By Terry Edwards


There are many people who are not able to attend a university full time to gain a degree in their desired field, but that does not have to hold you back in reaching your goals. For those who want to work in the medical field without the time and finances required of full time schooling, you may want to consider online medical school.

This gives the flexibility to access course materials and take classes no matter where in the world you happen to be that week-as long as you have communication tools such as a computer with Internet access and a phone. Study times are also often flexible as long as you meet the minimum study requirements, complete and submit assignments on time and are in attendance of the classes that are conducted at a set time.

There are of course some limitations to online medical degrees. The lack of the hands on practice means that you may only qualify for the program if you are currently already working in the field that you wish to study, and are simply furthering your education in that field rather than beginning a fresh course of study. These degrees deal in the theoretical and academic side of medicine as opposed to the practical because of the obvious restrictions of the teaching methods.

For these reasons, online training to become a doctor of, for instance medicine or dentistry is not available as there is too much hands on practice as well as hospital time required. But if you are already a healthcare professional, then there is a good chance that you can further your graduate training through this online method of distance learning.

The prerequisites for online medical schools differ from both school to school, and course to course, as well as the level at which you wish to study in just the same manner as degrees studied on a university campus might. For instance, a bachelors degree in nursing might require you to have an associates degree, as well as currently be a licensed practicing RN in good standing. Or a bachelors in radiology might require you to already have an associates, as well as being registered with one of the nationally accredited radiology boards (registration with whom normally requires you to be working in the field).

An associates degree in counseling or community healthcare however might only require a high school diploma or GED, along with regular employment or the means to pay for the course. The higher the degree, the greater the prerequisites of study with that school will be.

Courses are available in a wide range of topics. For those without formal education beyond high school, there are entries possible in the fields of counseling, medical billing, or community healthcare. For those who have higher levels of education you may wish to build upon the education and experience that you already have or branch out into a related field. Either way there are many opportunities for those who wish to pursue online medical school studies and further their education in the medical field!