Healthcare jobs are expected to grow by 14% through 2028.

The world needs more medical professionals in the face of COVID-19 and an aging population. If you’re feeling the urge to answer the call of duty, you’re going to need to go to medical school.

You don’t necessarily have to become a doctor or a nurse because there are plenty of opportunities and high demand throughout the healthcare industry.

What you do need to do is to get an education in your new field. That’s not easy to do in the age of a global pandemic. Instead of putting your career on hold until in-person classes resume, you can go online to get your degree.

Read on to find out which healthcare degrees you can earn online and how to find the right fit for you

1. Healthcare Management and Administration

Healthcare management degrees will prepare you for a rewarding career as a hospital administrator. This is a big deal in the industry because you’re responsible for the operations and profitability of the entire organization.

In this position, you need to make healthcare profitable, but also make all stakeholders have a great experience. Doctors, nurses, janitorial staff, patients, and their families need to be supported by the operations of the hospital.

2. Medical Office Billing

Billing is the most important and underrated job in healthcare. Doctors and hospitals won’t get paid by insurance companies if they aren’t billed properly.

There are various online medical school programs that address this issue. They are called medical office billing or medical coding degree programs.

3. Physician Assistant

A physician assistant is the right-hand person the primary physician relies on for many things. The physician assistant can do just about everything that a doctor can do.

They can screen patients, make diagnoses, manage and create prescriptions, and treatment plans. The main difference is that a physician assistant has to work under a doctor.

Many physician assistants have healthcare experience and it’s common to have some kind of healthcare degree, such as a nursing degree.

In a physician assistant program, you can expect to get a number of challenging classes about physiology and anatomy.

4. Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists work with patients so they can function on their own and complete daily tasks. They’ll work with elderly and disabled patients most often to give them a sense of autonomy.

How does this differ from physical therapy? Physical therapists tend to work with athletes and people with specific injuries. They also work to restore function and movement in many patients.

In occupational therapy classes, you can expect to learn about anatomy and function movement skills.

5. Information Technology

You know that healthcare education is moving online. The rest of the healthcare industry is moving online, too. Patient records, treatment plans, and even telehealth services are available online.

As healthcare providers move to the internet to provide more efficient care, there is a growing need to manage IT networks and provide security.

In an online program, you’ll learn about the unique challenges that the healthcare industry faces and managing data under strict privacy regulations.

6. Nursing Home Caregiver

A nursing home caregiver plays an important role in helping elderly patients adjust and get the care they need. They can help with daily tasks, such as bathing and dressing.

Caregivers can work in other environments besides nursing homes. They often work for agencies or as private individual caregivers, working with families to provide the support they need to care for their loved ones.

7. Psychology

It is possible to get a psychology degree online. With this degree, you assist patients to care for themselves and address their mental health issues.

About 40 million Americans over the age of 18 have anxiety. You’ll be in a position to spot and treat this disease, which will improve the overall quality of life for people.

After your online program, you’ll need to get licensed to practice in your state. You want to make sure that your online program will prepare you for this.

Choosing an Online Medical School

There are so many possibilities in the healthcare industry, and you don’t need to leave your house to get started. You do need to pick the right online degree program. Here are some tips that will help you decide.

Academic Support

The thing to remember with online classes is that they’re not a cakewalk. They will be hard, especially when you get into science classes. You need to make sure that you have all of the help you need from the staff.

In an online program, it’s easy to feel alone when things get hard. You want to make sure you can call on your professors and your fellow classmates for assistance.

Career Placement

You’re going to school so you can get a job. The online medical school program needs to have a career placement office to provide support when you finish school.

You should know how long after graduation the career placement office will assist you. Some schools allow for the first 6-12 months of free support and then charge an annual fee after that.

What Do Other Students Have to Say?

An online school will have plenty of proof to offer incoming students. You want to know the complete experience that other students have had from enrollment to financial aid to career placement.

Schools should have plenty of reviews on their website and at other listing sites. You can read these reviews of UMA for an example of student testimonials.

Going to Medical School Online

Times have changed, but there are more opportunities than ever. You just have to go to medical school, which you can do online.

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