The field of medicine concerns itself with diagnosing, preventing, and treating human illnesses and injuries. Medical students learn to heal and care for sick people, using their in-depth knowledge of the human body and topics such as pharmaceuticals and surgery.

Master-level studies involve specialized study in a field of research or an area of professional practice. Earning a master’s degree demonstrates a higher level of mastery of the subject.
Earning a master’s degree can take anywhere from a year to three or four years. Before you can graduate, you usually must write and defend a thesis, a long paper that is the culmination of your specialized research.