How to Take College Classes Online for Medical Fields
Online education has grown at a rapid pace, and colleges have developed many ways to deliver quality content to people in a wide range of fields, including the medical professions. While labs and practical skills must still be taken in person, lecture and Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses can be conveniently completed over the Internet.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Computer with Internet access (check with the college for specific computer requirements)
- Basic Internet skills (file attachments, forums, downloading software, etc)
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1
Research your college choices carefully. If you are going to transfer to another college, check to see if online credits transfer, and make sure the college is accredited.
Most colleges offer medical courses online, but the labs and clinical experience will still need to be completed in person. This includes courses like basic anatomy and physiology. The lecture portion and lab are typically separate classes, and you register for them concurrently. This course is usually required for entrance into nursing programs.
Some degrees may be available completely online, however, they are usually graduate degrees, or programs for people who have already attained a license or degree in a specific medical field.
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Check to make sure your computer meets the requirements for your school. Each school has different software and hardware requirements. In general, if your computer is less than 3 years old, it should be meet the requirements to complete an online course.
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As soon as you have access to your course content, find the course syllabus and schedule. Print a copy of the schedule, and make sure you know which tasks are required on a regular basis.
It's also a good idea to take a "tour" of your course, especially if this is your first online class. Click every link. Find out if the tests are taken within the system or if you need to go to a campus for a proctored test. Make sure you know how your instructor requires you to submits assignments.
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Make sure that you can access all the course content. If this means you need to download Adobe Acrobat, or you need to contact the school's technical support, it's best to know early in the course so you can take care of it before you are working against a deadline at 3:00 a.m. and tech support is unavailable.
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Set aside specific time each week to work on your course. If your course has forums, participate in them. Keep current on readings and assignments. While this seems like good advice for any course, it is especially true in an online course. Just because the class doesn't meet, you still can get left behind.
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Go the extra mile. Just like any course, the more you put into an online course, the more you will get out of it. Make sure you understand that completing the course will take discipline and focus, just like any other course. Just because it's online doesn't mean it is simple.
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
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Online CME is structure differently from a regular online course. These credits are usually structured to be completed in a single sitting, or, multiple one-hour segments. For courses longer than two hours, check to make sure that you can walk away from the computer for breaks at manageable intervals, and can save your progress.
If you need to step away for longer than a few moments, make sure you don't have an expiration time to return to the content, and make sure you now how to return to complete the course.
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CME courses often have expiration dates. If you purchase a CME course, check the expiration date and complete it as soon as possible
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Keep a record of the online CME courses you purchase using a spreadsheet or similar tool. Include in this record the date the course was completed, including the URL of the site, the full title of the course, the presenter or author, and which CME approved provider owns the content. This will save time if you ever need to follow up on the credits.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't panic! An online course might seem like a scary proposition, but, once you start, it can be a rewarding and convenient way to learn.
When you register for online courses, be aware that online courses often take more time than traditional face-to-face courses. While you can complete coursework when your schedule allows, you will need to block out specific times to work, will need to have a certain about of self-discipline to see the course through. If you aren't a self-disciplined person, online courses may not be a good fit for your needs.
