Seems strange it talks about 'university doctorate: an MD' when in the UK the vast majority of physicians do not hold doctorates, the qualification is variously MBBS or BMBS - bachelor of medicine and also of surgery - undergraduate degrees.

I'd be surprised if that's a more recent change (but I don't know it's not) but even so you'd think it would warrant clarifying when you're discussing the history of doctor/surgeon titles and qualifications.

Also apparently published with the typo 'Universy [sic] of Aberdeen'.

This article also fails to discuss the historical links between Barbers and Surgeons. In the UK they had their own worshipful company together before the doctors pressured the surgeons to split.

TL;DR: it's a relic of the 19th century, when the two professions were largely distinct.

Today: it's a flex by the "gunners" to somehow distinguish themselves as better than "lesser" physicians. A similar thing occurs in the US, it's just that some physicians, in addition to a preceding "Dr.", follow their names with even more letters/affiliations.

I only attended one year of a US medical school, but the surgeons were at a whole 'nother level (in this competitive exercise of perseverance)...

AFAIK, in Switzerland you can carry the Dr. title after completing medical school and (relatively) small additional thesis, whereas in Germany you need a full academic dissertation to be able to carry a Dr. title, easily adding a couple of years.

It's wild how different rules are from country to country, considering historically big pushes for standardization like the bologna process.