What is medical statistics?

Medical statistics is a field in which the use of statistics is applied to show correlations between medicine, illness, public health, clinical research, and forensic medicine. Also known as biostatistics, medical statistics has applications in clinical medicine, lab research, and national systems of health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical statistics were used on a daily basis to track how well certain areas were doing to control the spread of the virus. Medical statistics represents a large growth opportunity to learn more about, with the ever-increasing numbers of graying baby boomers seeking medical treatment in the coming years, along with the growing use of big data around medical records.

Why is it valuable to learn medical statistics?

Medical statistics are an essential part of medical research, and it is valuable to learn this to gain knowledge that can be used in medical experiments, medical tests, global pandemics, and clinical trials of medicine. When statistics are used in medicine, the results can help provide a general snapshot of the threat or severity of a certain illness. Understanding medical statistics can also help medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies figure out which new drugs should be tested and brought to market. With more information about health and medicine through statistics, the better equipped our society will be about illnesses and more.

What career opportunities can arise from learning medical statistics?

When you learn medical statistics, you can find work in medicine and the health sciences, including careers in medical labs, hospitals, public health facilities, government institutions, and medical testing facilities. Health care organizations use a great deal of data and statistics today to drive performance outcomes. Knowing medical statistics can help you find career work in medical service provider organizations that use data to grow quality improvement throughout the organization.

How can taking online courses on Coursera teach me about medical statistics?

When you take online courses on Coursera about medical statistics, you can learn key concepts about research models and statistical analysis along with how to apply and measure statistical hypothesis testing, binary data, variability regression, and confidence intervals. You have the opportunity to discover how to read and understand mathematical formulas that will give you greater confidence to understand medical statistics as well as explore public health policy issues and assess how they impact the medical community at large.

What are the benefits of taking an online Medical Statistics course?

Online Medical Statistics courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Medical Statistics skills. Choose from a wide range of Medical Statistics courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Medical Statistics courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Medical Statistics, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Medical Statistics Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Medical Statistics Course Catalog

Status: Preview
University of Cape Town
Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Biostatistics, Statistical Methods, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Diagnostic Tests, Clinical Research, Statistical Analysis, Quantitative Research, Statistics, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Inference, Probability Distribution, Data Collection, Probability
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Stanford University
Introduction to Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Statistics, Statistics, Statistical Methods, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Statistical Inference, Probability, Exploratory Data Analysis, Quantitative Research, Probability Distribution
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Biostatistics in Public Health
Skills you'll gain: Biostatistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Methods, Statistical Visualization, Statistical Analysis, Epidemiology, Medical Science and Research, Quantitative Research, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Inference, Data Literacy, Probability Distribution, Scientific Methods, Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Data Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Public Health
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
2.4K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Santa Cruz
Bayesian Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Bayesian Statistics, R Programming, Forecasting, Statistical Inference, Statistical Modeling, Technical Communication, Data Presentation, Statistics, Probability, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Software, Advanced Analytics, R (Software), Data Analysis, Mathematical Modeling, Microsoft Excel, Markov Model, Statistical Methods, Data Science
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.5K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Advanced Statistics for Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Sampling (Statistics), Regression Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Inference, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Linear Algebra, Probability, R Programming, Biostatistics, Data Science, Statistics, Probability Distribution, Mathematical Modeling, Data Analysis, Applied Mathematics, Predictive Modeling
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
775 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Probability and Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Analytics, Statistical Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Applied Mathematics, Data Visualization
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

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Status: Preview
Yale University
Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong
Skills you'll gain: Research Design, Medical Science and Research, Statistical Methods, Descriptive Statistics, Data Literacy, Scientific Methods, Clinical Research, Research, Biostatistics, Data Collection, Sampling (Statistics), Medical Terminology, Correlation Analysis
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
2.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Genentech
Data Science with Real World Data in Pharma
Skills you'll gain: Drug Development, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Statistical Analysis, Predictive Modeling, R Programming, Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Health Policy, Data Science, Epidemiology, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Data Quality, Electronic Medical Record
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
8 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Amsterdam
Basic Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistics, Scientific Methods, Quantitative Research, Data Analysis Software
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Inferential Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Inference, Statistical Reporting, R (Software), Statistical Methods, Statistics, R Programming, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Data Analysis, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Software Installation
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
2.8K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Statistical Analysis and Advanced Techniques
Skills you'll gain: Regression Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, R Programming, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Methods, Predictive Modeling, Generative AI, Statistical Inference, Forecasting, Descriptive Statistics, Power BI
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
MedCerts
Medical Billing and Coding Essentials
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Cycle Management, Medical Billing, Medical Billing and Coding, Medical Coding, Electronic Medical Record, Health Care Procedure and Regulation, Health Information Management and Medical Records, Medical Privacy, Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance, Patient Registration, Medicare, Managed Care, Medical Terminology, Payment Processing
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
587 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks