There has been a lot of confusion about this issue here. The MBBS degree is awarded to graduates of medical schools that follow the British academic tradition. Dr. Nigam holds this degree and is a licensed physician in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
It is the equivalent of the United States and Continental European “Medical Doctor” (MD) degree, and when MBBS graduates receive their medical licenses, they are called “Doctor”.
In countries like India, to receive the “MD” degree – which is a true academic doctorate, like a Ph.D, and actually a more advanced degree than the US “MD” degree – a candidate must complete research and a written thesis. This is NOT required for students in US “MD” programs.
According to Wikipedia, the MBBS degree is currently awarded in various forms in institutions in Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Egypt, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Note that some of the above countries, such as Australia, Mexico, etc., are starting to grant the “MD” degree as their principal medical degree, following the US practice. (I don’t even know why Mexico was on that list in the first place – Mexico was never under British rule and I’ve never heard of a Mexican MBBS).
Anyway, this Wikipedia article explains it well:
