<p>This is actually not revelent to my college process. </p>
<p>But I was wondering which one is higher Ph.D or M.D.?</p>
<p>And is there such thing as a Certificaiton in Advanced Forensic?</p>
<p>This is for my mock trial case. I am doing a cross examination on an expert witness.</p>
<p>In terms of prestige, an MD is higher. An MD is an applied, professional degree. A PhD is an academic research degree. Some have both a PhD and an MD. They have the most prestige. A PhD's knowledge probably has a more narrow, theoretical focus.</p>
<p>I have to disagree and say that they're both equally prestigious. And really, a PhD and and MD are different enough that comparing them is a waste of time. You might as well thrown in JDs (juris doctorate) and ask how prestigious they are. </p>
<p>collegehelp,
How did you manage to quantify prestige of an MD versus a PhD, anyway?</p>
<p>They are both terminal degrees so I'd say they are equally prestigious. An MD degree focuses on applied medicie though and a PhD is an academic research degree. A PhD is much more broad because it could be in a variety of things-history, neuroscience, physics, etc.</p>
<p>I agree with UCLAri and PHampson. Both represent the highest you can go in the field. They are both prestigious. They are sufficiently different to be difficult to compare. </p>
<p>To some in the general public, a MD may be considered more prestigious because doctors are pretty respected and many people come in contact with them and know and appreciate their work. That's completely understandable, but I think it represents lack of knowledge about postbaccalaureate education and graduate degrees.</p>
<p>I agree that it is very difficult to quantify the prestige of the degrees. In my presonal opinion the PhD is more diffiult to attain in the realm that it takes longer to complete most of the time (say 4-7 years for the PhD vs. 4 years for the MD). However, the MD may take longer to complete with specialization and such.</p>
<p>However, the MD does have more prestige in the community as a whole. If I would tell someone say, at church, I held a PhD in Geology (won't happen for a few years...), they would say, 'wow that's nice'. However, if I were to say I'm a Doctor and not mention the field of study, they would assume that I was a Medical Doctor and think of me much higher and ask where I got my MD.</p>
<p>But to answer the question at hand, in a technical sense they are both of the same level, terminal degrees in their specialty.</p>
<p>Physicians are more prestigious overall than PhDs. They are very smart plus they have impact on the most important problems that confront humanity. Physicians are dedicated, compassionate, and valuable to society. Physicians deal with real-world problems, not ivory-tower questions. Physicians have to make serious decisions. Their level of responsibility is much greater than most PhDs. Physicians are generally perceived as advocates for the "common" people, fighting for quality health care against greedy, shallow business people. Physicians have to be in touch with reality. Some PhDs can be crackpots who spout ridiculous ideas. </p>
<p>PhDs who are scientists and engineers are most prestigious among PhDs. PhDs who are scientists AND college professors have more prestige than PhDs who do not teach. </p>
<p>Judges have pretty high prestige but the overall prestige of the legal profession has fallen precipitously because of their greed and lack of character.</p>
<p>Ask the PhDs at the CDC about getting "down and dirty" with diseases, lol. The MDs at the NIH keep their hands clean. :p </p>
<p>Why don't veterinarians get any prestige? They get paid half what an MD makes but do much more. :mad:</p>
<p>"Physicians are generally perceived as advocates for the "common" people, fighting for quality health care against greedy, shallow business people. Physicians have to be in touch with reality. Some PhDs can be crackpots who spout ridiculous ideas."</p>
<p>Wow. This is a very flawed statement! Not all Drs are thought of as 'common' people or advocates for them, just look at the justified law suits where patients are prescribed the wrong drugs or are using their 'power' to prescribe drugs illegally. Physicians do NOT have to be in touch with reality, nor do they practice what they preach 80% of the time. Just look at the habits of ER doctors who don't eat correctly or get adequate sleep and the scores of doctors and nurses who preach their patients should eat and sleep right, yet don't heed their own advice. This sets a poor example for the average man who needs help controlling their weight, etc. PhDs can be crackpots, yes, but so can Physicians, and heck, so can politicians and clergy members! And, just as anyone else, Physicians can be shallow people, especially the ones who get into the field of medicane for the 'prestige'.</p>
<p>Generalizations are a bad thing to teach high school students, yes some doctors are upstanding citizens with trying to make this world a better place. However, for each upstanding citizen in any field, there will be a greedy and/or shifty one as well.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Physicians are more prestigious overall than PhDs. They are very smart plus they have impact on the most important problems that confront humanity.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Generalizations without a firm basis. And really, PhDs aren't usually smart? And Watson and Crick didn't tackle one of the most important problems confronting humanity? The same goes for Einstein, Fermi, Bohr, Hawkings, Friedman, and others. You have a very low opinion of most Nobel Laureates, it seems. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Physicians deal with real-world problems, not ivory-tower questions.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is true to an extent. But it's the ivory-tower questions that really aid the physicians in being better practitioners at the real-world level. Look at what the biological sciences have down for medical science. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Physicians have to make serious decisions.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Sorry, but I don't know too many internists that deal with life-or-death situations on a regular basis. While it's true that the average physician is more directly affecting the lives of individuals with whom they meet, most don't make too many overly serious decisions on a daily basis.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Their level of responsibility is much greater than most PhDs.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Depends. Many PhDs are not only doing research in their field, they're also teaching students. I know education isn't seen as a big responsibility in America, but imagine how much a good professor can enlighten an individual. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Physicians are generally perceived as advocates for the "common" people, fighting for quality health care against greedy, shallow business people. Physicians have to be in touch with reality.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not really. Most people see physicians as members of the white-collar upper-middle class. I don't think that anyone making $150,000 a year is generally seen in such a light. Oh, and right, doctors are fighting real hard to get their wages lowered. Gimme a break. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Some PhDs can be crackpots who spout ridiculous ideas.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And some doctors are quacks. </p>
<p>
[quote]
PhDs who are scientists and engineers are most prestigious among PhDs. PhDs who are scientists AND college professors have more prestige than PhDs who do not teach.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You can't qualify this and you know it. So a Nobel Laureate who was working for a private company is a less-prestigious PhD than a college professor? You're dreaming.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Judges have pretty high prestige but the overall prestige of the legal profession has fallen precipitously because of their greed and lack of character.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm sure that the Supreme Court is really worried about how much their position's prestige has fallen. Come on. Use your head. MD prestige has fallen too, if only evidenced by falling wages and increases in medical malpractice suits.</p>
<p>You really need to think about your arguments before you make such hasty generalizations.</p>
<p>Collegehelp=owned</p>
<p>When comparing physicians, in general, with PhDs, in general, everything I said about prestige is absolutely correct.</p>
<p>Although I do believe that both the Ph.D. and M.D. are highly prestigious, I am now going to tell you what real Ph.D.s and M.D.s (my family doctor, my dad, my boss, my dad's classmate) have to say about it. (By the way, this is assuming that the Ph.D. is in bio/chem sciences).</p>
<p>M.D.s typically make more money than Ph.Ds (not always, but usually true).</p>
<p>M.D. degrees usually cannot be completed part time while the Ph.D. can.</p>
<p>Ph.D.s generally collaborate with many more other scientists, thereby creating a broader network and therefore, more job and advancement opportunities.</p>
<p>Everyone I've spoken to (2 M.D.s, 2 Ph.D.s) agree that the M.D. is generally more powerful and more money-making, but also somewhat riskier than a Ph.D.</p>
<p>If anyone wants further elaboration, just ask, and I'll ask them again and give you an answer.</p>
<p>By the way, the annual Harris Poll of occupational prestige always lists doctors and scientists among the top 3 or 4. I think sociologists have rankings of occupational prestige down to a science, but I do not know what sociologists have found.</p>
<p>Also, Higher Education turns out many more PhDs than MDs. When you are talking about PhDs in general, some PhDs are granted in rather "easy" or "esoteric" fields at universities that are not highly selective about their PhD candidates. PhDs do not have to do an internship or residency necessarily. Nor do they have to pass a professional board exam.</p>
<p>If the question "which is higher" refers to academic precedence, only one university to my knowledge has such a listing -- Oxford. Here is the listing. Take it for what it represents -- one objective answer to the question posed.</p>
<p>Lol I like that list...it says since I'm getting my Master's degree before my PhD I will be on a higher rung than those who went straight to the PhD after their Bachelor's.</p>
<p>By the way, MANY docs who teach at medical schools are MDs & not PhDs as well. Since MD degrees & PhD degrees are both terminal degrees, both are considered "prestigious." I know some amazing MDs who are very actively involved in research & get many multi-million dollar grants/year, run research labs & are considered the top of the medical field. Some of them also see patients while other do not. I know that many PhDs also do research.</p>
<p>I would hesitate to make any sweeping generalizations about either title. In my mind, both degrees involve a lot of work to obtain & are just one piece of the professional who holds them. I know many amazing MDs & PhDs, as well as more than a few who are "way out there." Same goes for JDs, lawyers & judges, for that matter. <grin></grin></p>
<p>TWILIGHTDARLING - my 2 cents here - MD is terminal degree in medicine - also DO is as well in medicine - PhD is terminal degree in most other fields.</p>
<p>More PhD's because many many more schools grant them in many different fields/areas - less MD/DO's due to limited number of granting facilities. Qualifications and amount of education varies by speciality in both. MD/DO by exam - PhD by research/disertation.</p>
<p>In answer to your question about advanced forensic certification - YES there is such a thing - what field specifically are you asking about??</p>
<p>JeepMOM - to elaborate on your post "PhD by research/dissertation".
All PhD programs of which I am aware require examinations:
1. Written comprehensive (after one year)
2. Oral comprehensive (must be passed to proceed with a thesis)
3. Reading comprehension in one's field in two foreign languages
4. Oral defense of dissertation to a departmental panel</p>
<p>Haha, I saved this</a> poll from USA Today a year or so ago because it amused me.</p>
