Medical Assistant College

What is nice about these programs is that they do not take more than two years to complete, which allows an individual to be a viable commodity in the job market sooner than attending a four year university.

As a student attending a medical assistant college, you will be instructed in the correct performance of medical assistant duties, such as taking a patient's medical history, measuring blood pressure, weight, and heart rate of a patient, and arranging for the attending physician to examine a patient by setting out the appropriate instruments. As an administrative medical assistant, you will learn how to process insurance forms, order medical equipment and supplies, and accurately keep patient records.

The typical certification program at a medical assistant college consists of coursework, lecture, and laboratory practice, which will eventually lead you to receive a two year associate's degree in medical assisting. Some of the subjects you will be studying include patient care sciences, pharmacology, medical office procedures, medical terminology and transcription, and introduction to laboratory sciences. In addition, you will learn how to do a urinalysis, understand phlebotomy, and basic microbiology.

The majority of college graduates will work under the supervision of a private practice physician which has offices employing both general practitioners and nurses. Medical facilities which hire assistants are nursing homes, hospitals, HMO's, research institutions, and special laboratories.

Tuition for successfully finishing an assistant program is approximately $1,200-$4,000, depending on the curriculum contained in the program. For example, Alabama Technical College offers a two year degree at $4,100 which includes all other supplies, such as books and laboratory necessities. However, other community colleges have been known to offer the same program for only $2,000. So it would be well worth your time to do some research regarding the tuition and fees for medical assisting programs before jumping right into one.

There are also additional costs to pursuing a diploma, such as taking the Certified Medical Assistant examination upon completion of your courses. Although this is not a requirement, it does provide you with accredited certification as a graduate of a medical assistant college and will improve your employment chances when searching for a job. The cost of taking this test is around $90, but is worth having the added endorsement as part of your degree.

Sometimes during periods of certain enrollment drives, technical or vocational school will offer specials such as ½ off of regular tuition rates, or even the opportunity to gain work experience as an entry level assistant somewhere while receiving your education free. This is known as a work/study program, but not all two-year schools offer them.