Doctor of Medicine
Mirror of English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doctor of Medicine (M.D., from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor) is an academic degree. The nature of the degree varies in different countries, from being an entry-level professional degree to being a higher doctoral research degree.
Contents |
United States and Canada
In Canada and the United States, the M.D. is the basic degree required to practice medicine. It is distinct from a research doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph.D.), which requires a graduate thesis (doctoral dissertation) – the M.D. and Ph.D. in medicine are entirely separate.
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.
See also
