Introduction
In the old times, medical schools offered only a limited number of degree programs, i.e. MBBS, MD (Doctor in medicine), and MS (Master of Surgery) programs. The required number of credit hours is around 40 hours per week for four years. The education management system denies admitting medical students on a part-time basis as they will not be able to complete the required time needed to become a doctor. let us know ‘Part Time Medical School’.
However, a few private sector institutes have considered admitting part-time medical students. In 2022, the number of part-time medical schools has seemed to increase. Many Universities have introduced part-time medical programs. Most of them offer general practice doctorate, pharmacy, and MLT programs. These programs require lesser credit hours and practical experience.
Part-time Medical school
There are no institutes admitting students for part-time medical schooling. Medicine isn’t a typical part-time field. It requires a combination of classwork, research papers, and hands-on clinical practice to earn a medical degree. These courses demand students to complete scheduled hours fully. There are very few chances of studying medicine part-time. Given is the list of causes when you can study medicine part-time :
- You can study medicine in postgraduate programs.
- You can study relevant medical fields like health education, health services, or nursing.
- You can get enrolled in 1-year or 6-month healthcare diplomas.
Only people pursuing such medical fields can join medical school as part-timers. There are no chances for admission in MBBS, MS, or MD programs as they are high-level doctorate programs requiring five years for completion.
Universities that offer part-time medicine programs:
Public universities do not offer any type of pert time medicine degree study program. They even prohibit students from admitting as part-timers. If you are into reputable institutions, then it is a red line for you as there isn’t a single institute that offers part-time medicine study. However, some of the private sector and online universities offer postgraduate or medical training programs like pharmacy technician, medical assistant, etc. Universities are very specific about the medicine programs that they will be offering part-time. A list of noteworthy universities and their proffered programs is following:
- Northwestern University: The NU offers MHA – Master of healthcare administration for part-time students. In this program, you will acquire the skills needed to ensure high-quality patient care.
- Utica University Online offers a 16-month Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program that is an indirect way to earn a DPT association degree. It’s a master’s equivalent program that is offered online.
- Daoist Traditions College Of Chinese Medical Arts is an association institute located in Asheville, USA. it offers a part-time DACM – Doctor of Acupuncture ad Chinese Medicine, in this we study the basics of advanced competencies in collaborative care, evidence-informed practices, and system-based medicine.
Alternative routes in medicine:
It’s common for engineering, chemistry, and other fields graduates to pursue medicine. These students can study field-related master’s programs, For example, Biotech students can pursue medicine biotechnology, and Chemists can go for Food science and nutrition diplomas.
There are also several other short medicine courses offered part-time to biologists, botanists, zoologists, and technicians. They can study medicine in the line of their field. Online universities and popular tutoring websites offer such diplomas. They also provide authentic certification and practical experiences through internships.
The most-demanding courses that you can study part-time are:
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists; Biotech or engineering students can get enrolled in this.
- Surgical Technologists; They are needed in operation rooms to analyze and operate diagnostic machinery.
- Medical billing; students from finance can get enrolled in this. The diploma teaches basic industry-specific codes and procedures. Medical billing helps avoid billing mistakes.
Challenges of part-time medical students:
As mentioned, universities do not offer major medicine programs part-time. However, they offer medicine and healthcare cognate programs. Of course, studying medicine part-time isn’t a simple task. Following are challenges students face while studying medicine part-time:
- Lack of concentration
- They couldn’t take part in medical practices
- Poor grades
FAQs
- Can we study medicine part-time?
Yes, we can study medicine part-time. Many universities offer post-graduate medicine programs and healthcare short courses that can be studied part-time.
- What type of medicine programs can be studied part-time?
Healthcare and health services-related programs can be studied part-time. You can also study healthcare technological courses and medical billing programs part-time.
- Which is the best part-time medical school?
No school in the US can be labeled as the best part-time medical school. Some private-sector universities offer specific part-time masters and diplomas in medicine.
Conclusion:
There is no school in America, that offers part-time medical programs. It’s impossible to study major medicine programs like MBBS, and Doctorate programs part-time. Medicine is a field where we need to study, research and perform during our university years. The schedule demands students to be present 8-9 hours a day. The duration is long to be called part-time study duration. However, schools do offer associate or master’s programs in medicine, healthcare, and nursing.
