Lexicographer
Retired 13 May 2006
Below is an excerpt from a highly informative rant I posted elsewhere not to long ago:
STOP CALLING IT POSTGRAD! It's NOT PostGrad! PostGrad is what you do when you specialise!
Undergraduate: A degree course undertaken where the student has no previous qualifications in the field studied (ie Bachelor's Degree).
Graduate: A degree course undertaken by a student who has previous qualifications, but not in the field studied (also Bachelor's Degree).
PostGraduate: A degree course or other study/training undertaken by a student who has previous qualifications in the field studied. It is further, higher, and more specialised than the previous study (ie Master, PhD, Doctor).
This is just one of my pet hates, since I've spent the better part of two years correcting everyone. Thing is, this is the kind of slip-up that can get people thinking you don't know what you're talking about. It's not big by any measure, but it still matters. Thank you for your time.
In the case of Medicine, you get your Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery - MBBS [Medicinæ Baccalaureus Baccalaureus Chirugiæ], then specialise and get your Doctor of Medicine - MD [Medicinæ Doctor]. With the specialisation comes entry to one of the Colleges or Societies.
