MBBS and MBChB - Key Differences and Similarities
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MBBS and MBChB - Key Differences and Similarities

#M.B.B.S.
Moksh DheriUpdated on 07 Jul 2025, 11:14 AM IST

Medical students, while researching, have often come across two medical courses. MBBS and MBChB. At first glance, they may look different; however, they both are the same degrees, the differentiating factor being the nomenclature and the short form. MBChB is a short form for Medicinae Baccalaureus et Chirurgiae Baccalaureus; in English it is MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery).

This Story also Contains

  1. MBBS vs MBChB - A Comparison
  2. MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)
  3. MBChB (Medicinae Baccalaureus et Chirurgiae Baccalaureus)
MBBS and MBChB - Key Differences and Similarities
MBBS and MBChB

MBBS and MBChB are essentially the same degree, which is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in English or Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae in Latin. The difference lies in the naming conventions used by different countries. MBBS is a common convention used in India, Pakistan, Australia and some parts of the UK. While MBChB is used in the majority of the UK, Commonwealth and European countries.

MBBS vs MBChB - A Comparison

Particulars

MBBSMBChB

Full Form

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

Medicinae Baccalaureus et Chirurgiae Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)

Origin

India, Australia, Pakistan and some parts of the UK

The majority of the UK (Especially in Scotland), New Zealand, and South Africa

Course Curriculum

More or less similar to MBChB

More or less similar to MBBS

Course Duration

5-6 years (depending on the institute)

5-6 years (depending on the institute)


Internship

Mandatory (included in the curriculum)

Mandatory (included in the curriculum)

Recognition

Global recognition

Global Recognition

MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)

MBBS full form is Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. It is an undergraduate degree programme in medicine that prepares candidates to become doctors. The course duration is 5.5 years (four years of coursework and one year of compulsory internship). An MBBS is a basic requirement in India to become a Doctor.

MBChB (Medicinae Baccalaureus et Chirurgiae Baccalaureus)

MBChB is another naming convention used for the MBBS degree. It is more common in the UK and Commonwealth countries.

Equivalence

Both MBBS and MBChB are undergraduate degrees, just differing in the naming conventions used in different countries.

Course Curriculum

The course curriculum for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery includes Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Forensic Medicine, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Pharmacology.

Global Recognition

While the names may differ, MBBS and MBChB both prepare students to be qualified doctors. The names may differ depending on the regions where they are awarded. Both MBBS and MBChB graduates can practice medicine after meeting the licensing requirements.

To conclude, MBBS and MBChB refer to the same degree, which is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The only difference between the two is the naming conventions used by different countries. In India, Australia, and some parts of the UK, it is referred to as MBBS, while in the majority of the UK, Commonwealth countries, and European countries, it is referred to as MBChB.

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Questions related to M.B.B.S.

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to M.B.B.S. ?

Hello

If you did your 12th in Maharashtra but have an OBC certificate from Uttar Pradesh, then you can only use the OBC reservation in UP, not in Maharashtra.
This is because each state accepts only its own state-issued caste certificate for state quota medical seats.
So, in Maharashtra MBBS counselling, you will be considered the General category unless you have a Maharashtra-issued OBC certificate.
But if you apply for MBBS seats through UP state counselling, your UP OBC certificate will be valid.
For All India Quota (AIQ) 15, only a central OBC-NCL certificate is needed.

Hey,

After MBBS you can do PG diploma courses in fields like Anaaesthhesiology Gyjnaecology, Paediatrics, ENT, etc. Here are the some colleges offering PG Diploma courses in India are:

1. CMC Vellore

2. AFMC Pune

3. PGIMS Rohtak

4. Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj

5. Deccan college of Medical Science, Hyderabad

Hello,

For an OBC student, the marks needed for an MBBS seat depend on the state and type of college. But you can keep these general ranges in mind:

  • The qualifying marks for OBC usually stay around 113–143 . This only makes you eligible for counselling.

  • For a government MBBS seat , you normally need around 550–600+ marks . In some states with high competition, the cut-off can be even higher.

  • For private medical colleges , the required score is usually lower than government colleges, but it still depends on the college and the state.

Hope it helps !

If you feel so then you can still build a strong medical career by studying MBBS abroad.

Many countries offer affordable fees, English -medium teaching and good recognition for FMGE?NExT exam in India.

The most preferred options:

  • Russia
  • Uzbekistan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyztan
  • Georgia
  • Philippines

Provides structured MBBS programs, reasonable living costs and large Indian student communities.

If you want higher clinical exposure, you can consider Nepal or Bangladesh, fees are relatively higher.

Before choosing a country,check if the universities are listed in the WHO and NMC databases.

Hello, there are scholarships for international students who want to pursue an MBBS degree in Korea. Among them, the most prominent one is The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), that is offered by the Korea Government through NIEED, and it covers full tuition, airfare, insurance, as well as Korean language training. Many Korean Universities, also offer merit-based scholarships for the students, and to choose your preferable one, you need to go through the universities such as Yonsei University, Korea University, and Konyang University which can cover anywhere from 30-100 percent of the costs, dependent on your academic record. Hope this helps and all the best!