A surgeon must complete a medical degree before beginning specialized training.
For college students who aspire to become doctors, the end of their senior year of a four-year bachelor's degree program brings on a flurry of medical school applications. A doctor must complete one of two types of medical degrees in the United States, followed by training in a specialty or a residency and licensing. Medical schools may also offer degrees that apply to other facets of the medical field.
Doctor of Medicine
A Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree is the most well-known in the United States. It is conferred after four years at an accredited allopathic medical school, which is the most traditional style of education in which disease is treated in a systematic manner. The curriculum generally covers the practice of medicine, with classes in microbiology, pharmacology and physiology. Coursework is supplemented with practical experience in supervised rotations in various specialties like surgery, cardiology and obstetrics.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree is less well known in the United States, but is gaining in popularity. This degree approaches medicine from a holistic viewpoint, and examines the relationship between the nerve, bones, muscles and organs. Osteopathy purports that a disturbance in one aspect of the body causes another part to be unbalanced. Curriculum includes core principles, histology and physiology. D.O. graduates must complete a yearlong internship and residencies before taking licensing exams.
M.D. - PhD
Harvard Medical School offers a highly-selective program in which students can earn an M.D. and a Ph.D. simultaneously. The school intends to train future research leaders in health-related fields. Generally, a student completes the first two years of medical school, then the doctorate and then he may return to finish medical school. A Ph.D. can be pursued in a variety of life science subjects such as biophysics and molecular biology.
Master of Physician Assistant Studies
Some medical schools may also include departments or schools for other health-related professions. A physician assistant performs exams, interprets diagnostic tests, prescribes medications and handles many other services normally provided by a physician. The program at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is 31 consecutive months. The curriculum covers basic science and physical examination skills, while the clinical program includes rotations in different specialties such as family and internal medicine.
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