<P> Many medical schools also offer joint degree programs in which some medical students may simultaneously enroll in master's or doctoral - level programs in related fields such as a Masters in Business Administration, Masters in Healthcare Administration, Masters in Public Health, JD, Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, and Masters in Health Communication . Some schools, such as the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Medical College of South Carolina, both offer an integrated basic radiology curriculum during their respective MD programs led by investigators of the Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity study . </P> <P> Upon completion of medical school, the student gains the title of doctor and the degree of M.D. or D.O. but cannot practice independently until completing at least an internship and also Step 3 of the USMLE (for M.D.) or COMLEX (for D.O.). Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine have an equal scope of practice in the United States, with some osteopathic physicians supplementing their practice with principles of osteopathic medicine . </P> <P> Medical schools use a variety of different grading methods . Even within one school, the grading of the basic sciences and clinical clerkships may vary . Most medical schools use the pass / fail schema, rather than letter grades; however the range of grading intervals varies . In addition, sometimes it is important to evaluate the overall sense of how collaborative a student body is instead of basing judgment solely on grading intervals (i.e. a school with honors can still be very collaborative while some schools with pass / fail grading can be very competitive and individualistic). The following are examples of grades used with different intervals: </P> <Ul> <Li> 2 Intervals = Pass / Fail </Li> <Li> 3 Intervals = Honors / Pass / Fail </Li> <Li> 4 Intervals = Honors / High Pass / Pass / Fail (or ABCF) </Li> <Li> 5 Intervals = Honors / High Pass / Pass / Low Pass / Fail (or ABCDF) </Li> </Ul>

Why does the us have a lower medical school graduation rate than other countries