Unsure of how to answer this secondary question

[bme94]

Hi,

One of the secondary applications I'm filling out is asking for the name and contact information for the physician that wrote us a letter of recommendation. I received a fantastic (well, at least I assume it is) LOR from a physician I did research with at a pediatric hospital. The only issue is that she is considered an MBBS, and there are only two choices to classify what type of physician the individual is (MD or DO). Can I choose the slot that says MD? MBBS is the equivalent of a US MD, correct? Thank you!

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[Paramagnetic]

Whatever you choose, I'd fine some way to clarify elsewhere in your app

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It's an old thread, but @Winged Scapula says here that there are no regulations against an MBBS using the title MD, and that has been my experience. I worked with four surgeons with the MBBS degree who used MD.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/mbbs-us-md.655105/

 

[Winged Scapula]

Choose MD. You don't need to "clarify elsewhere".


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[OrdinaryDO]

That is odd. There is an anesthesiologist whom I shadowed under for over a year and he couldn't use his MD credentials until he took a written exam. He went to an advanced school in South Africa, Medical school in Britain, and had to sit for an exam for his MD. However, do what wingedscapula said, he trumps me lol.

 

[Winged Scapula]

That is odd. There is an anesthesiologist whom I shadowed under for over a year and he couldn't use his MD credentials until he took a written exam. He went to an advanced school in South Africa, Medical school in Britain, and had to sit for an exam for his MD. However, do what wingedscapula said, he trumps me lol.

Outside of the US, the MD is a research degree and it would require additional training beyond the MBBS.

If he meant he couldn't use the "MD credentials" until he took the USMLEs/FLEX that would be the case but it didn't change his degree.

In the US, in the modern era, there is no requirement or even an option to transition your degree from an MBBS/MbCH etc to MD. All foreign grads take the same licensing examinations now and are not required to take any additional examinations.

Signed,

someone with an MBBS who is fully independently licensed and not required to take any additional examinations

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Outside of the US, the MD is a research degree and it would require additional training beyond the MBBS.

If he meant he couldn't use the "MD credentials" until he took the USMLEs/FLEX that would be the case but it didn't change his degree.

In the US, in the modern era, there is no requirement or even an option to transition your degree from an MBBS/MbCH etc to MD. All foreign grads take the same licensing examinations now and are not required to take any additional examinations.

Signed,

someone with an MBBS who is fully independently licensed and not required to take any additional examinations

I wasn't arguing with you, I knew going into this that you were an MBBS grad practicing so I know you know what you're talking about. I just know of a professor who also does anesthesia and teaches at Oklahoma University Medical School, but he is in his upper 60s or low 70s so I'm not sure what he said exactly or what he meant. I just know he said he had to do SOMETHING when he came here and I thought it was an exam of some sort, but he is an MD in the US now, too.


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[bme94]

Outside of the US, the MD is a research degree and it would require additional training beyond the MBBS.

If he meant he couldn't use the "MD credentials" until he took the USMLEs/FLEX that would be the case but it didn't change his degree.

In the US, in the modern era, there is no requirement or even an option to transition your degree from an MBBS/MbCH etc to MD. All foreign grads take the same licensing examinations now and are not required to take any additional examinations.

Signed,

someone with an MBBS who is fully independently licensed and not required to take any additional examinations

So, I can go ahead and mark MD then, right? I was worried that they weren't going to count my letter as a physician letter because she's an MBBS.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

So, I can go ahead and mark MD then, right? I was worried that they weren't going to count my letter as a physician letter because she's an MBBS.

Yes. If he/she is practicing in the states then MBBS = MD

 

[bme94]

Yes. If he/she is practicing in the states then MBBS = MD

Yes, they're currently working at a pediatric hospital in my state.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Yes, they're currently working at a pediatric hospital in my state.

You're good to go then!


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[Winged Scapula]

So, I can go ahead and mark MD then, right? I was worried that they weren't going to count my letter as a physician letter because she's an MBBS.

I think you're grossly underestimating the knowledge that faculty has of the existence of international medical degrees.


An MBBS is more widely used than the US MD; you're being at US-centric here. The vast majority of the world does not issue MD as the terminal medical degree.

Since you are presumably applying to an osteopathic school, all they want to know is whether or not the letter writer has had osteopathic training or allopathic training.

There is nothing wrong with checking MD and you don't need to clarify or somehow try to explain what MBBS is.


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[Winged Scapula]

I wasn't arguing with you, I knew going into this that you were an MBBS grad practicing so I know you know what you're talking about. I just know of a professor who also does anesthesia and teaches at Oklahoma University Medical School, but he is in his upper 60s or low 70s so I'm not sure what he said exactly or what he meant. I just know he said he had to do SOMETHING when he came here and I thought it was an exam of some sort, but he is an MD in the US now, too.


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I knew you weren't arguing with me and I wanted to clarify that my suspicion was that your colleague was quite a bit older.

Prior to the early 90s when the USMLE was designed, physicians took the FLEX. He may have meant that he needed to take a special exam so he could practice in the US. Other than a brief period of time when California allowed osteopathic physicians to obtain a MD, I'm not aware of any examinations somewhat could take to transfer from an MBBS to MD.


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[bme94]

I think you're grossly underestimating the knowledge that faculty has of the existence of international medical degrees.


An MBBS is more widely used than the US MD; you're being at US-centric here. The vast majority of the world does not issue MD as the terminal medical degree.

Since you are presumably applying to an osteopathic school, all they want to know is whether or not the letter writer has had osteopathic training or allopathic training.

There is nothing wrong with checking MD and you don't need to clarify or somehow try to explain what MBBS is.


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Okay, thank you.

 

[bme94]

Update: I sent in my secondary to VCOM on Thursday, and got an email from them Friday afternoon stating that they had everything except my physician letter of recommendation. I find it hard to believe that it would be missing, as everything should have been sent in by my prehealth office in a packet. I emailed them back saying who the letter was by, and for them to notify me if they didn't have it. I get the feeling they're not going to accept the letter, and that's why they were emailing me

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Update: I sent in my secondary to VCOM on Thursday, and got an email from them Friday afternoon stating that they had everything except my physician letter of recommendation. I find it hard to believe that it would be missing, as everything should have been sent in by my prehealth office in a packet. I emailed them back saying who the letter was by, and for them to notify me if they didn't have it. I get the feeling they're not going to accept the letter, and that's why they were emailing me

If they don't accept the letter, it isn't because he has an MBBS. It would be very unusual for them not to know what that is, and I also doubt they wouldn't simply just tell you that the letter doesn't meet their requirements.