There are 2 programs in medical assisting offered by the Highline College. The first is a certificate program that usually extends across five quarters. The second is an associate’s (AAS) program to be completed in around 2 years. For the AAS, students have to complete the certificate degree requirements first. The 2019 Annual Report (ARF) highlights the standards of this program. The graduate exam passage rate for 2017 was 100%, while the 2018 graduate year job placement rate was 71.4%, with the 2017 admissions cohort retention rate of 90.3%.

The school has an association with all major professional bodies such as the American Association of Medical Assistants, Washington State Society of Medical Assistants, Washington Career Bridge, and the Washington Occupational Information System/Career Information. A 180 hours job externship (unpaid) gives the student hands down insights into the field even before graduation.

As a student at Clark’s, you have the option of pursuing both a Certificate of Proficiency (80 credits) and an Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) (96 credits) programs. The limited-entry program is in place only once a year during the winter quarter. Students have to earn a minimum of 2.0 across all the program requirements to graduate successfully.

Expect a passionately stocked library, insightful counseling sessions to help you succeed, student success workshops, academic tutoring when required, emergency grants, and more to enhance your time at the school. On graduating, students are eligible for both the CMA and the state certification for medical assistants. Over the past 5 years, graduates from Clark College have contributed towards a 90% satisfaction rate on average, while employer satisfaction has been a perfect 100%.

The Yakima Valley also offers both a certificate and an associate program in medical assisting. The certificate degree has a total of 66 credits to earn and extend for 4 quarters when studying full-time. For students unable to commit a full day, part-time training is also an option. Around 30 students are admitted each year via a competitive point system. There are prerequisite courses that all enrolled have to complete (such as beginners in Keyboarding and Computer Literacy).

An additional 28 credits have to be completed for being rewarded an associate of applied science in an MA degree (94 Credits). The associate’s degree accepts a 40 student batch annually. Admissions are competitive and done via the point system. Format of teaching incorporates a combination of online lectures, lab simulations, and supervised practical clinical experience. Expect the school to create duplicate real to life settings of clinical examination rooms, laboratory, front office reception, and medical offices.

This school offers a range of MA and related programs to pick from according to individual goals and preferences. Students can go for AAS in medical assisting (6 quarters long) or a certificate of proficiency (6 quarters long). In the course, basic foundations are covered, such as anatomy and pharmacology. Medical office assessments and procedures are also a part of the curriculum.

Lake Washington organizes information sessions for aspiring applicants. The MA program is based at the Kirkland Campus, Allied Health Building. Industry experts form the faculty at the school. Students are eligible to sit for the CMA exam by the American Association of Medical Assistants on course completion.

Enrollment to the medical assistant programs here starts in fall and winter sessions. In the last 5 years, the average retention rate of the medical assistant program at Renton Technical College was 91%, while the average pass rate for the national exam was 94.4%. The programs’ 2019 annual show a 92.3% retention rate and a 97.8% exam passage rate in 2017 (MAERB, 2019). The medical assisting certificate of completion program extends over 4 quarters with a total of 71 credits to earn.

The school also trains in an AAS for medical assistants, which takes 6 quarters to complete with 91 credits to earn. Training is also provided in the hybrid format. This school also houses a Medical Assistant – Phlebotomy program, which is completed in 1 quarter and post completing 16 credits.

If you’re in a hurry to enter the professional world, this program is ideal. Complete the medical assistant certificate degree here in 4 quarters. There are 3 cohorts – the winter cohort houses morning classes, spring cohort houses afternoon classes, and the fall cohort houses evening classes. Over the past 5 years, 98% of graduates have been satisfied with the MA program at the school.

The program here is affiliated with the National Technical Honor Society. It renders scholarships to students picking a skilled profession as their choice of career. Fees are comparatively affordable, and for non-residential students, the school has come up with a super beneficial out-of-state tuition fee waiver for those who qualify.

The MA program at WVC extends for four quarters. The annual batch has limited capacity and is hence competitive. Classes take place Mondays through Thursdays in the evenings. On Saturdays, students have to attend from 8 AM to 5 PM. Both direct patient care and medical office management are rendered in the curriculum. The credential awarded is a certification at the end of the course.

A 5-year average stats show a 94.17% retention rate and 83.26% placement rate. The Wenatchee campus also organizes tours of Allied Health Labs that students can take for further insights into the school and program.

The MA program here is one of the best, not only in Washington but in the entire country, based on the number of students who pass the national MA examination. Students can opt for a Certificate in medical assisting (85 credits) or an Associate in Technical Arts (90 credits) or Associate in Applied Science-Transfer (105 credits). Class hours are held on Mondays and Tuesdays (8 AM – 5:30 PM) and Wednesdays & Thursdays (8 AM – 5 PM). The school remains shut on Friday.

Note: Due to the current pandemic situation, HPSC is closed for the summer semester. Only online services are being offered at the moment.

Spokane school offers both a certificate program and an associate degree. The session starts in summer, which is an on-campus setup. Admissions are competitive, and you might be kept on the waitlist before acceptance. The spring session is hybrid in format and requires students to attend both classroom lessons and online courses. The total duration of the program is around 4 quarters, and 16 students start in spring while 30 in summer.

You can earn practical insights at a clinical externship in the last quarter. Statistics from the last 6 years show a retention rate of 86.83%, placement percentage of 90.32%, and graduate and employee satisfaction of 100%.

The annual report of the MA program at Lower Columbia (2018) shows a 100% graduate satisfaction rate and employer satisfaction percentage. A total of 92.86% of the graduates from the program that sat for exams passed successfully. Every year, a new batch of around 24 students start in September. Applications to the program can be sent in through March. The degree rewarded at the end of the course is a Certificate of Proficiency (COP).

However, students seeking to take their MA education to the next step can complete the AAS degree. It can be done via pursuing an additional 20 credits. Whole of the certificate of proficiency curriculum is a part of the AAS studies. There are key support courses that you would need to complete, which have to be passed with at least a grade C to be admitted to the fall MA cohort.

Centralia offers an associate’s degree for medical assistants. The total credits to earn are 91. In the first year, core modules such as Medical Terminology and Writing in the Workplace are taught during the fall quarter. In the winter quarter, other modules of main courses are schooled for 14 credit hours. Before moving into the second year, students have to achieve at least a grade of 2.5.

The school’s MA program is affiliated with the AMT (American Medical Technologists). This national credential of RMA, when achieved successfully, makes you a nationally certified MA.

The Associate in Applied Science degree (91 credits to complete and 7-8 quarters long) at South Puget Sound makes you eligible for the CMA credential. To be enrolled in the MA program here, students need to pass a Washington State Patrol Background check. Another critical requirement is keyboarding skills of at least 45 wpm to be achieved before graduating.

Students have to complete all MED courses with grade C or better. Competencies of essential procedures will also have to be proven by the students to graduate successfully within the deadline date. In 2017, the student retention rate of the program was found as 88.24%, job placement rate as 78.57%, and national exam passage rate as 82.14%, along with employer and graduation satisfaction rates of 100%.

At WCC, students can pick from either a certificate or an associate program in medical assisting. Both are schooled concurrently and are full-time undertakings. Students can complete each of the courses in 5 quarters. The program aligns with New Washington state laws for MAs. A vital feature of the curriculum is the focus on health information technology, which enables them to be adept at electronic health and medical recording.

The program also includes teaching in simulation scenarios so that students can imbibe early on mannerisms and professionalism sought by employers and patients. From the 2018 graduate cohort, 90.9% of students were placed in jobs successfully. They can pick between face-to-face sessions or a hybrid version where online teaching is incorporate alongside.

The key focus of the medical assistant program at Bellevue is to train skilled MAs in the field in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. The course here meets all requirements of WA state’s medical assistance law. Preparing all for the state certification exam is stressed, as that is crucial. Students of the certificate program are required to display competencies across varied 100+ skills during the course.

For the certification, candidates need to earn a total of 83 to 92 credits across 6 quarters of classes. Prerequisites for the program include basic computer skills and internet access. Placement by assessment into ENGL&101 for advanced classes is also required.

The degrees rewarded at Peninsula are amedical assistant certificate and an AAS degree. Annual Report Forms (2018 and 2019) highlight graduate and employer satisfaction to be a perfect 100% and a 93% positive job placement rate. Also, 100% of students participated in national exams, and 93% of them passed successfully. The school associates with some great future employers, such as Forks Hospital, Peninsula Behavioral Health, Olympic Medical Center, and more, for students of the program.

Focus is on candidates achieving skills and credentials that they can apply not only within WA but also nationally. Coding for medical billing is also an extremely valuable learning outcome of the course, quite in demand by employers now.

At the Big Bend, applicants can enroll at the start of any quarter throughout the year (including summers). Prerequisites include a high school diploma or equivalent. Students must also take the Math and English placement tests. The aspirants can start with a certificate and continue to pursue associate’s at BBCC. For the associate degree, you would be completing a total of 90 credits.

On being rewarded the AAS degree for MA, you can continue studies for the BBCC Nursing Program. Both programs meet the requirements for certification as a Health Care Assistant, categories A, C, and E in the state. Graduates can take the RMA exam as soon as they complete the program. Expect full-blown student support and STEM centers enhancing your learning environment at the college.

For admission in the nationally accredited medical assistant programs at CBC, all students have to mandatorily attend the MA information session, and meet the counselor and program representative. Essential prerequisites include transcripts of courses such as English Composition (5 credits), Math 40, and more. Students have to also give in a certificate of completion for seven hours of HIV/AIDS Bloodborne Pathogens Training and the American Heart Association BLS Provider CPR/Healthcare Provider CPR card.

The college also has in place a short-term certificate as Medical Secretary. Further studies can be pursued for the AAS degree as well. Once the course is completed, students are eligible to sit for the CMA exam and post that for an MA-C license through Washington state.

Total credits to complete the MA certificate of specialization program at this school are 63. To apply to Olympic, students have to take the Accuplacer test. Scores for Math should place them in Math 099 or higher. An alternative to this is passing MATH 094 with a 2.0 or better grade. Accuplacer English scores should put them in ENGL 101, or students may alternatively complete ENGL 099 with a grade 2.0 or better.

The school also has in place a medical assisting AAS-T. It is a 2-year curriculum and allows potential transfers to a 4-year university course. Total credits to earn are 91-93. For the associate’s, students need to first complete the MA certificate of specialization.

At Skagit, there are two MA programs that students can pursue, a Medical Assistant AAS degree (93 credits) and Certificate (88 credits). Both the courses are estimated to extend over 6 quarters. Admissions take place in the fall and winter quarters for these MA programs. You would be required to take the COMPASS test. Part-time courses are also an option for those with prior commitments.

You may have to complete specific prerequisite courses to be accepted into the program. These include the structure and functions of the human body, computer skills, and HIV/AIDS and CPR for Healthcare Professionals. Neither of these courses is intended for University transfer. Extraordinary statistics highlight the quality standards here. A 5-year average report postulates a 100% employer satisfaction rate, and in 2017, 94.12% of students appearing for the national certification exams cleared them successfully.

North Seattle offers a medical assisting certificate. In 2017, a complete 100% of 2017 graduates took the credentialing exam, where the pass rate was 76.9%, and 68% of 2018 graduates were placed in jobs. The MA certificate program extends for around 6 to 8 quarters. Total credits to complete are 86 (including the externship). The candidates also have the option to pursue an Associate of Applied Science in Allied Health Services after completing additional credits.

Expect the labs at North Seattle to simulate the exact environments of future workplaces. The college’s program is affiliated with leading local clinics (such as the University of Washington Medical Clinics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Harborview, Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Planned Parenthood, Swedish Physicians Network, the Poly Clinic, and the Everett Clinic). Here, you will acquire supervised medical assistance practice even before graduation.

The certificate program at this institute is a 1-year undertaking. An externship provides the much needed practical work experience even before graduation. The course also focuses on other critical skill areas such as business-related computer applications, English, presentation, and communication. Graduates from the course earn the RMA certification. Another program that Perry Technical offers is the Medical Office Administration & Coding, which many of you might find worth researching.

Perry postulates that aspiring MAs have to hone certain competencies to succeed, including speaking skills, social perceptiveness, active listening, reading, comprehension, and monitoring, which they train you across.

CPTC recognizes the variance of tasks that MAs are given the responsibility of. Thus, the curriculum of the medical assisting program here covers a wide range of areas, including bookkeeping, venipuncture, and microbiology. Total credit hours to be earned by all are 92. Pass outs can sit for the CMA exam after graduation. For the 2017 cohort, graduates from the MA program at Clover Park had an impressive 87% examination pass rate.

If you’re interested in this college, you can attend one of their MA program information sessions, which are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month (3 PM onwards).

The MA program at Pima Medical is approx 9 months long. During the course, you will also learn how to put patients at ease. The Renton campus boasts of natural beauty and vibrant student life of the greater Puget Sound region and is a great place to study. At the Seattle campus, the school boasts of a 45-year-old legacy with students immensely benefitting from the long-standing partnerships of Pima with the local communities in the city.

Moreover, the enrolment process is made easy with a medical career specialist being assigned to you to take you through each step.

At Carrington, learn to use actual medical apparatus and testing gear used across clinical settings. The school intends to help all to reach their education goals. That is why Carrington takes part in most financial assistance setups, including federal, state, and private financing options. Applicants in need can opt for student loans as well. Grants and scholarships are also awarded to qualifying individuals.

The MA certificate programs at the Boise, Mesa, Phoenix, Spokane, and Tucson campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Medical Assistant graduates at Charter’s can expect to be trained across value-adding skill sets, such as front office computer technology and word processing. At the end of the course, there is a 180-hour externship at a hospital, local clinic, ambulatory services, HMO, or physician’s office.

The total program extends for around 10 months, and the college starts new batches every 5 weeks. Thus, there is immense flexibility for students to get schooled as per their convenience. Prerequisites essential for all students include a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, or a pass certificate from a state-authorized examination.