health careers discovery night
Decoding Some Abbreviations…
MA Medical Assistant
AS, AA, AST, AAT Associate of Science or Associate or Arts earned from a community college (T = specifically designed for transfer)
BS or BA Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts. An undergraduate degree.
MS or MA Master of Science, Master of Arts. A graduate degree, completed after an undergraduate degree. Sometimes completed before a PhD.
MHA Master of Science Health Care Administration.
MPH Master of Public Health
MCHES Master Certified Health Education Specialist
MSBH Master of Science Behavioral Health
PhD Doctor of Philosophy, tends to be research focused
EdD Doctor of Education, prepares for leadership in higher education
PharmD Doctor of Pharmacy
DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy
PsyD Doctor of Psychology, prepares for clinical psychology practice
OD Doctor of Optometry
DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery (or DMD Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry)
RN Registered Nurse, generally from a community college.
BSN Bachelor of Science in Nursing
MSN Master of Science in Nursing
DNP Doctor of Nursing Practice
PHN Public Health Nurse
FNP-BC Family Nurse Practitioner
LMFT Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, requires at least a Masters degree, usually in Clinical Psychology or Marriage and Family Therapy.
PA Physician Assistant, a Masters degree. Usually completed after an undergraduate degree, though a few programs exist that allow you to enter directly from high school and complete a BS/MS within five years.
MD Medical Doctor, also referred to as a Physician.
DO Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
See another abbreviation you’re not sure about? Want to know more about the abbreviations above? Google them to learn more, something like “MCHES health”.