MD or MBBS

[Singh]

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Hello.
Does anyone know what the difference between M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) and M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) is?
It seems as if Britain and former British colonies use the term MBBS for a junior doctor, while European and American Universities use the term M.D.
But is there any difference at all between the two degrees?

 

[mzamir_01]

probably no difference. just that MBBS takes 5 years straight out of A Levels and MD 4 years after undergrad.

 

[group_theory]

An MD (obtained in Europe) means that the person did a thesis and defended it in front of a thesis committee.

In the British Commonwealth, MBBS (or MBBCh) is given as professional-entry degree. Further research (and thesis/defense) will result in a MD conferred.

I think the United States and Canada are the only countries that awards professional doctorates w/o the required thesis. However, I may be wrong.

 

[The Generalist]

Out of curiosity, is there any difference in the medical training that leads to an MBBS? Why do they emphasize surgery in the letters in the initials?

 

[xanthines]

Historical reaons. I believe there used to be 3 main "doctoral" healthcare providers: Doctors (MD's), Surgeons/Dentists, and pharmacists (althought they had the much cooler name of apothecarien or something).

I don't know if they still do it, but surgeons used to be called MR. ??? instead of DR ??? in the UK.

-X

Originally posted by The Generalist
Out of curiosity, is there any difference in the medical training that leads to an MBBS? Why do they emphasize surgery in the letters in the initials?

 

[FionaS]

Surgeons still are called Mr (and occaisionally Ms!) in the UK - it's because way back in the bad old days surgeons didn't do any medical training, being as they were barbers, and therefore didn't call themselves doctor. It's a great thing that I slave away for 5 years to be come a doctor, and then spend the next 10 trying to become a Ms again

It just looks so wrong to see a surgeon called Dr in all these american TV shows 😉 Try that in the UK and you'll be really unpopular!

Why do we emphasise the surgery bit? I don't know - do you not get any surgery training when you're a medical student?! 😉 But give me 2 more years and I'll be an MBChB (Ch being Latin for surgery).

An MBBS (or MBChB or MBBChir or BMBS or MBBCh, it's all the same) is exactly equivalent to an american MD. In the UK you get it after doing the 5 year traditional medical degree from high school, and you get exactly the same degree if you do the 4 year graduate entry courses that are coming in now.

Anyone who has an MD in europe has done further research for 2 years once they qualified and written a thesis etc. Our MD is a research degree that some doctors do if they're going for competitive specialities.