MD versus Bachelor's of Medicine?

[Guest driedcaribou]

I was talking to a friend today and he brought up the fact that schools outside North America offer a Bachelor's of Medicine versus an actual MD degree....

 

I was never aware of this before!

 

I thought all physicians were the same.

 

Can someone clarify this for me?

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I think the physicians basically are the same. . . at least in terms of respect professionally. On an interesting sidenote, the physician who was just elected Ontario's choice as candidate for president of the CMA is an MB. A few of my profs are as well.

 

There was another thread that dealt with this issue a month or so ago, but I think the fundamental distinction lies in the fact that it's pretty much only in NA that students have to do another degree before entering medicine. In most other countries, the medical degree is the first degree completed and therefore a "Bachelors" or "Baccalaureate."

 

Make sense?

[Guest driedcaribou]

Ah, I didn't realize there was a discussion about this awhile back.

 

Thanks for your help though.

 

I'm going to dig up that thread before I ask more questions!

 

[Guest driedcaribou]

UWOMED2005?

Er.. could you point me to that thread?

 

I'm having trouble finding it.

 

 

I was going to ask if you get treated differently internationally without a MD next to your name but your example seems to show that you don't.

 

I suppose everything boils down to the individual in the end?

[Guest peachy]

Here ya go:

 

pub125.ezboard.com/fpreme...=170.topic

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Yes, I don't think there's all that much stigma to the the MB with the exception that with the current situation it is difficult to get into a competitive residency program in Canada. And depending on where you got the MB, that might have a difference in the respect you get practicing in Canada. But I think who the doc is counts more.

[Guest driedcaribou]

Thanks for the help Peachy and UWOMED2005.

I should've searched for 'MD' rather than the word 'Bachelor'.

 

I was debating on whether or not I should apply overseas but I haven't applied for school here yet.

 

I figure I should get rejected here first before I try International schools but a friend of mine brought up the whole MD, MB issue which I was totally ignorant about.

 

I really have a lot of research to do re: Medical School.

 

It's a relatively new idea for me but I'm glad there is a place like these forums with helpful people to help set me straight.

[Guest kylle345]

I thought MB was the degree offered in the UK. I guess I was wrong!

 

I notice that many physicians from the UK have an MB. They are probably equivalent since I know a of couple head/chief surgeouns with the MB degree.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

As far as I know, it is the medical degree offered in the UK. Ireland as well, and India. I'm not sure about continental Europe. . . but I wouldn't be surprised if they went with the MB system as well.

 

You can't get an MB in Canada or in the US. . . though in the US you can get an OD as opposed to the MD.

[Guest cheech10]

That's a DO in the US (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), not OD (an optometrist's degree). Anyways, for the most part these are all equivalent, although there are some practice restrictions on DO's in certain Canadian provinces.

 

As well, our MD degrees are still undergraduate degrees; we only get called Doctor because we are legally allowed to "diagnose". Other profesions (eg. OT, PT, SLP) are not called Doctor because their role is limited to "assessment".

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Whoops. . . DO vs. OD. Embrassing. Jeez - there's too many abbreviations with all these degrees, it's starting to sound like my core medicine class. . . COPD, PTT, INR, FOOSH. It's so hard to keep all those straight, it's now wonder the optometrists and Osteopaths are merging in my head!