The study of healthcare encompasses a variety of areas including health-related, behavioral, and social sciences. Specifically, many colleges offer a large variety of healthcare related programs including medicine, nursing, pharmacology, as well as health policies and public health. Open coursewares released by colleges and universities around the nation may cover courses spanning from nutrition and medicine to medical ethics. These courses are typically aimed to provide students a strong background in health related subjects at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Therefore, many open coursewares may provide more practical skills while others provide more professional development and insight.
An online education course can teach you the theories and principles of healthcare and may offer some options for learning practical skills in a healthcare environment. Participating in hands-on practicum is essential to most healthcare fields, so free online courses essentially give you a chance to learn for personal edification or to see if you want to pursue a degree.
Below is a directory of free healthcare courses including text files, video lectures, presentations, and more from colleges around the world. This material is a great resource to explore the field of healthcare before officially enrolling in an online education class for credit.