M.D. degree.