A few more details and color related to British medical education:
1) British medical education is somewhat different from the US system. British primary and secondary education runs thirteen years, rather than twelve in the United States, culminating in the A-level exams for 18 year-olds. University education, however, is three years instead of four, usually culminating in a bachelor's degree. I believe that some older universities (Cambridge) call their undergraduate degree "master's" for added confusion. Medical school begins directly after A-levels, and combines what would be considered in the United States as undergraduate and graduate studies. Traditionally, the course is/was divided into 2-3 years of pre-clinical study of basic sciences, followed by 2-3 years of clinical studies specifically medical subjects, concluding in a much-feared examination and the award of bachelor of medicine degree, which is the formal qualification legally required to practice medicine in Britain. The newly minted doctors then became "House Officers" at teaching hospitals for several years (similar to US residency programs) before they were considered fully qualified and employable. For an account of pre-war British medical education, I would recommend Richard Gordon's presumably semi-autobiographical 1952 comic novel, "Doctor in the House," which later became a movie and a ~1970 BBC series.
2) The LMSSA functioned as an alternative to the usual system, and was frequently used by graduates of foreign medical schools who wished to practice in Britain, as well as by people who failed their exams at British universities. Apparently, there was little scope for retaking a failed exam. The last Society of Apothecaries exam was given in 1999, and the Society's legal authority to certify doctors was revoked in 2008. People already holding LMSSAs are allowed to continue to practice medicine. At least one Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to an LMSSA, Sir Richard Ross.
3) The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries is a descendant of a medieval guild, splitting off from the Grocers in 1615 or so. Its modern members are split between physicians and pharmacists. The modern Society continues to offer specialized diplomas in specialized subjects not offered by medical schools, such as midwifery, HIV medicine, medical care in catastrophes. There is a 17th Century guildhall in Blackfriar's, and along with other London , members get to wear archaic uniforms and participate in various State events, such as royal weddings, coronations, and funerals.
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