The names and abbreviations given to these degrees depend on the institution, awarding body or country, and vary widely. This is mostly for reasons of tradition rather than to indicate any difference between the relative levels of the degrees. They are considered equivalent. If the awarding body titles the degrees in
Latin, the degrees are commonly named
Medicinae Baccalaureus, Chirurgiae Baccalaureus;
Medicinae Baccalaureus et Chirurgiae Baccalaureus; or
Baccalaureus in Medicina et in Chirurgia; abbreviated as MB ChB, MB BCh or otherwise. If titled in English, they are named
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery;
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery; or
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery; usually abbreviated as MB BS, and sometimes as BM BS, even though most MB BS-awarding institutions do not use Latin to name their degrees. Below are described the specific names used, arranged by country.
Australia Historically,
Australian medical schools have followed the British tradition by conferring the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) to its graduates whilst reserving the title of Doctor of Medicine (MD) for their research training degree, analogous to the PhD, or for their honorary doctorates. Although the majority of Australian MBBS degrees have been graduate programs since the 1990s, under the previous
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) they remained categorised as Level 7 Bachelor's degrees together with other undergraduate programs. The latest version of the AQF includes the new category of Level 9 Master's (Extended) degrees which permits the use of the term 'Doctor' in the styling of the degree title of relevant professional programs. As a result, most undergraduate Australian medical schools have replaced their MBBS degrees with a combined degree that ends with the MD (e.g. the Bachelor of Medical Studies / Doctor of Medicine at The
University of New South Wales or the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at
Monash University) or switched to graduate only MD pathways, to resolve the previous anomalous nomenclature. Even still,
Curtin University and
James Cook University both still offer the MBBS degree. With the introduction of the Master's level MD, universities have also renamed their previous medical research doctorates. The
University of Melbourne was the first to introduce the MD in 2011 as a basic medical degree, and has renamed its research degree to Doctor of Medical Science (DMedSc).
Bahrain The Medical University of Bahrain or
RCSI-Bahrain is a constituent university of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and awards its graduates the MB, BCh, BAO (Hons), the same degree awarded to graduates at RCSI.
Bangladesh All
medical schools in Bangladesh award
MBBS.
Barbados The Bridgetown International University, Victoria University of Barbados, American University of Barbados School of Medicine, and
University of the West Indies Faculty of Medicine all award the MBBS.
China In China, medical undergraduates are awarded a
Bachelor of Medicine (MB, also BMed, and BM) in Clinical Medicine for a course of study lasting five years for native Chinese students and six years for international/foreign students, including internship. International students may take the program in English or Chinese. Some medical schools also award MBBS degrees, but only for the international students. In total, 247 universities are authorized to award medical degrees. All 247 universities are recognized by most of the medical councils around the world and by ECFMG. By August 2022, 136 universities have passed the process of Accreditation of Medical Education from the Ministry of Education of China. The universities awarding MB and MBBS degrees are at the
list of medical schools in China.
Egypt All Egyptian medical schools, public and private, award an
MB BCh as the basic medical degree after completion of five academic and clinical study years followed by two years of obligatory clinical rotations (the MB BCh is issued only after the completion of the clinical rotations) with total of seven years both academic, clinical study and clinical rotations.
France French students get permitted access to medical studies when succeeding the competitive examination occurring at the end of their first year of studies. They spend their second and third year at their medical school where they learn physiology, semiology and the basics of medical examination. From their fourth year, they begin their rotations in teaching hospitals where they assist junior and senior physicians and learn their art. At the end of their sixth year, they undertake a competitive examination to match with their medical specialty and city of practice. Students are then full-time physicians practising under supervision and will be called "doctors" only when graduating at the end of their residency. After 9 years (or 3 cycles including successfully defending a Practical (or Exercise) thesis (Le Doctorat en Medecine) on an area of interest), they are awarded : Diplôme d'État de docteur en médecine (State diploma of Doctor of Medicine) and Diplôme d'études spécialisées (DES) which are both needed for full registration on the National Council of the Order of Physicians (l'Ordre des médecins) and can practise medicine
Ghana All Ghanaian medical schools award an MBChB as the basic medical degree after 6 academic years. These seven medical schools are
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,
University of Ghana,
University for Development Studies,
University of Cape Coast,
University of Health and Allied Sciences and the private Accra College of Medicine, and Family Health Medical School, another private medical school.
Guyana The
University of Guyana awards
MB BS. Other "offshore" United-States-linked schools in the country award the North American MD, such as
Texila American University, Lincoln American University.
Hong Kong The awarding of qualifications in Hong Kong follows the British tradition. The dual degree is awarded as: •
MBBS at the
University of Hong Kong •
MBChB at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong India In India, the MBBS is a 5.5-year undergraduate medical degree that includes 4.5 years of academic coursework followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship. In some Indian states, an additional rural service period is mandated before permanent medical registration, although institutions like the
All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research and certain deemed universities may be exempt from this requirement. During the internship, students receive a government-approved stipend. Full registration to practice medicine is granted upon completion of all academic, clinical, and internship components. The MBBS degree in India falls under the regulatory oversight of the
National Medical Commission (NMC), which is responsible for the accreditation and monitoring of medical colleges and their curriculum. As of August 2025, there are 780
medical colleges in India recognized by the NMC to offer MBBS programs, with a total intake of 118,148 seats. Admission to MBBS programs in India is determined through a national-level entrance examination known as the
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG). As of June 2026, there are 118,148 MBBS seats available across 780 recognized medical colleges in the country. Government medical colleges are especially competitive due to subsidized tuition and high patient inflow at affiliated teaching hospitals, which provide students with extensive clinical exposure. The MBBS curriculum in India includes foundational pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects such as
anatomy,
physiology,
biochemistry,
pathology,
microbiology,
forensic medicine, and
pharmacology. These are complemented by concurrent clinical training in outpatient and inpatient hospital settings, where students develop competencies in patient history-taking, physical examination, differential diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and basic medical procedures. The final phase of the MBBS program is a 12-month compulsory rotatory internship, during which students are posted across departments such as
internal medicine,
general surgery,
paediatrics,
obstetrics and
gynaecology, and
community medicine. The internship provides hands-on clinical experience under supervision and also includes exposure to
hospital administration, interprofessional collaboration, and patient communication. In June 2023, the Government of India announced the implementation of the
National Exit Test (NExT) as a standardized examination for MBBS graduates. The NExT will serve as both a licensure exam for medical practice and a qualifying examination for admission to postgraduate medical courses, effectively replacing the traditional final-year university examinations.
Indonesia In Indonesia, graduating students are awarded the academic degree of
Sarjana Kedokteran /
Bachelor of Medicine (written as suffix "
S.Ked.") after completing their pre-clinical studies. At this point, the graduate is not yet a practising doctor, but may choose to work directly as a medical scientist or other non-clinician professions (usually health-related). However, most graduates will pursue the conventional path, which is to enroll in the
clinical clerkship program (
Program Pendidikan Profesi Dokter) for another 1.5 to 2 years. During this program, students are required to rotate through different medical/surgical specialties in a teaching hospital, actively involved in diagnoses and treatment of patients under the direct supervision of
residents and
consultants/attending physicians. After completing a clinical clerkship, students take the national medical licensing examination (
Ujian Kompetensi Mahasiswa Program Profesi Dokter/UKMPPD) and will be awarded the title
Dokter (written as prefix "dr.") as their first professional title if they pass the examination.
Iraq All
medical schools in Iraq award
MB ChB, with the exception of the University of Kurdistan-Hewlêr which awards the MBBS degree.
Ireland The medical schools in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland –
Queen's University Belfast,
Trinity College Dublin, some constituent institutions of the
National University of Ireland (
University College Dublin,
University College Cork and
University of Galway), and the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland — award the degrees of
MB BCh BAO. The letters
BAO stand for
Baccalaureus in Arte Obstetricia (Bachelor of Obstetrics), a degree unique to Ireland which the Irish universities added in the 19th century as the legislation at the time insisted on a final examination in
obstetrics. This third degree is not registerable with the Irish
Medical Council nor the British
General Medical Council (GMC). The only exception is the newly established
University of Limerick graduate entry school of medicine which awards
BM BS for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. At
Trinity College Dublin, the preclinical course leads to an additional Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree (upgradable after three or four years to
Master of Arts); as originally after this most students used to go elsewhere to complete clinical training.
LRCPI LRCSI, or simply
LRCP&SI, denotes a holder of the historical non-university qualifying
licentiates awarded jointly by the
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to students of the RCSI's medical school under the
Irish Conjoint Scheme. Unlike the corresponding licentiates awarded by the Royal Colleges in Scotland and England (which were external qualifications), these qualifications are still registerable with the Irish Medical Council, but not with the British GMC. Students at RCSI still receive these licences but now also receive the degrees
MB BCh BAO, due to RCSI's status as a recognised college of the
National University of Ireland. The RCSI students received a Licence in Midwifery (LM) from each college, in the same way that the Irish universities granted BAO degrees, so their qualifications were sometimes expressed as
L & LM, RCPI, L & LM, RCSI or more misleadingly as
LLM,
LRCPI LRCSI, or simply
LRCP&SI.
LAH formerly denoted a licentiate of the
Apothecaries' Hall of Ireland, and is no longer awarded.
Japan In Japan, medical undergraduates are awarded a Bachelor of Medicine, a course of study lasting six years. It is awarded by 42 national, 8 public and 31 private universities.
Jordan The
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) degree is awarded in Jordan.
Kenya The national universities with medical faculties in Kenya, namely
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology,
University of Nairobi,
Aga Khan University,
Moi University,
Kenyatta University,
Egerton University,
Maseno University and
Kenya Methodist University award
MB ChB.
Mount Kenya University and
Egerton University also award the four-year
BSc. Clinical Medicine degree in addition to the six-year MBChB.
Liberia The AM. Dogliotti College of Medicine (University of Liberia) awards the MD degree.
Libya There are three major public medical universities in Libya,
University of Tripoli (Tripoli),
University of Benghazi (formerly Garyounis) (Benghazi), and University of Alzaweyah. The schools award the
MBBCh. The Libyan International Medical University is an accredited private medical university that awards an MBChB to its graduates.
Malaysia The
MBBS is awarded by five public and 17 private universities.
Mexico In Mexico, the
National Autonomous University of Mexico, the
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, the
National Polytechnic Institute, the
Metropolitan Autonomous University, among others, grant the title of "
Médico cirujano" (Physician-surgeon) after five or six years of post-high school education, plus one year of internship and one year of social service depending on each institution.
Myanmar Myanmar medical schools have followed the British tradition by conferring MBBS degrees to its graduates. In Myanmar the first MBBS was offered at the
University of Medicine 1 in Yangon between 1923–1924. It established the government medical school in 1907 and offered a four-year medical course known as the Licentiate Medical Practise (LMP) course and the successful candidates were offered certificate of license for medical practise. In 1923 the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery course was introduced. In 1937, the medical degree, MBBS (Rgn), conferred by the
University of Yangon gained recognition by the British
General Medical Council. The MSc programme in Anatomy began in 1971, and the degree title was changed to M.Med.Sc (Anatomy) in 1977. According to the Faculty's records, M.Med.Sc programmes in clinical and basic science departments, such as Internal Medicine, Surgery, Physiology, Pharmacology and Pediatrics, were inaugurated in various years, beginning from 1971 (Anatomy, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology) and expanding through the 1990s (Biochemistry in 1993; Pathology, Anaesthesia, Microbiology and Radiology in early 1990s). The PhD in medicine programmes in basic medical sciences commenced in 1997 (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Pharmacology and Pathology) and 1998–1999 (Biochemistry in 1998 and Public Health in 1999), with the first Ph.D. graduates appearing in those years. The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program has traditionally been a seven-year course comprising the Foundation Year, Medical year 1 through 5 and House Surgeon training, however, the MBBS program is planned to be restructured into a six-year curriculum over the 2025–2026 academic year. Nowadays, seven medical schools (
UM1,
UM 2,
DSMA,
UMM,
UMMG,
UMTGI and
NSA) in Myanmar award the
MBBS.
The Defence Services Medical Academy also award the MBBS for members of the military.
Namibia The University of Namibia
UNAM School of Medicine, the only medical school in the country, awards the MBChB degree.
Nepal There are 18 medical schools in Nepal that award the MBBS degree. Medical education commission, Nepal (MEC) organizes the work related to establishment and operation of medical institutions all over Nepal and bears the sole responsibility to maintain quality, professionalism, institutional accountability and social justice in medical education. There is another entity called
Nepal Medical Council (NMC) which major functions are quality control of medical education of the country, establish ethical health care practice, establish standardization of medical practice as well as responsible for giving license to practise medicine within the country's border.
Netherlands In the Netherlands, students follow a period of 6 academic years. After three years, students obtain the title Bachelor Geneeskunde (translates to Bachelor of Medicine). After a further three years of study and internships, students obtain the Master Geneeskunde (translates to Master of Medicine) title. After the completion of the master's degree, the students are recognized as medical doctors.
New Zealand The two New Zealand medical schools,
Auckland and
Otago, style their degrees as "MBChB" and "MB ChB" respectively.
Nigeria The
MBBS/MB ChB is awarded by many public and private universities in Nigeria, after a period of 6 academic years.
Pakistan In Pakistan, a
medical school is more often referred to as a medical college. It is a 5-year course plus one-year internship in affiliated hospital that can be completed from a college recognized by the
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). Medical colleges may also teach Post Graduate courses such as
FCPS and
diplomas. A medical college is affiliated with a university as a department which usually has a separate campus.
Rwanda All Rwandan medical schools, public and private, award an MBBS as the basic medical degree after completion of five or six academic years.
Saudi Arabia Medical schools in Saudi Arabia award the
MBBS.
Singapore The
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the
National University of Singapore and the
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at
Nanyang Technological University confer
MB BS. The American
Duke University has a medical programme based in Singapore (
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School), but it follows the North American model of styling its degree
Doctor of Medicine (MD) at master's degree level.
Somalia Somali National University,
Amoud University,
Benadir University Salaam University and
Hargeisa University award the MB ChB,
East Africa University awards MMBS.
South Africa The
University of Pretoria,
University of Cape Town,
University of the Free State,
University of Stellenbosch,
University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Walter Sisulu University and
MEDUNSA all award MBChB, whereas the
University of the Witwatersrand styles its degree as MBBCh.
South Sudan The
University of Juba,
University of Bahr El-Ghazal and
Upper Nile University in South Sudan awards the
MBBS degree after the successful completion of six academic years.
Sri Lanka In 1942, the
University of Ceylon was established through legislation and the MBBS degree was recognised for registration of doctors in place of the
Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS).
Sudan The medical degree in Sudan is a six-year program that includes both classroom and clinical training. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, which is recognized internationally.
Syria The higher education in Syria provides training to a Diploma, Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate levels (see European Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency on Higher Education: Syria).
Tunisia Medical education in Tunisia is solely administered by the government Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Public Health. Students get permitted access to medical studies when succeeding their national
baccalauréat exam and obtaining a competitive score that allows them admission to medical schools (usually in the 95% percentile). The curriculum spans six years, two years of fundamental medicine, followed by three years of clinical medicine, culminating in a final year of internship. Upon the completion of this comprehensive training, students are awarded a certificate equivalent to a bachelor's degree, known as the "Diplome de Fin des Etudes Cliniques en Médecine." Subsequently, a national exam is undertaken, and students are ranked based on their performance. Specialization in medicine then follows, ranging from an additional three years for family medicine to five years for most medical and surgical specialties. During the initial two years at medical school, students focus on foundational subjects such as physiology, semiology, and the fundamentals of medical examination. From the fourth year onwards, they engage in rotations at teaching hospitals, where they actively participate under the guidance of junior and senior physicians, honing their practical skills. At the conclusion of the fifth year, students undergo a competitive examination to determine their medical specialty and city of practice. Following this, they transition to full-time physicians, practising under supervision, and earn the title of "doctors" upon successful completion of their residency.
Uganda The nine universities in Uganda that have
medical schools that teach undergraduate courses, namely;
Makerere University,
Mbarara University,
Gulu University,
Kampala International University,
Busitema University,
Kabale University,
Habib Medical School,
St. Augustine International University, and
Uganda Christian University all award the
MBChB degree, after five years of study.
Ukraine In Ukraine, the full-form of MBBS is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. It is generally a 5.8 year course including one year compulsory internship, that can be completed from a college accredited by the National Medical Commission. At present, Ukraine is ranked at the fourth position in Europe for having the largest number of post graduates in fields of medicine. Ukraine has a number of Top Government Medical Universities offering MBBS, MD and other degrees in medicine to the local students as well as international students. The MBBS course starts with the basic pre and para-clinical subjects such as biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, pathology, forensic medicine including toxicology and pharmacology. The students simultaneously obtain hands-on training in the wards and out-patient departments, where they interact with real patients for six years. The curriculum aims to inculcate standard protocols of history taking, examination, differential diagnosis and complete patient Management. The student is taught to determine what investigations will be useful for a patient and what are the best treatment options. The curriculum also contains a thorough practical knowledge and practice of performing standard clinical procedures. The course also contains a 12-month-long internship, in which an intern is rotated across various specialties. Besides standard clinical care, one also gets a thorough experience of ward management, staff management, and thorough counselling skills. The degree awarded is "Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery". The minimum requirements for the MBBS course are 50% marks in
physics,
chemistry,
biology and English in a student's secondary school examinations and student need to pass
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test examination for the admission in Ukraine Universities.
United Kingdom England, Wales, and Northern Ireland While first degrees in medicine meet the expectations of the descriptor for higher education qualification at "level 7 (the UK
master's degree)", these degrees usually retain, for historical reasons, "Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery" and are abbreviated to MBChB or MBBS. Varied abbreviations are used for these degrees in these areas: •
MB ChB is used at the universities of Aston,
Anglia Ruskin, Birmingham, Bristol, Buckingham, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Keele, Manchester, Sheffield, Sunderland (in partnership with Keele) and
Warwick. •
MB BCh is used by the Welsh universities,
Cardiff University and
Swansea University. •
MB, BCh, BAO is used at the
Queen's University, Belfast •
MB BS is used at all medical schools currently or previously part of the
University of London (aka The United Hospitals) (
Imperial College School of Medicine,
UCL Medical School,
King's College London School of Medicine,
Barts and The London School of Medicine and
St George's, University of London). Other medical schools that also award an "MB BS" are
Norwich Medical School,
Hull York Medical School,
Newcastle University,
University of Central Lancashire and
Ulster University (which is currently partnered with St George's) •
BM BCh is awarded by the
University of Oxford. •
BM BS is used at the
University of Nottingham,
University of Exeter,
University of Plymouth,
University of Southampton,
University of Surrey,
Kent and Medway Medical School and
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (formerly at
Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry) •
BM was previously awarded at the
University of Southampton. However, beginning in 2013 students have been awarded BMBS. Although no degree in surgery was formally awarded by Southampton, this degree was equivalent to the MB ChB; students may go on to a career in surgery the same as any other graduates in medicine and surgery. •
MB BChir is awarded by the
University of Cambridge. At the universities of
Oxford and
Cambridge, the preclinical course leads to an additional Bachelor of Arts (
BA), degree (upgradable after three or four years to
Master of Arts), after which most students used to go elsewhere (but usually to one of the London teaching hospitals) to complete clinical training. They were then awarded degrees by their new university: They used to have the options of returning to their old university to take the clinical examinations or taking one of the old non-university qualifying examinations. All students at Oxford and Cambridge now remain in place for their clinical training.
Scotland All medical schools in Scotland (
Aberdeen,
Dundee,
Edinburgh and
Glasgow) award MB ChB. The
University of St Andrews School of Medicine awarded
MB ChB until the early 1970s, but since the incorporation of its clinical medical school into the
University of Dundee, St Andrews only awarded a pre-clinical
BSc or
BSc (Hons), and students go to a Partner Medical School (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or
Manchester), where they were awarded an
MB ChB after a further three years' study. However, from March 2024 St Andrews regained the right to award the MBChB degree from the general Medical Council in partnership with NHS Fife. There is also a programme for
Canadian Citizens and residents whereby they complete 3 years at St. Andrews, then 3 years at Edinburgh and are assisted with applying for residency back in Canada. Since 2018, a joint initiative coordinated by both the Universities of St Andrews and Dundee, the Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) programme, has based its first and second year students at St Andrews, and its third and fourth year students at Dundee. This is Scotland's first
graduate entry medical degree programme. The intention is that the students of the inaugural cohort, due to graduate in July 2022, will be conferred a joint
MB ChB by both universities – the first to graduate with this professional degree directly from St Andrews in over fifty years. The Scottish
Triple Qualification of
LRCPE, LRCSE, LRCPSG (earlier LRCPE, LRCSE, LRFPSG) is an old non-university qualifying examination in medicine and surgery awarded jointly by the
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, previously through a
Conjoint Board and from 1994 through the
United Examining Board. The UEB was dissolved in 2007. These qualifications are still registrable with the GMC, but permission to award them was withdrawn by the Privy Council of the UK in 1999.
Historical Primary Medical Qualifications The
Conjoint diplomas
LRCP MRCS LMSSA were non-university qualifying examinations in medicine and surgery awarded jointly by the
Royal College of Physicians of London,
Royal College of Surgeons of England and
Society of Apothecaries through the
United Examining Board from 1994 until 1999, when the
General Medical Council withdrew permission. Before 1994, the English Conjoint diploma of
LRCP, MRCS was awarded for 110 years, and the
LMSSA was a distinct and sometimes less-esteemed qualification. These diplomas slowly became less popular among British medical students, but as recently as 1938 only a half of them qualified with university degrees. The diplomas are now mostly awarded to those who have already qualified in medicine overseas or who failed their medical school finals.
United States International medical graduates who hold an MBBS degree from a foreign country usually do not need to attend medical school again in the United States. However, they must complete a U.S. residency program and pass all three parts of the
United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The MBBS degree is not offered by medical schools in the United States, as most U.S. medical programs are graduate-entry and traditionally award the MD degree as the primary medical qualification. There are a number of institutions in the United States that offer a combined 6-year BS-MD joint degree, notably
Northeast Ohio Medical University whereby graduating high school seniors complete an accelerated bachelor's degree in two years followed by an MD at the traditional four-year pace. Although the BS-MD pathway is a hybrid undergraduate/graduate program, the result is a primary medical qualification equivalent to an MBBS degree and graduates of these schools go on to enter their intern year at roughly the same age as their UK counterparts. Most American schools offering a BS-MD program do so in 7 years, such as the
Indiana University School of Medicine, or in 8 years, such as the
Baylor College of Medicine. The
Association of American Medical Colleges maintains a list of such schools. Primarily US-educated MDs and
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) go through four years of undergraduate education and apply to professional medical graduate schools with a competitive
Medical College Admission Test score and GPA. They then go through two more years of
didactic medical science study, and take the pass-fail
USMLE Step 1 exam. DO students take a similar exam known as
COMLEX Level 1. Following a pass, they then undergo
experiential learning of medicine by taking part in patient care in clinics and hospitals under the close supervision of board-certified physicians. After this year, they take the
Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam and formerly took the
Step 2 Clinical Skills exam as well. DO students take the COMLEX Level 2-Cognitive Evaluation exam and previously took the COMLEX Level 2-Performance Evaluation exam. COMLEX 2-PE and Step 2 CS were discontinued in 2021 during the
COVID-19 pandemic. They then go through one more year of experiential learning, often with elective rotations tailored to particular interests of study or future specialization. They also apply for the
National Resident Matching Program in this year. Following their fourth and final year, they graduate from medical school and are awarded their MD or DO degree. If selected for a residency, they continue for a minimum of three to eight years in their specialty where they are officially licensed to practise after completion. New resident physicians, or interns, in the first year of residency, known as intern year or internship, often take the
USMLE Step 3 exam or COMLEX Level 3 exam during that year. Undergraduate students applying to medical school also have the option to apply to an MD/PhD
Medical Scientist Training Program at various academic institutions, which entails 7–8 years of primary medical education that is combined with a
doctoral thesis. MD/PhD students are required to take all USMLE exams and postgraduate residency training if they wish to practise medicine. A few schools, such as
Ohio University's
Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine or the
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, offer DO/PhD programs. Most MBBS physicians visiting or practising in the United States use the designation of MD for various personal and professional reasons, but laws may change to require full disclosure when presenting as a clinical practitioner for litigious reasons. The MD title is distinctly used in the US for physicians who earned their medical degree in the US who practise
evidence-based medicine. They separate themselves from DOs who go through a different type of education and training that focuses on the patient as a whole and an array of treatments inclusive of medicine and surgery as well.
Vietnam There are many medical schools in Vietnam, such as Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine, and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Most of them require six years to receive a Doctor of Medicine degree.
West Indies All constituent countries of the
University of the West Indies (UWI) confer
MB BS, due to the historical affiliation of UWI to the
University of London. The degree is a 5-year programme. The three physical campuses are
Mona in Jamaica,
Saint Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, and
Cave Hill in Barbados, with each campus having a Medical Faculty. The
University of Guyana (UG) also confers "MB BS" to their medical school graduates. There are other medical schools in the West Indies, but these follow the North-American system leading to
MD.
Zambia All schools in Zambia award the
MBChB degree..
Texila American University Zambia also offers the MBChB degree.
Zimbabwe The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) awards the MBChB degree. Midlands State University (MSU) also offers the MBChB degree. The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) awards the MBBS. == Classification ==