Five minutes on health TikTok is all it takes. A pair of scrubs. “Dr.” in the bio. And a confident voice assuring you they can detox your liver, balance your hormones, or fix your chronic illness, with a supplement conveniently available through the link in their profile.
Credentials are flashed like VIP wristbands on social media, but what do they actually mean?
In health care, titles matter. Not because letters after a name automatically confer wisdom, but because they signal training, scope, and accountability. Understanding how different degrees are earned (and what their holders are legally allowed to do) is one of the simplest ways to separate evidence-based advice from polished nonsense.
So, let’s run through the alphabet soup.
MD and DO: Actual Physicians
Let’s start with the heavy hitters. MDs (Doctors of Medicine) and DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) are fully licensed physicians. They diagnose disease, prescribe medication, order imaging, perform procedures, and if needed, cut you open.
The path there is long and punishing: years of undergraduate study, a competitive admissions exam (the MCAT), four years of medical school, licencing exams, and anywhere from two to seven years of residency. By the time your doctor is allowed to practice independently, they’ve logged well over a decade of formal training.
In the United States, DOs follow nearly the same path, with one twist: additional coursework in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), a hands-on approach meant to improve musculoskeletal function. Despite frequent marketing claims, the suggests OMM performs no better than placebo for common conditions like neck and low-back pain.
Important Canadian context: In Canada, the term “´Ç˛őłŮ±đ´Ç±č˛ąłŮłó” does not mean the same thing as a DO. DOs are not recognized or licensed as physicians in Canada. Instead, “osteopaths” or “osteopathic practitioners” in Canada practice only hands-on, non-invasive manual therapies focused on joints, muscles, and soft tissues.
These practitioners are not physicians cannot prescribe medications, order imaging, or diagnose disease, and are not regulated as medical doctors. The overlap in terminology is confusing, but the difference in training, scope, and scientific support is substantial.
NPs, PAs, and PharmDs: Not Doctors, Still Legit
Then there are clinicians who aren’t physicians but absolutely belong in modern medicine.
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) begin as registered nurses, rack up thousands of clinical hours, earn a master’s degree, and pass national exams. In Canada, they can diagnose, order tests, and prescribe medications, though their scope varies by province.
Physician Assistants (PAs) work under physician supervision, extending access to care through assessments, testing, and follow-ups — not by replacing doctors, but by helping the system function more efficiently.
Pharmacists (PharmDs) are medication experts. They’re trained to catch dangerous drug interactions, manage chronic disease, and, in many provinces, prescribe for minor ailments or administer vaccines. If you’ve ever been saved from a prescription error, odds are it was a pharmacist.
These are regulated, evidence-based professions with clearly defined scopes of practice, each designed to do a specific job well
PhDs: Experts, Not Clinicians
Now for a common misunderstanding. A PhD is a doctorate, but not a medical one.
PhDs are trained to generate new knowledge through research. They might spend up to eight years studying molecular signaling in neurons or statistical models of disease risk. What they generally »ĺ´Ç˛Ô’t receive is clinical training.
This matters because a PhD in biochemistry does not automatically qualify someone to give medical advice on Instagram. Expertise is narrow. Medicine is broad. Confusing the two is how misinformation gets a lab-coat glow-up.
NDs and Chiropractors: Where Evidence Gets Wobbly
This is where skepticism becomes essential.
Naturopathic doctors (NDs) attend naturopathic medical schools and pass licensing exams, but their training includes modalities, like homeopathy, that have repeatedly failed scientific testing. While some NDs focus on lifestyle counseling, many promote treatments unsupported by credible evidence. Their scope is limited for a reason.
Chiropractors (DCs) specialize in musculoskeletal care, primarily spinal manipulation. For certain types of back pain, that can help. For asthma, infections, or “boosting the immune system”? The . Chiropractic theory has roots in mystical concepts, and despite modern rebranding, much of the profession still struggles to align with science.
Nutritionists’ vs Dietitians: A Crucial Distinction
Finally, nutrition; where confusion reigns supreme.
“Nutritionist (RHN/ROHP/RNCP/NCPs)” is a protected title in some provinces and meaningless in others. This means that in some places, people can adopt this title after completing a weekend course or a private online program.
Registered Dietitians (RD/RDN/PDt), on the other hand, are legally protected, regulated health professionals. They complete accredited degrees, supervised clinical internships, and national exams. They’re trained to provide medical nutrition therapy for conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, and eating disorders.
If someone is “treating” disease with nutrition, this distinction matters.
Bogus Degrees and Diploma Mills: Buyer Beware
Not all letters are earned the hard way. Some “degrees” come from unaccredited institutions that operate outside recognized education and regulatory systems. These diploma mills often promise fast, flexible credentials with minimal coursework, no clinical training, and little to no oversight, but plenty of impressive-sounding titles.
The problem isn’t just academic snobbery. Unaccredited degrees carry no guarantee of standardized training, evidence-based curriculum, or professional accountability. When something goes wrong, there is often no regulatory body, no licensing college, and no meaningful recourse for patients.
If a credential can’t be traced to a recognized accrediting body, licensing authority, or university you’ve actually heard of, that’s not a hidden gem. It’s a red flag.
Final Prescription
Credentials aren’t about elitism. They’re about knowing who is trained to do what, and who is accountable when things go wrong.
In a world where confidence is often mistaken for competence, understanding the alphabet behind health-care titles is a small but powerful act of self-defence. The letters »ĺ´Ç˛Ô’t guarantee truth, but they tell you where skepticism should start.
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Sophie Tseng Pellar recently graduated from ľĹÉ«ĘÓƵ with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in the physiology program. She is continuing her graduate studies in the surgical and interventional sciences program at ľĹÉ«ĘÓƵ. Her research interests include exercise physiology, biomechanics and sports nutrition.
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