Online Healthcare Programs: What Are Your Options?

In a survey of 1,001 prospective, current, and graduated online students, 97% said they would recommend online education to others.¹ Is online learning an option if you want to work in the healthcare field? Yes. Online healthcare courses can help prepare you to pursue entry-level roles.

Here we explore eight online healthcare programs you may be interested in. But first, let’s go over a few reasons you may want to consider distance learning for your healthcare education.

Why Choose an Online Healthcare Program Over Traditional Schooling?

In the survey mentioned, the number one reason participants were motivated to pursue online learning was that existing work and family commitments didn’t allow them to attend on-campus courses.¹ Caring for children, looking after adult parents, and working full-time can all make it difficult to take classes in person.

Additional reasons you might want to pursue a healthcare degree online include:

• You prefer online learning versus in-person classes. Maybe you like to study during work breaks or early in the morning before anyone else is awake, and distance learning offers this ability. Or you enjoy the convenience of connecting with your instructors and other learners in an online portal.
• The program you want isn’t available in your local area. Taking courses online allows you to work toward your desired degree without having to move or change career paths because no local institutions offer it. You’re not limiting your options due to geography.
• You want a degree from a specific healthcare education school. Perhaps you want a school that has a good reputation within the healthcare field, or you like the level of student support it offers. You’re able to enroll in that school regardless of where you live because the courses are online.
• You want to save money. The costs of an online education can be less than those of traditional education, particularly when you factor in what you’d pay to commute to and from class and/or live on campus.² While education is an investment in your future, when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, every dollar counts.

These are just a few reasons you may want to earn your healthcare degree online. There may be others based on your situation or circumstances.

What Healthcare Degrees Can You Get Online?

You have several options for earning your healthcare degree online, including programs in:

• Medical billing and coding
• Medical administrative assistant
• Medical office and billing specialist
• Pharmacy technician
• Health and human services
• Health information management
• Healthcare accounting
• Healthcare management

Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) has been a healthcare education provider for more than 30 years and offers online programs in each.³ Here’s a brief description of the topics covered in these types of programs and how they help prepare you to pursue roles in these fields.

Medical billing and coding

Online medical billing and coding programs can teach you how to transform patients’ health information (such as their diagnoses, medical tests, and treatment plans) into alphanumeric codes using standard medical coding systems. These codes are used to bill health insurance companies for their portion of the expenses, which you can also learn how to do in a medical billing and coding course.

Medical administrative assistant

Online medical administrative assistant programs teach you how to perform front desk duties in a healthcare facility. You learn how to manage patient health records, for instance, and how to handle insurance claims. Medical transcription, diagnostic and procedural coding, and the healthcare reimbursement cycle are all topics that can also be covered in a medical administrative assistant program.

Medical office and billing specialist

Online medical office and billing specialist programs teach you how to perform healthcare office duties, including those related to billing. Topics covered can include medical records management, healthcare claim cycles, medical billing and coding, and more. You can also expect to learn about basics such as medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.

Pharmacy technician

In an online pharmacy technician program, you learn the skills needed to help licensed pharmacists fill prescription medications. This can involve taking courses about drug interactions, medication dosing, and pharmaceutical laws, in addition to those focused on common pharmacy computer applications.

Health and human services

What do you learn about in an online health and human services program? Professionals in these roles within the healthcare field are often tasked with connecting clients with resources designed to improve their mental and/or physical health. This can require you to have an understanding of social welfare, family dynamics, public health, and more — all topics that can be covered in a health and human services program.

Health information management

Healthcare organizations are tasked not only with collecting and maintaining patients’ health information but also with storing this data securely. You learn how to help with this in an online health information management program. Topics covered can include healthcare information technology, computer applications, data sets in healthcare, and health information theories.

Healthcare accounting

If you like working with numbers and feel drawn to the healthcare field, you may enjoy an online healthcare accounting program. Individuals in these roles help healthcare organizations record and track financial information. You can learn about accounting principles, payroll and cost accounting processes, and healthcare business operations in a healthcare accounting degree program.

Healthcare management

Healthcare management professionals are tasked with keeping organizations running smoothly. So, in an online healthcare management program, you can learn about business office operations. This may include discussions about computer systems, healthcare claims cycles, accounting processes, and medical records management.

For more information about these healthcare roles/fields, check out our short videos.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Online Healthcare Program

It can feel overwhelming to choose an online healthcare school. To help you make the right decision for you, here are a few things to think about:

• Does it offer the training you want? It goes without saying that the online institution you choose should offer the healthcare program you’re interested in pursuing. If you’re unsure which program may suit your interests, our Healthcare Career Quiz can provide some insight. You can also contact our Online Admissions team to talk about your options.
• What will you learn? Look closely at the online healthcare courses included in the program. Do they seem to cover everything you want or need to know to work confidently in that healthcare role? For instance, if you are interested in medical billing and coding, it’s important to learn about both diagnostic and procedural coding. Do your research to make sure no important topic areas are missing.
• How long is the program? While it is completely possible to go back to school or change your career later in life and still take care of your other obligations, it’s important to understand how long you’ll be doing both. Some healthcare schools (and programs) require longer time commitments than others. At UMA, you can earn your healthcare diploma online in 11 months or more, or you can earn your healthcare degree online in 18 months or more.⁴
• Does it include certification prep? Some healthcare schools prepare you to pursue certifications relevant to your field. Indeed shares that earning your certification can give you a competitive advantage over other job seekers, boost your professional credibility, and may also lead to a higher earning potential.⁵
• Does the program provide hands-on experience? Some healthcare courses include an externship or practicum, which gives you hands-on experience in that role. This may be especially helpful if you have a learning style in which you take in information best by touching or doing, called a kinesthetic learner.
• Does the healthcare school offer you support? Consider whether the online healthcare school offers student services that would be helpful given your circumstances or challenges, such as academic assistance if you struggle in a class or help finding a job once you graduate.
• Can that institution help with your future healthcare career goals? Think about your long-term career path. If you ultimately want to pursue a higher-level healthcare role, can the institution help you get there? For instance, in addition to our many online diplomas and degrees, we also have numerous partner schools that accept UMA transfer credits should you decide to continue your education in the healthcare field.
• Is the institution accredited? Why is it important that an online school for healthcare be accredited? Accreditation means the school has met specific (and often rigorous) standards related to its curriculum, educators, and student policies. UMA is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES.org), a national accrediting agency for postsecondary allied health education programs.

UMA’s Online Healthcare Program Options

UMA offers two levels of education to our learners. You can earn your healthcare diploma, or you can pursue an associate degree. Here’s an overview of our online healthcare diploma programs:

UMA Healthcare Diplomas Online3	Time to Complete4	Certification Prep6	Externship/Practicum
Medical Billing and Coding Diploma Program	11 months	CPC exam prep	No
Medical Administrative Assistant Diploma Program	11 months	CMAA exam prep	No
Medical Office and Billing Specialist Diploma Program	11 months	CBCS exam prep	No

If you want to pursue your healthcare degree online, UMA’s options include:

UMA Healthcare Degrees Online3,7	Time to Complete4	Certification Prep6	Externship/Practicum
Medical Billing and Coding Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	CPC exam prep	No
Health Sciences – Medical Administrative Assistant Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	CMAA exam prep	No
Health Sciences – Medical Office and Billing Specialist Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	CBCS exam prep	No
Health Sciences – Pharmacy Technician Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	ExCPT and PTCE exam prep	180-hour practicum
Health and Human Services Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	No	No
Health Information Management Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	RHIT exam prep	90-hour practicum
Healthcare Accounting Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	No	No
Healthcare Management Associate of Science / Associate of Applied Science Degree Program	18 months	No	No

Next Step: Getting Started on Your Healthcare Career

If you’re ready to pursue a career in healthcare, our Online Admissions team is here to help you enroll or to answer questions you may have. At UMA, we are more than just healthcare educators. We also strive to provide school support and guide you throughout your career education, even past graduation. This can include helping you with your resume, preparing you for an interview, or potentially connecting you with one of our employer partners who prefer to hire UMA grads.

Want to know more about what it’s like to be a student at Ultimate Medical Academy, or about earning your degree in general? Many of our adult learners have shared powerful testimonials about their experiences, sharing what it’s like to pursue healthcare education as a working mom or how they were helped with UMA’s student support.

To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us and let’s chat. Tell us about your healthcare career goals, ask questions about our online programs, and let’s figure out your next step together. We’re here to help however we can.

FAQs

• What is health sciences? Health science career pathways include those focused on therapeutic, diagnostic, and support services, in addition to health informatics and biotechnology research and development positions.⁸
• What can you do with a health sciences degree? Earning a health science degree can help prepare you to pursue healthcare roles such as pharmacy technician, medical administrative assistant, and medical office and billing specialist.
• What should I look for in an online school for healthcare? Choosing a school that is accredited indicates that it has met set educational standards. It’s also important to choose an online healthcare school that provides the program and support you want when pursuing your diploma or degree.
• What healthcare programs can you do online? UMA offers online healthcare programs to help prepare you to pursue roles in healthcare accounting, healthcare management, health and human services, health information management, pharmacy technician, medical office and billing specialist, medical billing and coding, and medical administrative assistant.
• Is Ultimate Medical Academy accredited? Yes. UMA is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES.org). ABHES is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accrediting agency for the accreditation of private, postsecondary institutions in the United States offering predominantly allied health education programs. Our Clearwater location is on file with ABHES as the main campus of UMA, and the UMA Online location is considered a non-main campus.
• Does UMA offer any healthcare certification programs? UMA healthcare education programs offer learners either a diploma or a degree. While diploma programs may help you pursue employment in the field sooner because they’re typically shorter, if your long-term career goal is to advance into higher positions, a degree may be needed to pursue these roles.⁹ Diploma and degree programs can be more comprehensive than certification programs, as they often include general education and/or elective courses in addition to the core courses. These additional courses can provide a well-rounded education and increase your knowledge and skills in other topic areas relevant to that healthcare role.