Doctors' Qualifications Explained
Basic Medical Qualifications
The Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees are the basic
medical qualifications of doctors awarded by Universities. The
qualifications may be written in different ways:
MBBCh - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
MBChB Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
MBChirB - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
MBBS - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Alternative basic medical qualifications are awarded by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons. These are:
LRCP - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians
LRCS - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons
Other academic qualifications
Doctors may extend their academic studies with other qualifications:
BSc - Bachelor of Science a basic science degree
MD and PhD (Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy) are higher degrees in Medicine and Science awarded for Research work carried out over a minimum of three years.
Higher Medical and Surgical Qualifications
The Medical Royal Colleges make awards at several levels for doctors who undertake further specialist training. Doctors may undertake a short specialist course and be awarded a Diploma. Diplomas include:
Dip Av Med - Diploma in Aviation Medicine
DCH - Diploma in Child Health
DFFP - Diploma Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Medicine
Dip Occ Med - Diploma in Occupational Medicine
Dip Orthopaedic medicine (treatment of diseased or injured bones)
Dip Rheumatology (study of disease causing inflammation, pain and stiffening joints)
Dip Therapeutics- Diploma in the use of drugs in the practice of medicine
DRCOG - Diploma Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
DPM or Dip Pall - Diploma in Palliative Medicine
Dip Ther - Diploma in Therapeutics
DDerm - Diploma in Dermatology
Dip Sports Medicine - Diploma in Sports Medicine
Dip PCR - Diploma in Primary Care Rheumatology
DipIMC - Diploma in immediate care
More extended study and examination leads to Membership of a Medical Royal College. Examples of qualifications include:
MFFM - Member of the Faculty of Family Medicine at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
MRCGP - Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
MRCOG - Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
MRCP - Member of the Royal College of Physicians
MRCS - Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
Doctors may go on to become a Fellow of a Royal College. Qualifications include:
FRCGP - Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners
FRCP - Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
FRCS Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
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