Medical Qualifications.....

[DavidWW]

This was posted on the former GROS SP DG, and in responding to another post a few minutes ago, I managed to track it down on my HD, so post it here for info.........



Relatively few medical qualifications appear on Scottish death register entries. The main complication is interpreting the hand of the registrar, particularly if he has an idiosyncratic style for capitals. Thankfully it’s never the hand of the doctor; otherwise we would have to have a hot line to a pharmacist!

The most common qualification is MB, followed by the combination MB ChB, sometimes appearing to be written together – “MBChB” – see below for the explanation. “Ch” is the Latin Chirurgia, - surgery, sometimes written in old Scottish documents as cirurgy, hence a cirurgeon.

Thereafter in terms of frequency comes MD, and after that the infrequently seen ChM.

Apart from these qualifications you may occasionally see the letters representing the membership, fellowship or other grade of membership of one or other colleges of physicians and surgeons. (Note that these are not in alphabetical order.)

MB - Baccalaureus Medicinae – Bachelor of Medicine
ChB - Chirurgiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Surgery
MD - Medicinae Doctor – Doctor of Medicine
ChM - Chirurgiae Magister - Master of Surgery

LRCPE - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
FRCPE - Fellow of …………..

LRCSE - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
FRCSE - Fellow of …………..

LFPSG - Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
FFPSG - Fellow of …………..

LRCP - Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians [UK national]
FRCP - Fellow of …………..

LRCS - Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons [UK national]
FRCS - Fellow of …………..

Even rarer (in Scotland)……..

LMRCP - Licentiate in Midwifery of the Royal College of Physicians

LMRCS - Licentiate in Midwifery of the Royal College of Surgeons

MChD - Master of Dental Surgery

MChOrth – Master of Orthopaedic Surgery

MDS – Master of Dental Surgery

MRCGP – Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners

MRCO – Member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists

MRCOG – Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

LAH - Licentiate of Apothecaries Hall

LDS - Licentiate in Dental Surgery

LM - Licentiate in Midwifery

LSA - Licentiate of the Apothecaries Society


I’ve yet to come across the equivalent qualifications from the King’s and Queen’s College of Physicians of Ireland, or the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.

If you come across something not listed above, then you are recommended to consult glossaries such as exist at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cpcme/edu/Acronym.htm

[CatrionaL]

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