Medical Assistant Diploma and Certificate Programs
(found 36 schools)

Listed below are all of the Featured schools offering Certificate and Diploma programs in Medical Assisting.

There are close to 400 schools in the US that offer Diploma and Certificate programs in Medical Assisting, so we selected some of the best known ones to give you a head start.

If you would like to see a complete listing of all the schools in each state, please click on one of the state links at the left hand side of the page.

If you are interested in working in the field of medicine, but don't want to become a nurse or doctor, perhaps the role of medical assistant is for you.

What are a medical assistant's job duties?

Your role will be mainly a mix of administrative work and interacting with patients. You will report to either a doctor or nurse and will assist in managing various tasks. These might include managing incoming communications, such as phone calls and emails. You may need to send, receive and log samples, maintain various records and possibly do some light accounting. Many medical assistants also function as general office managers. You will have the opportunity to work in hospitals or clinics and in private medical practices.

You will need some basic qualifications in order to get started in this field. As with most things, the more qualifications you have and the more experience you can rack up, the more you can earn. To get your foot in at the entry level, you can earn a medical assisting diploma also called a medical assisting certificate. You don't earn a degree, but you do get the credentials that can get you started.

How should you decide on a medical assistant certificate?

The decision whether you want to earn a degree or just a diploma depends on your goals. If you want to enter the workforce and start earning right away, then a diploma is the fast-track option. If you think you want to eventually earn a bachelor's degree and have ambitions to move on to jobs with more responsibility and demands, it makes sense to pursue a degree. When deciding which school to attend, look at next steps. Many schools allow you to transfer credits from your diploma program to an associate degree program or even a bachelor's degree program. If you aren't sure what you want in the future, this feature gives you some flexibility. The next thing to look at is accreditation. Don't just look at claims of accreditation, look at what organizations are doing the accrediting and compare the quality of accreditations between schools. Another good sign is to see if the school is qualified to receive Title IV student loans from the U.S. government. Lastly, look at things like graduation rates, job placement rates and numbers of students going on to higher education. An institution that can't provide these numbers is an institution to avoid.

What will you learn in a medical assisting certificate program?

Once in a medical assisting certificate or diploma program, you can expect to learn about a number of topics, which are relevant to work in the medical field. You'll learn basic medical terminology, the fundamentals of human physiology and anatomy and a bit about pharmacology. Some schools do provide some hands-on medical training. You may learn how to give injections, administer CPR and take hemoglobin and glucose tests. Most programs make sure you are certified to provide first aid. You need to understand laboratory skills and clinical procedures. Lastly, you will learn basic office and records administration along with how to handle billing and medical coding for insurance, and how to manage an office. You will learn how to interview patients, as well.

Some schools require you to get hands-on experience and work in a medical office environment as part of an externship. You will have the chance to work alongside doctors and nurses, providing care to real patients. Not only will you get a good idea of the real-world job, but you will also have the chance to network and build connections that could lead to a full-time position. Some schools provide significant job placement services that include workshops on how to dress, put together a compelling resume, and/or interview effectively.

Featured Medical Assistant Diploma/Certificate programs in: