Written by Michael Feder
Reviewed by Marc Booker, PhD,听听Vice Provost, Strategy
Some people might confuse an听MD (Doctor of Medicine)听with a听PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), and vice versa. While both an MD and a PhD are prestigious degrees near the top of the听academic ladder, they each have a different meaning and come with very听different requirements.
Different still from both of those degrees are professional doctorates, which allow industry professionals to translate their education and experience into credibility and leadership through research. Professional doctorates have similar requirements to PhDs, such as a dissertation and residency, but focus on the application of research and professional growth over original research.
Upon graduation, those who have earned any of these three degrees can call themselves a 鈥渄octor,鈥 but the path to a degree, the purpose behind it and its applications vary based on the choice. MD graduates want to work in medicine and healthcare. PhDs want to bring new knowledge and research to the world. A practice-based doctoral graduate wants to grow in their professional expertise. (If the last one sounds like you, 澳门天天彩开奖记录 can help!)
Keep reading to learn more about these doctoral programs and which is right for you.
MD is an abbreviation for Doctor of Medicine and identifies a听medical practitioner听who has completed undergraduate studies and four years of medical school. An MD program teaches medical students about the human body and diseases through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on clinical labs.
厂别惫别谤补濒听听might have this degree, depending on their area of study. For example, medical practitioners with an MD degree might become a medical doctor and potentially specialize in dermatology, cardiovascular disease, family medicine, oncology, pediatrics, neurology or preventive medicine. As you can see, this degree听can lead to a variety of career paths, depending on which specialty interests you and what your medical education is.
听requires a significant investment of time and money, but the reward can be well worth it. Before medical school, you鈥檒l need to听听(MCAT庐) and earn a passing score. You鈥檒l also need to build a portfolio of coursework and experience to help you gain admittance to medical school.
Medical school typically takes students four years to complete. You鈥檒l learn the latest techniques and approaches for patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Medical schools commonly provide a combination of classroom,听research and clinical experience. You鈥檒l work alongside peers and healthcare professionals as you develop skills in general medicine.
You鈥檒l choose a field to specialize in during your final year of medical school. Students have more than 120 options to choose from when specializing, including听primary care,听pediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine and family medicine.
After graduating, you鈥檒l complete residency training to further develop skills in your specialty. Residency typically lasts three to seven years, depending on the field you鈥檝e selected. During the residency portion of your education, you鈥檒l treat patients under the supervision of more experienced physicians.
Even after you begin to practice as an MD,听the educational portion of your career never stops. As practices change, patient needs evolve and research continues, MDs benefit from ongoing education to stay current.
A PhD, or听Doctor of Philosophy, is a doctoral degree that recognizes graduates who have completed a full postsecondary program. Students can earn a PhD in more fields than philosophy. After completing the necessary coursework, original research and hands-on experience, you can earn a PhD in fields like science, the humanities and engineering.
Earning a PhD can help unlock a wide range of potential career opportunities. Computer engineers, research scientists, statisticians, healthcare administrators, professors, chemists and other careers commonly require a PhD degree, in addition to appropriate undergraduate study.
Becoming a PhD is also a听serious commitment听that requires an investment of听time, money and energy.
Here is what鈥檚 typically required to become a PhD:
It鈥檚 important to note that many PhD听programs have different requirements, prerequisites and parameters for students. Check with your preferred institution for a more detailed explanation of these requirements.
While some professional or practice-based doctorate programs are medical,听others are designed for professionals in other fields. These programs are meant for听scholar-practitioners听in disciplines like education, business or psychology. One of the key differences between this degree and a PhD is the focus on applying research to a professional setting rather than conducting theoretical and research-focused studies. Often, programs are differentiated as academic versus professional.
Examples of doctoral degrees are Doctor of Education, Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Business Administration. Each of these programs focuses on a specific discipline and applying research in those areas to a professional setting.
奥丑颈濒别听practitioner doctoral programs听teach different skills, they all share common requirements. You鈥檒l need to听complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree听in your field and sometimes a master鈥檚 degree, depending on program requirements.
After completing the necessary coursework and research, students also typically need to finish a supervised thesis and defend their dissertation or capstone project-specific coursework, research and hands-on labs alongside other students in the same field. However, this will depend on the specific program and its requirements.
The term 鈥渄octor鈥 or 鈥淒r.鈥 is commonly used today to describe a wide variety of occupations. Students who complete a doctoral degree can earn the title of 鈥淒r.鈥 even though they earned their credentials in a non-medical field like education or business management.
While a variety of professionals can earn a doctorate, the term is often still听. In conventional use,听doctors typically refer to medical physicians. However, it is appropriate to use 鈥淒r.鈥 if you graduated from any of the three programs discussed above.听听
While 澳门天天彩开奖记录 (UOPX)听does not have听MD or PhD programs, it does offer several professional doctoral degrees that can be earned completely online. Students might choose the UOPX programs because classes are flexible and offered online, and because of the University鈥檚 unique 鈥Scholar-Practitioner-Leader model.鈥
If you are curious about a doctoral degree, the following programs are available at UOPX:
These doctoral studies are only some of the many options for professionals who want to gain the听highest academic credentials听in their fields. Doctoral programs offer significant benefits to program graduates, including听newly developed skills, insight into field trends, hands-on research opportunities and听leadership capabilities.
Completing a doctoral program is also a strong indication to employers that you鈥檙e serious about your career and your field. With so many options for advanced study, these programs are available for most major fields. Even if you have already completed a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree in your discipline, a doctorate lends further credibility to your reputation and听can help prepare you for a leadership position.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at 澳门天天彩开奖记录 where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Dr. Marc Booker, 澳门天天彩开奖记录 Vice Provost for Strategy, has more than two decades of experience working with online and distance education students at the post-secondary level. He currently oversees critical path academic initiatives to improve the student experience. Dr. Booker is a regular speaker, author and contributor to national higher education associations.
This article has been vetted by 澳门天天彩开奖记录's editorial advisory committee.听
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May 26, 2023 鈥 10 minutes