This is a good time for medical school applicants. Medical schools are beefing up their diversity programs and are seeing a record number of women and minority applicants to both paid and free online programs.
Medical school admission is competitive and schools offer far more than the Doctor of Medicine degree and have expanded their programs to include Ph.D. and master’s degrees in basic science, clinical, and research studies.
Are you looking for you online medical school to start your medical career? This article guides you to the Top 10 free online medical schools. Why you should study medical doctors and the importance of studying medicine. Why not hop into any of the schools below and get started.
Who is a Medical Doctor?
A physician, medical practitioner, medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining, or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments.
Physicians can specialize in certain disease categories, patient types, and treatment approaches, or they can take on the task of providing ongoing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families, and communities, which is known as a general practice.
Medical practice correctly necessitates a thorough understanding of academic subjects such as anatomy and physiology, underlying disorders, and treatment.
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Importance And Role Of A Doctor In Society
Here are some of the important roles of doctors and medical personnel in society.
1. Saving life
Mostly this arises during the event of an emergency procedure or an elective procedure for a rather time-sensitive or serious illness. An accidental injury and troubled labor also account for the same.
2. Extending life
Unfortunately, not every illness can be cured completely. But with the effort of doctors and medicines and therapies, the lifespan of the patient or onset of the worst effect of an illness can be extended significantly. Though this time varies greatly from case to case and patient to patient, the efforts behind the cause are commendable.
3. Improving lives
Not every disease threatens the life of the patient. However, living with the discomforts for a lifetime is not an acceptable option either. The effort of doctors makes it possible to mitigate these discomforts and help live their life to the fullest.
4. Controlling the epidemics
Some diseases claim an entire population than just a handful of random people. Contagious disease and other epidemic conditions are, for instance, a huge threat to the health of the common people living within that geographical boundary. Timely measures and awareness by doctors can curb or eliminate such catastrophic situations.
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Top 10 Free Online Medical Schools
1. Harvard Medical School
Harvard University is the world’s most respected university, and Harvard Medical School is the greatest medical school in the country. Harvard University is one of the few medical schools in the country that accepts online preparatory credits. Although Harvard does not have a set policy for admitting online undergraduate degrees, each applicant’s academic background is evaluated individually to see if they are a good fit for the MD program.
There are two options for the MD program at Harvard Medical School. The Pathways track is the typical option for preparing you for practice by combining theoretical teaching, clinical experience, and advanced research opportunities. The Health Sciences & Technology track, which is offered in collaboration with MIT, is the other option.
This curriculum focuses on biomedical sciences and biotechnology, and it’s great for prospective doctors who want to work in research.
2. University of Florida College of Medicine
This medical school accepts online courses, even for their basic science requirements. However, students must have taken their labs in person. If your undergraduate institution was properly accredited, UF has no problem accepting those credits to meet your basic requirements for admission into the medical school. Biochemistry is one of the mandatory courses for admission, and the university offers students who didn’t have access to the course to take it online prior to admission.
The MD program at the UF College of Medicine is an adaptive program that is always being improved to keep students at the forefront of medical innovation. The program relies on competency-based education, interactive learning, and extensive clinical experience. This is a typical four-year program. Students also have the option to earn a PhD at the same time through its MD-PhD program. This program combines research and technology with the same practical training students need to become successful physicians. This option is a good idea for anyone who wants to teach medicine later in life.
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3. Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine
The Geisel School of Medicine is everything you would expect from an Ivy League medical school. At Dartmouth, the belief that colors everything they do at the medical school is that there should be no barriers to becoming the physician that you aspire to be.
Online credits are accepted at the school. Pre-med courses completed on campus are typically viewed as more competitive but completing some or all of your requirements through distance education will not disqualify you from attending.
The MD program has been designed to be flexible so that students can learn what they want to learn in order to cultivate a medical practice that is meaningful to them upon graduation. The four years that students will spend in medical school will see them experiencing small class sizes for personalized instruction, problem-based learning, independent research, and study, along with traditional classroom instruction and clinical experiences.
4. Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine grew from the 1889 philanthropy of grocer Johns Hopkins’ establishment of a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHSM) lives up to its pledge, “Together, We Will Deliver the Promise of Medicine” by operating 6 academic and community hospitals.
Dual medical and combination degrees are offered to allow students to expand their studies into areas of public health, medical science, and the administrative business of medicine. The medical school’s Graduate Medical Education offers residencies and fellowships in numerous clinical areas. The Medical School is committed to inclusivity and has a dedicated Office of Medical Student Diversity.
You’ll find a robust research commitment at JHSM with 902 research laboratories and alumni and faculty that hold over 2,200 patents. Working with JHMS-affiliated institutes, you’ll find investigations in brain science, biomedical sciences, genetics, cell engineering, and more.
5. Stanford University
If cutting-edge research is your passion, you’ll find it difficult to locate a medical school that can match Stanford University’s research, protocol creation, and development of new clinical therapies. The first heart transplant in the United States in 1968 and the first successful heart-lung transplant in the world are among the medical discoveries for which this medical school is known.
This university provides seven dual degree programs, including master’s degrees in public health, medical science, business, and law, among others. The 15 Core Competencies in four areas: science, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and thinking and reasoning, are used to determine admission to medical school.
Stanford University has seven current Nobel Laureates on its faculty, as well as significant membership in the National Academies of Science and Medicine.
Stanford research boasts the greatest NIH funding per researcher in the country, thanks to its laboratories and related institutes. Basic science studies through disease-specific clinical trials are all part of the research. In addition to community-based training and research, Stanford University also offers population health, a worldwide research, and design innovation.
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) of Columbia University has been educating physicians for almost 250 years and is one of the country’s most prestigious medical schools. The school offers a patient-centered approach to patient care and established the narrative medicine idea, which emphasizes listening to the patient’s story as an important component of the diagnostic and treatment process.
Students take part in and administer clinics in impoverished neighborhoods in the university’s Washington Heights neighborhood, as well as the Columbia-Bassett track, which is primarily rural. VP&S uses cutting-edge simulation centers where you’ll acquire hands-on experience with equipment, procedures, and patient interaction while working with experienced actors in a range of physician-patient scenarios. The school is known for its research and development, receiving over $622 million in NIH funding and its faculty includes 3 Nobel Laureates, Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Faculty Scholars, National Academy of Medicine Members, and more.
7. University of Pennsylvania
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is one of the best in the country. The oldest medical school in the country (founded in 1765) as well as a teaching hospital. The Perelman School of Medicine, currently known as the Perelman School of Medicine, focuses on education, research, and patient care.
Medical students follow an evidence-based curriculum that emphasizes small-group instruction to foster interaction and self-directed learning. PSM offers MD/PhD (MSTP), MBA, Master of Law, Master of Public Health, and other combined degree programs. There are alternatives for research and fellowships.
Perelman School of Medicine is committed to research, and it is linked with six acute care hospitals, where students gain experience working in free community clinics and other outreach activities.
The medical school is having 36 free-standing, interdisciplinary clinics in oncology, immunotherapy, diabetes, geriatric, cardiology, neurology, organ transplant, and more. Research funding is a staggering $891 million.
8. Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut is home to Yale University’s School of Medicine which is a school of firsts in medical research and treatment modalities. Among the landmarks of this medical school are the first use of cancer chemotherapy, the first U.S. patient x-ray, fetal heart monitoring, diabetic infusion pump, and more. Yale physicians developed the first artificial heart pump.
The school uses the “Yale System of Medical Education” (developed in 1920), which centers on no grades/rankings in the first two years, few examinations, and the encouragement of independent investigation. Yale offers several medical degrees, PhD, and Masters programs. Educational departments range from Anesthesiology to Urology and all specialties in between. Yale boasts what’s considered to be the finest medical library in the world with over 380,000 volumes.
Yale has a robust clinical investigation commitment and was at the forefront of COVID-19 vaccine trials in adults and children. Basic and Transitional Research faculty have received over 1,300 patents and rank 4th in NIH funding. The faculty includes 3 Nobel Prize winners, Lasker Award winners, MacArthur Genius Grant recipients, and more.
9. Duke University
Duke University School of Medicine opened in 1930, in what would later become the Research Triangle of North Carolina. The school has 24 basic science and clinical departments with over 2,500 faculty members (including two Nobel Laureates.)
The School of Medicine provides an impressive offering of health professions training in the areas of medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Masters in Biomedicine, Occupational Therapy Doctorate, as well as a Master of Science Training Program (MSTP), among others. The school has unique international experiences through the Duke-NUS Medical School and collaborations with Duke Global Health Institute and Duke Kunshan University.
Long known for its clinical research successes, the Duke School of Medicine receives substantial NIH funding and in 2021, conducted 2,300 active clinical studies with over 17,000 enrolled patients. The school has a strong commitment to community initiatives ranging from neighborhood clinics to healthcare projects, etc.
10. University of Washington School of Medicine
Located in Seattle, the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) is one of the nation’s best primary care programs. Founded in 1946, UW developed a partnership in 1970 with Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, Wyoming to offer medical education (aka WWAMI) and became the only five-state medical school in the nation.
You can choose from five clinical pathways developed to meet specific career goals. The pathways provide the opportunity to arrange courses and clinical rotations for work concentrating on particular populations. The unique WWAMI partnership has led to an innovative approach providing mentors for students in areas such as patient care as well as clinical skills known as “The Colleges.
UW Medicine supports vigorous, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and clinical research programs conducted by an award-winning faculty. Faculty members include recipients of Gardiner, Nobel, and Lasker awards and membership in the National Academy of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and National Academy of Sciences.
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Reasons Why You Should Become a Doctor
1. It grants you high social status
It’s almost a cliché that all parents want their kid to be a doctor, and there’s a reason for it. Besides a high income, being a doctor gives you a certain level of prestige and recognition. People respect and admire doctors, not only because of what they do but also because of the effort required to become a doctor.
Also, who’s to say that you won’t end up being the physician of the next NBA superstar? Or that you won’t get to treat members of the political and business elite? The opportunity to work with a variety of people and help them with one of the most essential things in life – their health – can open a great many doors you didn’t even know existed.
2. You have the opportunity to teach and share knowledge
It’s not uncommon for doctors to hold a professorship at universities or to welcome trainees and train them on the job. If you enjoy teaching, being a doctor will offer you plenty of opportunities to share your knowledge and inspire others through your work and expertise. Dr Christine Bishara, MD explains that something she truly enjoys as a doctor is the opportunity to exchange knowledge and teach others:
‘I really enjoy teaching, but also learning from others. Whether it’s teaching my patients about disease prevention or teaching students medical skills, teaching allows you to share your knowledge.’
Being a doctor means that you will be a source of knowledge for your patients who will look up to you for guidance and advice regarding their health. If you enjoy talking to people and sharing your expertise, then what can be nobler than teaching people how to stay healthy and prevent disease?
3. You can live anywhere in the world
If you are one of those people who enjoy moving around, then being a doctor can accommodate that lifestyle. Different countries indeed have different requirements and regulations for practicing medicine, but doctors are always in high demand in almost every part of the world.
You might need additional certification or further experience if you want to move to a specific country, but in the end, you’re still guaranteed one of the highest-paid jobs in the world.
Sure, other professions might offer the same flexibility, but the competition might be stiffer, and the pay won’t be nearly as good as that of a doctor. Opting for this career means that you’re future-proofing your finances while still enjoying the status and freedom that comes with it.
4. You have direct access to scientific breakthroughs
Are you fascinated by stem-cell research? Or, perhaps, you love learning about the human brain, and you want to apply that knowledge to help people? Well, as a doctor, not only do you never stop learning, but you also have access to the latest scientific breakthroughs in your area of expertise, which you can then apply when treating patients.
Doctors are often the first ones to get access to new medications or to trial new, experimental procedures to treat certain illnesses. If you love science and want to play your part, becoming a doctor could be the best decision you could make.
5. You can stand out in another career
Have you ever watched the popular TV series House M.D. where a quirky medical genius works every day to diagnose and treat unusual health conditions? Or have you heard of Robin Cook, a physician who uses his knowledge in medicine to write captivating, best-selling medical thrillers that have sold over 400 million copies to date?
These two examples go to show that the medical profession can be an excellent stepping stone for another type of career where your expertise can give you an edge.
Conclusion.
Medical schools are well reserved and help you reach your career goals in life. You should consider medicine as a career. Having been provided with The Top 10 free online schools in medicine, the importance, and role of medical doctors in society, and the importance of studying medicine. This should be your first route to success and achieving your goals are important to us.
FAQs
Perhaps one of the most nationally recognized ranking services, the U.S. News and World Report, looks at a variety of factors in their program surveys relying, in part, on self-reported data from the schools. Among those are quality and peer assessments, student admission standards and acceptance rates, average GPA and MCAT scores, and faculty qualifications and resources. Tuition costs and graduation rates are also factored in. Research intensive medical schools are reviewed for funding levels and faculty accomplishments, as well as studies, being conducted.
Increasingly, diversity and inclusionary rates are considered in a medical school’s overall ranking. Race and gender have become an important factor in a school’s ranking as medical schools work to include students more representative of the country’s population.
Attending medical school is, in itself, only four years in length. Graduating from medical school is step one in the process of becoming a physician. All medical schools offer the MD Primary Care degree which includes two years of clinical rotations.
However, before you can practice medicine, you’ll complete three to seven years of a residency program (or, if you pursue a specialty or subspecialty, you’ll need additional residency and fellowship participation). Your overall time commitment can extend to 7-10+ years.
You’ll also be required to take the three-part United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) to become a licensed physician. The USMLE is commonly referred to as the medical “boards” and all states require you to have a license and also meet the individual state’s licensing requirements.
You probably know this if you have this as an aspiration, but you can apply to medical school before you have finished your undergraduate degree. But, determining the best time to apply can be confusing and just adds another layer of stress to the process. Hopefully, our advice can fix that.
To be completely frank, yes. It is hard to get into medical school, but it isn’t impossible. If you have the dream of being a doctor, you can absolutely achieve it with the right preparation and dedication. The most recent data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that there were close to 52,000 applicants and just over 21,000 succeeded. That’s 41%.
References
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