Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (
M.D., from the
Latin Medicinæ Doctor) is an
academic degree.
"MD" or "M.D." is intended to be put after a name as a title. But sometimes "MD" is used in informal writing as an abbreviation for "[medical] doctor", as in
"any orthopaedic MD with two brain cells to rub together will tell you that ...".
The nature of the degree varies in different countries, from being an entry-level professional degree to being a higher doctoral research degree.
United States and Canada
In
Canada and the
United States, the M.D. is one of two basic medical degrees, one of which is required to practice medicine, the other being the D.O. degree (Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine). Medical degrees are professional doctorates and are distinct from research doctorates (
Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D.), which requires a
graduate thesis (aka doctoral dissertation). In other words, a Ph.D. in medicine is not equivalent to an M.D. degree.
Accredited medical schools almost always require a previous
bachelor's degree. The M.D. is typically earned in four years. At most medical schools, the first two years primarily involve classroom instruction in both lecture and laboratory formats while the final two years are comprised of a series of clerkships in clinical departments such as
family practice,
surgery,
internal medicine,
pediatrics,
psychiatry, and
obstetrics/
gynecology. Following the awarding of the M.D., physicians who wish to practice in the United States are encouraged or required to undergo additional training in the form of a
residency. Depending upon the physician's chosen field, residencies involve an additional 3 to 7 years of training after obtaining the M.D.
It is the entry-level medical degree equivalent in most professional respects to the
Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery awarded in Commonwealth countries (excluding Canada).
Commonwealth countries
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 and surgery, respectively. An M.D. typically involves either a number of publications or a thesis, and is examined in a similar fashion to a Ph.D.
The entry-level professional degrees in these countries are the
Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery, earned with 5–6 years of studies and training at University.
Scandinavia
In
Norway and
Denmark the entry-level professional degree is the
candidate degree,
candidatus/candidata medicinæ, which is obtained after 6-7 years of study. The
doctor medicinæ (dr. med.) degree is a research degree for those who have held a doctoral dissertation, and is considered even better than the
PhD degree. The dr. med. degree formally qualifies for a full university professorship. Many people are in the middle of their career when they obtain the dr. med. degree.
The usual way of obtaining the dr. med. degree is publishing three to five (usually four) scientific articles which substantially contributes to new knowledge in international peer-reviewed
medical journals. Four years of high-level research is the standard. A dissertation will also consist of a summary, and the
doktorand will publicly defend his dissertation in a
disputas and give an additional lecture (often on a quite complicated topic) to prove he is capable of teaching students. Many are research fellows (
stipendiat) which includes teaching students when they work with their dissertation.
Finland
In
Finland, physicians hold the degree of Licenciate in Medicine, and as in the UK, the Doctor of Medicine (
lääketieteen tohtori) is a higher degree reserved for those who have held a doctoral dissertation.
Germany
In
Germany a physician graduates with a final examination which can be compared with the M.D. In former
East Germany physicians graduated with a diploma (
Dipl.-Med.). Only after some research work students can apply for a doctoral degree in medicine (
Dr. med.). Unlike other doctorate degrees in Germany the research and work is normally done while still studying at the university. A large number of the physicians have a Dr. med. degree. Those who want to pursue an academic career may take the
Habilitation. The German Dr. med. degree should not be confused with the Scandinavian degree with the same name.
India
The post-graduate degree in India requires extensive training in a specialised medical field along with doctoral level research leading to publication of a thesis. The level of these post-graduate MD/MS degree comes higher, after completing
MBBS (graduation) from medical college / institute. Doctor of Medicine (MD) is awarded in medical disciplines (medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry etc.) and
Master of Surgery, (MS) degree is awarded for a similar training in surgical disciplines. There are certain exceptions to the rule -
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), New Delhi awards its own degrees - MD in Ophthalmology & MD in Obstetrics & Gynecology, though these are categorised under surgical disciplines.
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Doctor (title)*
Flexner Report*
Homologation*
Medical education
