Please note: Applications for the Medical Assistant Certificate are currently not being accepted.
For those interested, please explore MWCC’s Allied Health Degree
Medical Assistant Certification in Massachusetts
Are you one who could make a visit to the doctor’s office go smoothly for both the patient and the doctor? If so, a career as a medical assistant might be right for you, especially if you enjoy working with people and have a keen eye for details. With a medical assistant certification, you can explore your passion for the medical field without extensive training.
What Does a Certified Medical Assistant Do?
A certified medical assistant is a patient’s first point of contact when you visit a clinic, hospital, physician’s office or any other healthcare facility. Your role involves completing administrative and clinical tasks. The administrative tasks include welcoming patients, greeting them, scheduling appointments, billing insurance companies, answering telephones and maintaining medical records.
Among the clinical tasks you perform as a medical assistant include obtaining patients’ medical histories, performing in-office diagnostic tests, assessing vital signs, preparing patients for examinations and assisting physicians during examinations. You may also be tasked with performing X-rays and EKG tests, collecting fluids or tissue, preparing laboratory specimens and sterilizing instruments. After the doctor leaves, it is often the medical assistant who explains the treatment, medications, diet, or instructions.
Career Outlook
Now is a great time to enter a medical assisting career. Medical assistant employment rates are expected to grow by 14% nationally through 2032.
Medical assistants in Massachusetts earn an annual average of around $48,000, which is higher than the national average of $46,000.
Program Details
MWCC’s Medical Assisting Certificate is an 8-course program endorsed by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). Our Medical Assistant program in MA integrates formal instruction with theory practice in the lab and valuable hands-on and clinical experience.
After you finish your coursework, you will complete a 160-hour externship at a medical office, hospital, healthcare agency or other healthcare facility where you will perform hands-on work under an approved supervisor. The courses you complete as part of your certificate program can be transferred to a Medical Assisting Associate Degree program.
What to Expect in Our Medical Assistant Certification Program in Gardner, MA
Our medical assistant certification program prepares you for a sustainable and fulfilling career in healthcare. Our faculty teaches you the administrative and clinical skills you need to excel in the healthcare field. You will also study the human body and learn to complete procedures such as drawing blood or weighing a baby. By the end of the program, you’ll have mastered skills like:
- Recording information for patient records.
- Assisting physicians during routine tasks.
- Assessing and recording vital signs.
- Collecting and identifying specimens.
- Administering injections.
- Pharmacology.
How Long Is Medical Assistant Training?
Our Massachusetts-based medical assistant training program is about a year-long, including the externship.
Medical Assistant Certification
Once you complete the Medical Assisting Certificate, you will be able to sit for the national Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Exam through the American Association of Medical Assistants. When you’re nationally credentialed, you can work in any state across the United States.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Massachusetts
The state of Massachusetts doesn’t require any certifications or medical education qualifications for medical assistants. However, training and certification earn you a competitive edge over other applicants. A certificate from an accredited medical assisting program also gets you higher pay and allows you to explore career options at a range of locations, including doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals.
What Careers Are Open to You With Medical Assistant Certification in MA?
With a medical assistant certificate, you can enter many fields. For starters, you can specialize in fields like optometry or podiatry. Alternatively, you can pursue careers that provide general medical support. Our graduates have become:
- Healthcare administrators
- Medical records managers
- Office managers in a range of healthcare practices
- EKG technicians
- Health unit clerks
- Medical claims examiners
- Phlebotomy technicians
- Clinical assistants
- Surgical technologists
- Public health inspectors
You can pursue leadership positions at Massachusetts hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics with the medical assistant certification. You also have the chance to move up the career ladder by pursuing a medical assistant technical diploma or associate degree after the certification.
Why Choose a Community College for Your Medical Assistant Certification?
Community colleges provide a nurturing environment for students who desire more support in their academic experience. These institutions also provide quality education and a great learning experience at affordable prices led by outstanding faculty. Additionally, community colleges help you build foundational coursework that’s transferrable to Associate’s degree programs.
Smaller class sizes and a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:15 allow for more individualized instruction. These also facilitate a smoother transition to higher learning for students coming from high school. At a community college, you learn valuable practical skills that you can start utilizing immediately after graduation.
The Benefits of Our Medical Assisting Certification
MWCC offers many advantages you won’t find at a four-year college. We offer competency-based medical assistant certification courses at competitive tuition rates.
Here are more reasons to consider attending MWCC:
- An award-winning Veterans Service department, which aids service members transitioning from soldiers to students.
- A commitment to sustainability, including proactive efforts to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint.
- Our faculty makes active connections with students for better engagement and a thorough understanding of course material.
- Medical assistant summer program offerings can accommodate busy schedules and multiple commitments.
- We provide you with real-world knowledge and experience from both the externship and the depth of courses.
- We have a Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) that provides childcare to parents attending our programs.
- Our Campus Pantry helps families struggling with food insecurity by offering students school supplies, personal hygiene or canned food items monthly.
Get in touch with us to request more information about our program or to apply. We don’t charge an application fee.
