Bachelor of Medicine

From Freepedia

The Bachelor of Medicine, abbreviated BM, is an academic degree denoting the degree obtained after studying Medicine at University.

In the United Kingdom, the Bachelor of Medicine degree is often conjoined with Bachelor of Surgery (BS) to form the degree that is required to qualify as a medical doctor.

The Latin version of the BM BS is the MB ChB or MB BChir meaning Medicinae Baccleureus, Chirugiae Baccleureus, or literally "Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery".

However, the different Latin and English abbreviations may occasionally be combined by certain institutions such that BM BCh and MB BS are also common.

Although British doctors are addressed as "Doctor" they are not genuine academic doctors, as the BM BS degree, in academia, is a Bachelor degree rather than a doctorate.

The MD, or Medicinae Doctor (Doctor of Medicine) degree is considered a higher doctorate.

In the United States, the MD is the equivalent of the British BM BS degree as the initial medical qualification obtained from university. The American MD, being a professional degree not earned substantially through research, is not considered a genuine academic doctorate in the United Kingdom and other countries, such as Australia.