Insurance company, facilitator, broker, travel agency or hospital: no matter who you are working for, medical tourism is thriving. To enhance education on medical tourism all over the world, the Medical Tourism Association and the University of Richmond, VA, have launched a Medical Tourism Certification program. The University of Richmond’s School of Continuing Studies will work in partnership with the MTA in creating a curriculum and selecting instructors.
Officially open to students in 2011, the professional certificate program will require six courses to complete and will be available in both English and Spanish, top languages learned or spoken in the world. The courses will be offered completely online, allowing the program to reach an international audience. Each course will cost $199 and will take four weeks to complete. Students will be able to participate in these courses anywhere, at any time and at their own pace during the four-week period.
“We are very excited to partner with the Medical Tourism Association, which has clearly established itself as the leader in the industry,” said Stephanie Bowlin, Non-Credit Program Manager at the University of Richmond. “We feel this program will be invaluable to potential students from around the world who are looking for certification in medical tourism.”
In the online classroom, students will be able to view lectures and presentations, read articles, engage in discussions with other students and faculty, answer questions and take quizzes.
In addition to earning the Professional Studies Certificate from the University of Richmond, students will also earn Continuing Education Units, or CEUs, for each class they complete. Courses can be taken individually or as part of the entire certificate program. The Medical Tourism Certification will provide a standard of best practices for those who work in this field.
“This is the first certification program for medical tourism taught by an established and leading university and educational system,” said Renée-Marie Stephano, President of the Medical Tourism Association. “This program will be a great opportunity for those individuals in the industry who are looking for advanced education and to set them apart.”
The School of Continuing Studies primarily serves non-traditional students; the certificate will cover many different topics from risks management, medical network, marketing to continuity of care.
According to Bowlin, University of Richmond is looking forward to working with the MTA to bring in some of the leaders in medical tourism and international healthcare as professors and teachers for this online certificate program.
