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
Pharmaceutical qualifications
- MRPharmS – Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
- MAPCPharm – Member of the Primary Care Pharmacy Association
- MPharm – Masters of Pharmacy
- MSc in Clinical Pharmacy – Masters in Clinical Pharmacy
Nurse qualifications
- RGN – Registered General Nurse
- SRN – State Registered Nurse
- RSCN – Registered Sick Children’s Nurse
- ENB – English National Board
- A51 – Specialist Practitioner (General Practice) e.g. nurse practitioner or nurse clinician
- NVQ – National Vocational Qualification
- RMN – Registered Mental Nurse
- RM – Registered Midwife
Dispensary qualifications
- Registered Pharmacy Technician NVQ Level 3
- Dispenser NVQ Level 2