EducationInterviewBridging the Gap for Pre-Health Students

Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) is helping pre-health undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students make a more seamless jump to their graduate medical programs by offering a number of convenient online training programs. To learn more about ACT, we conducted an interview with Shabnam Safarzadeh and Shaghayegh Safarzadeh, Founders and CEOs at Advanced eClinical Training.

1. What are the challenges/gaps in clinical experience pre-health students face in undergrad/ post-grad? 

Health Science Students often face knowledge gaps in clinical practice due to inadequate patient care skills training in their undergraduate education. This is because the undergraduate health science curriculum does not provide clinical relevance or patient skills training within their didactic education. 

The lack of accessible, effective, and clinical training options hinder students’ preparedness for PA, medical, nursing, and pharmacy school consequently prolonging and complicating their educational journey to their respective healthcare careers. 

2. Why did you start ACT? 

We started Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) because we were once pre-health students who faced the pressing challenges of gaining adequate clinical experiences and training during our undergraduate education. 

Experiencing these roadblocks and delays during our education journey, and understanding the lack of valuable resources available for pre-health students, inspired us to create online clinical certification courses that bridge the gap clinical education gap many pre-health students face. 

3. Can you tell us more about Advanced eClinical Training (ACT)? 

Advanced eClinical Training sought to find a solution to a problem that plaques the undergraduate and post-bacc pre-health community more than ever: obtaining valuable healthcare experiences which promote competency in direct patient care skills. 

With the use of digital technology, our unique approach to this problem aims to connect, educate, and empower future healthcare providers by providing affordable, accelerated, and fully online allied health certification courses. Our innovative certification programs strive to provide expert clinical instruction while fostering interactive and engaging learning experiences. 

4. What kind of courses does ACT offer? 

ACT offers online Allied Health, clinical research, and advanced training certification courses which include: 

1. Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) 

2. Certified Patient Care Technician (CPCT) 

3. Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) 

4. Certified Physical Therapy Technician (PTTC) 

5. Advanced Clinical Research Assistant Certificate (ACRA) 

6. Advanced Medical Terminology Certificate (AMT) 

Additionally, ACT offers comprehensive pre-health mentorship programs where students are paired with expert MD, PA, PharmD, or DMD advisors for personalized and strategic one-on-one mentoring sessions.

5. How do these courses help students enter the healthcare industry? 

Our organization strives to deliver innovative, affordable, and convenient clinical training and certification courses to transition passionate pre-health students to proficient and qualified healthcare professionals. Our training programs are instructor-led and provide practical, experiential learning opportunities through high-quality skills videos, immersive clinical simulations, interactive activities, adaptive quizzing, patient case studies, review and testing resources, as well as personalized instructor advising. Our training programs result in nationally recognized certifications which fully credential students, allowing them to confidently obtain positions in diverse clinical and hospital settings. 

6. What makes you stand out from other similar services? 

ACT’s training programs are delivered fully online and are completely self-paced. By providing virtual asynchronous learning, students of diverse backgrounds and geographic locations have seamless access to valuable clinical training opportunities from all over the nation, at any time. 

Our training programs are developed, reviewed, approved, and taught by healthcare professionals including Medical Doctors, PAs, nurses, and pharmacists and result in nationally accredited certifications that are valid in all 50 states. Furthermore, our programs include expert certification exam preparation and a 100% first-attempt national exam pass rate. 

Additionally, We use cutting edge, interactive, online skill-building techniques to deliver Immersive clinical education which enhances students’ confidence and competence in delivering patient care that meets today’s healthcare needs. Our Innovative training modules deliver adaptive, interactive virtual clinic simulations with integrated curriculum resources and personalized instructor feedback to provide a fully simulated learning experience for every student. 

Finally, Advanced eClinical Training provides and fosters a community where students can connect, interact with each other, offer invaluable advice, and find motivation at any stage in their journeys. 

7. Where do you see ACT in the next 5-years? 

In 5 years we hope to make our courses more accessible by partnering with universities/colleges all over the nation and integrating our training programs into their pre-health curriculum. Additionally, We hope to continue fostering a seamless and encouraging learning environment that delivers the latest evidence-based skills training while promoting a simulated learning environment that motivates students to flourish as future healthcare leaders.