Question: MD, PhD, Med school, Grad school

[Physiotherapist]

JJM,

Yes, you are correct that MD's are not awarded in the UK. We still have 'A' levels here, for which the debate seems to continue every August when the results come out, that they continue to get easier as the pass rate gets better.

Anyway, in the UK, students can go to med school after 'A' levels and courses normally last at least 5 years and sometimes 6. Some students will take an extra year to complete what is called an intercalated BSc degree in a subject that they are interested in. I think they would normally leave a PhD until after med school, but I think the combined programmes do exist over here too, so you might get an MBBS/PhD. The medical degrees here are classed as batchelor of medicine and surgery with MB BChir being a Cambridge degree and BM BCh being an Oxford degree and MB BCh being Manchester and so on and so forth. MBBS is the London University degree.

For several years now, there has been what is called a graduate entry to medicine degree course that is 4 years long and will accept graduates from any discipline to re-train in medicine. Their original degree must be an honours degree though and they must have at least a 2:1 and some institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge ask for a 1st.

Just out of interest, are there any DO/PhD programmes that exist or are DO's not that interested in doing research?

 

[Katana]

Just out of interest, are there any DO/PhD programmes that exist or are DO's not that interested in doing research?

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (Downers Grove, IL)

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (East Lansing, MI)

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine (Stratford, NJ)

Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Athens, OH)

Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Tulsa, OK)

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)

University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (Forth Worth, TX)

 

[JJM]

Quoting me "The combined program provides full MD education. However, before going into full-time clinical work, the students take a year to work in the lab and qualify for the PhD."

Sorry but this is totally wrong. The average length of an MD/PHD program is 8 years, with about 5 of those devoted to PHD studies. I know hundreds of MD/PhDs and NONE of them were granted the PhD with only 1 year of lab research.

That was how it was explained to me 20 years ago by college seniors headed into the combined-degree. Moreover, I only know one MD/PhD and he spent just one year in the lab, finishing both degrees in five years (U Penn, 1981). He did a LOT of good, undergrad research and that might have constituted most of his dissertation, or maybe the program has been revolutionized. Anyway, I was mistaken- thank you for the correction.

Now I agree with you that the average length of a straight PhD program is longer than the combined MD/PhD, but its not by as much as you suggest. ...

I don't think the time matters, as long as it is not a mere formality (as suggested in my post). One would hope that someone good-enough for the combined program would be able to graduate early in the PhD part.