BACHELOR OF MEDICINE

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinæ Baccalaureus et Baccalaureus Chirurgiæ (abbreviated MB BChir, MB BCh, MB ChB, BM BS, MB BS et al.), are the two degrees awarded after a course of study in medicine and surgery at a university in the United Kingdom and other places following its usage, such as Australian, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Jamaican, South African, Pakistan and Indian medical schools. The naming suggests that they are two separate degrees; however in practice they are usually treated as one.

The degrees are the Commonwealth equivalent of what is known elsewhere as the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD). In countries that award bachelors' degrees in medicine, however, the MD refers to a Higher Doctorate, and is reserved for medical practitioners who do research in the field of medicine.

Naming

The Latin names for these degrees are variously Medicinae Baccalaureus, Chirugiae Baccalaureus or Baccalaureus in Medicina et in Chirurgia, abbreviated as MB ChB, MB BCh or in other ways depending on the individual institution; the English versions are Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, usually abbreviated as BM BS. The different Latin and English abbreviations may occasionally be combined by certain institutions such that BM BCh and MB BS are also seen. The specific names and abbreviations of the degrees vary with each awarding body and from region to region; this is mostly for reasons of tradition, rather than to indicate any significant difference of level or between the degrees.

The degrees are not offered in the United States, Canada and other countries. The equivalent degree in the United States and Canada is the MD or DO.

Australia

MB BS are conferred by most Australian medical schools, undergraduate (UNSW) or graduate-entry (ANU, University of Queensland and Sydney University).

The graduate-entry Flinders medical school confers BM BS.

The University of Newcastle offers the five-year undergraduate degree BMed. Although no degree in surgery is formally awarded by Newcastle, this degree is equivalent to the MB BS, and students may go on to a career in surgery the same as any other graduates in medicine and sugery.

Bangladesh

All medical schools in Bangladesh award MB BS.

England

Several variants of these degrees are awarded in England:

• MB ChB are used at the universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Keele, Manchester, Sheffield, and Warwick.
• MB BS are used at the University of East Anglia, Hull York Medical School, the University of London, and University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
• BM BCh are used at Oxford.
• BM BS are used at University of Nottingham, Peninsula Medical School and Brighton Sussex Medical School
• BM are awarded at the University of Southampton. Although no degree in surgery is formally awarded by Southampton, this degree is equivalent to the MB ChB, and students may go on to a career in surgery the same as any other graduates in medicine and surgery.
• MB BChir are awarded by the University of Cambridge.

The English Triple Conjoint Diploma of LRCP, MRCS, LMSSA are old 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. These qualifications were registerable with the GMC until 1999.

Hong Kong

The awarding of qualifications in Hong Kong has continued to follow the British tradition despite the handover of the territory's sovereignty from the hands of the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China on 30 June 1997. The dual degree is awarded as:

• MB BS at University of Hong Kong; and
• MB ChB at Chinese University of Hong Kong.

India

All medical schools in India award MB BS under Medical Council of India and State Medical councils' regulations. MBBS is a graduate degree, usually lasting 5½ years or more, including one year of compulsory rotating internship. Completion of MBBS is a required eligibility criterion to apply for and join a specialised program offering the post-grduate MD / MS degree.

Ireland

The three degrees of MB BCh BAO are awarded by all medical schools in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland - namely Queen's University Belfast, University of Dublin (Trinity College) and some constituent institutions of the National University of Ireland (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University College Dublin, University College Cork and National University of Ireland, Galway). BAO is Baccalaureus in Arte Obstetricia (Bachelor of Obstetrics).

LRCPI LRCSI denotes a holder of the historical non-university qualifying licenciates awarded jointly by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Unlike the corresponding licentiates awarded by the Royal Colleges in Scotland and England, these qualifications are still registerable with the Irish Medical Council. Students at RCSI still receive these licenciates but now also receive the degrees MB BCh BAO, due to RCSI's status as a recognised college of the National University of Ireland.

LAH formerly denoted a licentiate of the now-defunct Apothecaries' Hall, Dublin, and is no longer awarded.

Kenya

The two National Universities with Medical Faculties in Kenya offer the 'MBChB' degree.

New Zealand

The two New Zealand Medical Schools, Auckland and Otago, style their degrees as MB ChB. The New Zealand MB ChB degrees take 5-6 years depending upon graduate or undergraduate entry.

Pakistan

All medical schools in Pakistan award MB BS.

Scotland

All medical schools in Scotland award MB ChB. The University of St Andrews awarded MB ChB until the early 1970s, but now only awards a pre-clinical BSc or BSc (Hons), and students subsequently obtain the degrees of MB ChB from the University of Manchester.

The Scottish Triple Conjoint Diploma of LRCPE, LRCSE, LRCPSG are old non-university qualifying examinations 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. These qualifications were registerable with the GMC until 1999.

Wales

All medical schools in Wales award MB BCh.

West Indies

All constituent countries of the University of the West Indies confer the MBBS degree due to the historical affiliation of the University of the West Indies to the University of London.

Classification of degrees

The degrees of MB BS are rather difficult to classify. They can be received both after an undergraduate course, which lasts five or six years in addition to one year of practice as a pre-registration house officer (PRHO), or after a graduate course which lasts 4 years in addition to one year of practice as a PRHO (which now, in the UK, incorporates the first year of Foundation Training following the initiative "Modernising Medical Careers"), having previously obtained an undergraduate degree of a good class. The degrees differ from other undergraduate degrees in that they are professional qualifications which entitle bearers to a guaranteed position upon receipt. This is not the case with other undergraduate degrees, so whilst the MB ChB are undergraduate/graduate degrees, they are perhaps more accurately conceptualised as a so-called 'First Professional'. It is a general/ordinary degree (not an honours degree), and as such one is not awarded 1st class, 2:1 etc. as one does for honours degrees. At some institutions (for example the University of Manchester) it is possible for the degrees to be awarded with Honours, i.e. MB ChB (Hons) etc., if the board of examiners in the case of exceptional performance throughout the degree course.

Progression

Graduates of these degrees are entitled to use the title Doctor, and are eligible for membership of professional institutions (such as the Royal College of Physicians after sitting further postgraduate examinations, as well as being eligible to submit research for the awarding of the degree MD.

At some institutions it is possible to study for the degree of Master of Surgery (ChM or MCh), and the possession of MB ChB is normally a prerequisite for this.

Stylisation

The degrees of Medicine and Surgery are sometimes stylised more formally, when abbreviated as M.B, Ch.B / M.B.B.S. Note the punctuation:

• the period (".") marks the level of degree and discipline
• the comma (",") indicates a separate degree

See also

• Bachelor's degree
• Homologation
• Medical school
• Medical education
• Doctor of Medicine - for more about the degree of MD
• Master of Surgery - for more about the degree of ChM