Doctor of Medicine

**Semantic type:** Intellectual Product

**Definition:** The Doctor of Medicine degree is the first-professional postgraduate degree that requires completion of a program that meets all of the following criteria: completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the profession; at least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program; and a total of at least 6 academic years of college work to complete a program of studies in any branch of medical science, including prior required college work plus the length of the professional program itself. The academic standard is equivalent to Ph.D. science.

**Synonyms:** - M.D. - MD