[ippisl]

> but can you diagnose a patient? To learn that, you need access to training in real hospitals which are only given to students enrolled offline.

There are medical simulation tools that teach you to diagnose patients, train you in surgery , etc.They seem to be very effective as a training tool. One can imagine a certification process that tests you using this tool, and verifies that you have good diagnosis and prescription skills , and maybe part of the treatment skills.

That might be a good enough basis to admit you on a trial basis as a resident, or to a pre-residency short program.

Maybe in a similar fashion, one could build a simulation software that can train biochemists affordably ,and test to see you're qualified enough to work in a lab.

[splatterdash]

Call me a skeptic, but I don't think those simulations can ever replace real-life situations.

The human body is bewilderingly complex that it it still a subject of thousands of researches worldwide. How can you simulate something you don't completely understand?

Plus, in the case of medicine, one needs to know also how to interact with a patient. Is he/she telling the truth about his/her symptoms? Is there something the person's not telling that might affect your diagnosis? What about educating the patient about the disease?

These are real day-to-day situations that can never be simulated.

[ippisl]

How can you simulate something you don't completely understand?

Many medical diseases are reasonably understood, at least at a level we know to associate symptoms with tests and treatment processes.And there is real simulation software that being used in teaching med students, so it must have passed some quality assurance.

Yes , simulations might have a hard time replacing human interactions, but as far as i understand , you learn patient interaction in an environment external to the university(a hospital). There's no reason well educated online students won't have access to those experiences.