If you are interested in becoming a physician, you must complete an M.D. Conversely, if you are a potential scientist, a Ph.D. is the more fitting choice. A medical doctor can prescribe medications for patients and is generally more involved with patient care. With the exception of psychologists, psychiatrists and a few other professions which deal with patient care, Ph.D. graduates are trained in academia, rather then the direct treatment of the ill.
Customarily, an M.D. is awarded after two years of coursework, followed by two years of clinical work done in a hospital. After you have earned your degree, you begin a residency program in a specialized field, which can last from three to seven years. The time it takes to complete your Ph.D. is less standard, as it depends on the progress of your research and approval of your thesis.
In earning an M.D., you focus strictly on medicine and then specialize in a field such as anesthesiology, neurosurgery, pediatrics or gynecology. When you are considering a Ph.D., however, you have an array of choices in the arts, social sciences, pure sciences, business and humanities. Unlike an M.D., you can complete a Ph.D. online. Ph.D. choices range from English and art history to pharmacy and chemistry.
M.D. and Ph.D. programs are structured differently. As an M.D. candidate, you will spend your first two years studying fundamental sciences such as anatomy, physiology and pathology, as well as acquiring basic skills in examining patients. Following classroom instruction, you do rotations in a hospital and learn about treating patients. As a Ph.D. candidate, you may be required to submit a thesis, defend a dissertation, become a teacher's assistant, participate in seminars and complete coursework. Most Ph.D. programs require you to write a research paper.