Negosentro | A Guide to Professional Credentials in Different Fields | At one point or another, you’ve likely seen a combination of letters after someone’s name. In fact, you’ve probably wondered what those letters mean and what kind of education contributes to those credentials, such as JD, DDS, or OD. When there are letters following someone’s name, it means they’ve likely obtained the highest possible degree in their field of study. These can apply to both professional degrees and academic degrees. Keep reading to learn more about professional credentials in different fields, such as veterinary medicine, law, dental science, health care administration, and more.
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Someone with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine has completed a professional program in biology and medicine. A DVM takes four years to complete and allows students to work as veterinarians in animal hospitals, sanctuaries, zoos, and clinics. With this type of credential, a licensed veterinarian has likely already completed clinical courses with real animals in the past. They learn theoretical studies and apply them in practice.
Doctor Jurisprudence or Juris Doctor (JD)
A Juris Doctor indicates a professional degree in law. Law school typically covers the following topics: criminal law, constitutional law, civil procedures, contracts, property, and torts. Malliha Wilson is a Tamil Canadian lawyer who served as the assistant deputy attorney general for the Ontario Government. She is known for several notable cases involving human rights and has had an impressive career as the first visible minority to hold that position in the Ontario Government. Lawyers with this professional degree can practice a variety of law practices: labour law, human rights, education law, criminal law, environmental law, finance law, construction law, injury law, and more.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine involves a whole-person approach to medicine and encompasses all medical specialties, including primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, and dermatology. They are trained to understand how lifestyle and environmental factors contribute to a person’s health. Just like doctors who pursue an MD, DOs also complete an internship, then a residency, followed by a fellowship. Dr. Nowak is a cosmetic dermatologist based in San Diego. His specialty is indicated by the initials, FAOCD, following his DO. FAOCD stands for Fellowship of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Dr. Nowak specializes in cosmetic and dermatological treatments. In fact, he’s the first doctor to have performed ThermaLipo in San Diego, which is the most innovative procedure in cosmetic surgery.
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Pursuing a PharmD allows an individual to work with pharmaceuticals, typically prescribing medicine to patients or doing research and development for pharmaceutical drugs. The PharmD program involves learning about biotechnology and the latest advances in the medical industry. This degree requires students to learn about health care information and management, clinical affairs, medical therapy, and more. It’s all about learning every aspect of the pharmaceutical industry.
Master of Architecture (MArch)
A Master of Architecture allows a professional to advance their education in the study of architecture. Having these credentials mean that the individual has learned about making architecture and explored architectural engineering and structural engineering, as well as construction management. Students pursuing this degree learn all about architectural history and sustainable urbanism and housing, as well as community design. Someone with an MArch typically knows a lot about technical design skills and urban architecture.
If you’re interested in pursuing higher education or working on your professional development, these are just a few credentials you might want to learn about. You can pursue higher education both professionally and academically. Doctorate and master’s degrees don’t have to be used in practical applications. They can also be used to conduct research in their respective fields or teach others for an internship, fellowship, or residency.
