Online PhD in Health and Medical Degrees

Busy working graduate students might find it convenient to explore Online Medical Doctor Degree & Health Programs. Distance-learning allows you to balance your work or family responsibilities while advancing your education. Earning a doctoral degree is often required in the medical professions and other patient-centered and specialized fields such as nursing, however your options exceed these choices. If you aspire to practice your profession at an elevated level but cannot make regular on site classes, Online Health PhD programs may be the answer!

Online Health PhD Programs – What is involved?

While each Online Medical and Health program has its own curriculum, program format, and the delivery systems may vary between institutions, there are several things to consider when browsing Online Health PhD Programs or online medical degrees.

FEASIBILITY: In some cases, you may not find online programs in your chosen field simply because some PhD programs require an apprenticeship in teaching and in research or daily interactions in the research lab and in the classroom. If you do have the option within your field, (e.g. Online Doctor of Nursing Practice, Online Doctorate Program in Bioethics, or Online PhD in Human and Social Services – Advanced Research), you may have to make arrangements beyond your own computer set-up to complete any requirements that have laboratory, internship or fieldwork associated with your degree.

STUDY SPACE: Online Health PhD Programs may be research-oriented and require serious study commitments. The virtual classroom and virtual library spaces are quiet (just you and your computer), but you need to evaluate whether you have a distraction-free time and place to set up and watch or listen to recorded lectures

FULL or PARTIAL: Online degrees may be offered as 100% online programs or there may be some onsite requirements (e.g. internship, laboratory, practicum, retreat, intensives)

ASYNCHRONOUS or SYNCHRONOUS: Online Heath PhD programs may be delivered as prerecorded lectures or live streaming webinars.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY: Usually there is a course management system and portal for submission of assignments. Some programs may require special software or a web camera, and there should be a reputable tech support team in place.

INTERACTION: Distance-learning reduces the interaction that you would get on-campus. If the program you are interested in requires you to build interpersonal or patient care skills, you may either not find online medical doctoral degrees in your field or, the program may be hybrid (on campus plus online study). That being said, e-learners often participate in online group discussion, communicate via email, text and web chat, so you may be on your own but not necessarily alone in the scheme of things.

MOTIVATION: One thing is certain, you have persevered to the point where you are considering a PhD so you are likely motivated to achieve, excel and study hard. Online doctoral programs are going to require a self-motivation and discipline, especially if you are making your own schedule.

Getting Started: Choosing an Online Doctoral Program in Health and Medicine

There are two different tracks for Online Health PhD programs:

1. Geared towards the undergrad – right out of college
2. Designed for the graduate with a master’s degree

Also, there are two different types of doctorate degrees:

1. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) emphasizes scholarly research, academia
2. The Clinical Doctorate (e.g. M.D or Pharm.D.) clinical degrees in various health and medical fields.

What you as a student should do is research the academic path that is generally a means to the end career you are hoping to practice. For instance, an Online Doctor in Business Administration-Healthcare Administration is going to have different prerequisite education than an online Doctor of Nursing Practice.

FUN FACT: The doctoral degree in audiology (Au.D.) is a graduate program that typically takes 4 years to complete. A bachelor’s degree in any field is needed to enter one of these programs.

To search on GradSchools.com, all you have to do is choose your subject from the directory and review online doctorate degrees associated with that major. If you don’t see what you are looking for, as with some medical programs, you may have to check for campus programs, but that is simple to do from our menu bar.

Accreditation and Online Health PhD Programs

Each profession tends to have their own accrediting body for their specific field. Consider that most occupations within health and medicine require practitioners to be licensed and have graduated from an accredited program. According to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs, both programs and institutions can be accredited, however an individual cannot.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2020, there were more than 271 programs for physical therapists accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). All programs offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. (Source: BLS.gov)

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Online Medical Doctor Degree might be appealing to you if you enjoy working at your own pace, or live too far geographically from an accredited grad school or program. Ultimately what shows on your transcript is your performance (it may not show up how you got there, just how well you did) so it comes down to whether you feel it is the best learning option for you. If it is, you may surprised at just how many online healthcare doctorate degrees there are!

GradSchools.com offers 71 Online PhD in Health and Medical Degrees