Few careers are as challenging, or as rewarding, as healthcare.
To care for the human body or mind, practitioners need a wide range of skills and a thorough knowledge base, things that can only be developed in excellent colleges.
To some, that fact can keep them from pursuing their dreams. Even if they have the passion and the potential, they may not have any good schools in their area. Fortunately, many of the best schools in the nation have online degree programs, including those for healthcare professionals.
Although no online medical school in the United States grants an MD degree, there are many essential health professions and degrees that one can earn remotely.
With a degree in health sciences, public health, health analytics, and similar concentrations, students can move into a wide range of healthcare careers.
Graduates of these programs become hospital administrators, health analysts, and some even go on to earn their MD in a traditional program.
Each school has its own focus and specialization, which means that students will be able to find the right fit for them. The program’s options, concentrations, and goals differ according to each school, meeting the needs of their student bodies.
With that in mind, here are 10 amazing online medical schools in the U.S.
Tufts University School of Medicine (Boston, MA)
To keep up with the increased need for experts in public health, the Tufts University School of Medicine offers two online degrees.
Within the master of public health degree, students have two concentrations to choose from.
The epidemiology and biostatistics concentration takes a data-driven approach, and health advocates how to create studies that investigate disease patterns and causes.
For those interested in creating and evaluating public health programs, the population health promotion concentration will provide the scientific grounding they need.
Designed for healthcare and IT professionals, the online master of science in health informatics & analytics emphasizes the connections between technology and healthcare.
The concentration teaches students to identify and organize data from healthcare information systems. With this information, graduates can improve existing healthcare systems and install new systems.
Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
The Drexel University Medical School may stem from two of the nation’s oldest medical colleges, but it continues to press forward into the future with its online program.
With a collection of degrees and certificates available, Drexel Med provides efficient and thorough training for the fields that need it most.
The online master’s degrees offered by Drexel run the range from immunology, infectious disease, and molecular science to various forms of biomedicine.
In each of the degree paths, students learn from experienced medical professionals with years of performing ground-breaking research.
For example, within the drug discovery and development degree track, teachers include a cohort of five full-time members, with over 100 combined years of experience, and thirty adjunct members, who also work as administrators in the medical field.
For those just looking to expand their professional knowledge, Drexel features five certificate programs. These programs cover issues such as clinical research and drug discovery, quickly giving students the skills they need to advance their careers.
George Washington University (Washington, DC)
The Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University already has a reputation for excellence in the field of healthcare.
But with their online program, they make that award-winning program available to even more students.
The school’s online master of public health degree provides students with the skills and knowledge to work in the government health care sector.
Students can choose either an accelerated track, which can be completed in 12 months or an 18-month standard track.
Furthermore, GWU features several electives and concentrations for those who want to specialize in their studies.
With the global health elective, students perform research to understand the challenges of providing quality health care for all.
With one of the program’s five health informatics concentrations, students learn how to incorporate technology into their work.
Ashworth College (Norcross, GA)
While many of the schools on this list hold only one or two distance learning graduate programs, Ashworth College features a full complement of online programs, ranging from certificates and diplomas to bachelors’ degrees.
The certificate and diploma options include programs such as advanced medical coding, which gives those already in the field training on medical coding and billing, allowing them to go further in their careers.
The home health aide career diploma prepares students with the skills needed to enter a new field as home health care professionals.
Whichever option one chooses, Ashworth prides itself on providing an efficient and affordable education.
The school includes several financing and scholarship options, ensuring that finances will never prevent talented students from joining the medical field.
Yale University (New Haven, CT)
Yale University needs no introduction. The Ivy League school is known around the globe as one of the best institutions of higher learning,
But now, anyone in the world can apply to study at Yale’s respected School of Public Health.
The online executive master’s in public health degree brings the best of Yale’s faculty and resources to the internet.
Designed in collaboration with healthcare professionals and university researchers, the MPH program covers issues such as leadership, public health, and disease promotion.
During the second year of the program, participants gain hands-on training by working with a real-world public health problem.
Although classes can be taken anywhere, they are taught by some of the best professors on Yale’s campus. Instructors include Dr. Maureen E. Canavan, an epidemiologist at Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, and distinguished professor Dr. Kei-Hoi Cheung.
University of Denver (Denver, CO)
No matter which part of the medical field you want to enter, healthcare is complex and confusing.
The health data informatics and analytics certificate from the University of Denver simplifies things by focusing on “the Four P’s”: people, providers, payers, and population.
In the standard program, students take four concentration courses, covering issues such as data mining, ethics, and methods.
For those looking for advanced education, the University provides a six-class graduate program that adds courses in database applications and project management.
In both options, U Denver mixes practical application with detailed instruction.
All of these courses are provided through U Denver’s expert online learning program. Designed with a focus on flexibility, the program works around students’ schedules.
Students can take the classes at any time without sacrificing access to the dedicated and experienced faculty.
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)
The respected private institution Brandeis University offers just one online degree in the medical field, a master of science in bioinformatics. But before you pass them over for a school with more variety, take a look at the depth and breadth of their program. While most schools only offer a certificate in bioinformatics, Brandeis digs deep into the subject, exploring all of its possibilities.
Bringing together medical training, data recovery, and academic research, Brandeis’s bioinformatics degree emphasizes student experience.
With small classes taught under the close supervision of faculty experts, the program provides a rigorous learning environment over the internet.
Students leave well-prepared for careers as biochemists, clinical lab technicians, scientific software engineers, and more with this training.
By devoting its ample resources to one degree, Brandeis gives students the most advanced education in that subject.
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Anyone applying to medical school can tell you that it’s all about the fundamentals.
No one lacking a strong science foundation can be accepted into a medical program, let alone keep up with their studies.
Fortunately, students from all over the country can build that foundation with one of the nation’s best schools, earning a bachelor of science health degree from the Ohio State University.
Whether planning to go to medical school or to enter into any other healthcare career, the science health degree from OSU is an excellent starting point.
Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the seventh-best online bachelor’s program in the nation, OSU’s degree program ensures maximum flexibility and affordability without sacrificing quality.
Students enjoy unprecedented access to top-level faculty members who have a proven history of excellence in research, practice, and teaching.
Rutgers University (Newark, NJ)
For healthcare professionals with an associate’s degree who want to complete their studies to earn a bachelor’s, the great Rutgers University offers a B.S. degree in health sciences.
Designed primarily to build on the knowledge and experience of working healthcare professionals while also providing the flexibility demanded by their schedules, the program prepares graduates for careers in healthcare management, gerontology, and psychiatric rehabilitation.
Those interested in gerontology follow the aging track, which trains students in managing and providing services for elderly patients.
Future healthcare management workers can take the health care management track, which provides the knowledge to work within large and small health care organizations.
Finally, the psychiatric rehabilitation track equips students with the skills to care for people suffering from serious mental illnesses.
No matter which tracks they choose, students pursuing their health sciences degree can take full advantage of Rutgers’s resources, getting the university’s best from the comfort of their homes.
Clemson University (Clemson, SC)
Public service is at the center of Clemson University’s online degree program in health science.
That commitment drives not only the content of the subjects they teach but also the design of the program.
From navigating the learning management system to contacting the faculty, everything about Clemson’s program works to embolden and equip students as they prepare for a healthcare career.
Although the course curriculum covers a variety of foundational topics, the principles of public health remain key. No matter if students plan to go into administration, outreach, or medical school, every part of Clemson’s program emphasizes the care and education of patients.
With this support, students graduate from Clemson fully prepared to move into the career of their choice. Combining virtual classroom instruction with hands-on experience gained through partner institutions all around the U.S., the online B.S. program is a model of public service.
