Blue Marble University Medical School offers the world’s only online M.D. Degree. In 2011, when Blue Marble University first opened its online medical degree program, in which a student could obtain an MD degree in three years, we were on the cutting edge of medical education. Online medical education? That was considered ridiculous! Then along came the article: “Lecture Halls without Lectures — A Proposal for Medical Education” published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 in which Drs. Charles G. Prober, M.D., and Chip Heath, Ph.D. proposed a greater utilization of online medical education, stating:
“Digital media make video lectures relatively easy to create, offer flexibility so that students can watch at their own pace and on their own schedule, and are popular with learners… For example, the Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization that offers online video lessons and exercises on ele- mentary and high school topics, allows students to gain proficiency in core academic concepts at their own pace… This year, our core biochemistry course at Stanford Medical School was redesigned following this model; rather than a standard lecture-based format, the instructors provided short online presentations.” Prober CG, Heath C. Lecture halls without lectures–a proposal for medical education. N Engl J Med. (2012) 366(18):1657-1659.
Then, Stanford University School of Medicine went even further, publishing an article in 2012 entitled “Online learning initiative reinventing medical school courses”. [http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2012/10/online-learning-initiative-reinventing-medical-school-courses.html ]
Other medical schools started to take notice, and about 7 years ago (2013), it was discovered at most medical schools that no one came to class. Fewer and fewer students showed up. What were they doing? They all stayed home and studied for the medical licensing exams that occur after the second year. They did not want to waste time with lectures all day long. So now, the first two years of medical school in the US is online only. The students never meet or talk to any instructors!!!
Blue Marble University Medical School was online 10 years ago!!
Some people may criticize us that we have no clinical rotations for our MD program, and that our MD degree can only be used for non-clinical medical careers. But we believe that “non-clinical” medical careers are what 90% of health care is all about, and that therefore, learning about the medical arts is very useful. Some typical career paths for unlicensed physicians…medical students who chose not to complete the medical licensing exams nor to pursue clinical rotations… include:
Pharmaceutical Industry
Biomedical Research
Clinic and Hospital Management
Medical Device Research and Manufacturing
Health Insurance Industry
Corporate Medical Insurance Department
Writing and Consulting
Medical Laboratory Ownership
Medical Malpractice Claims Consultant
Operating Various Clinics Such as Cosmetic Clinics
Clinical Laboratories and Testing
Clinic Ownership
Telemedicine Management
We discuss alternative medical careers here: https://bluemarbleuniversitymedicalschool.com/about/
Moreover, Blue Marble University Medical School, operating out of the Commonwealth of Dominica, serves students from many countries including India, Nigeria, Eswatini, (formerly known as Swaziland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and many additional countries in Europe and Asia and Africa.
In many countries, the M.D. degree is considered to be an advanced research degree similar to a Ph.D., and consequently used in non-clinical careers.
Finding excellent knowledgeable professors of medicine is not so easy for an online medical program such as ours which is low cost. So, the ability to pick and choose course content created by many medical professionals with videos and other resources on the internet appeals to us and to our students as well.
So, don’t think an online medical degree program is off in left field somewhere, but rather know that this form of medical education is real and being used at every medical school near you.
Blue Marble University Medical School serves a need. Our 3 year online M.D. program is very popular with many students in peripheral medical careers, many of whom come to us with advanced degrees.
Blue Marble University Medical School
Online M.D. Degree Program
Now Teaching Stem Cell Medicine
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Blue Marble University Medical School 