If you are looking for a career in healthcare where you can help others, prepare for an in-demand role as a certified medical assistant with Penn Foster's accredited, online Medical Assistant Career Diploma. You'll study the skills needed to work as amedical assistantand gain hands-on training with a required externship.
Cost of Program
$1,799
$2,399Save $600
or
$59/month, Start for as low as $1
1-800-471-3232 (9AM - 9PM EST)
Medical Assistant
AVG SALARY*
$34,800/yr
NUMBER OF JOBS*
139,200
JOB GROWTH*
19%
Our online Medical Assistant Diploma program is designed with job-readiness in mind. You'll study the skills that can help you prepare to be a successful medical assistant while taking the next steps toward earning your industry certification and gaining valuable on-the-job experience through your externship.
State Licensing Requirements
Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in certain fields are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered by your Penn Foster Program. You should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where you plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in your program.Please click herefor contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.Please review your state board requirements that are applicable to your field of study. State boards may impose a variety of different requirements, which vary from state to state.
Estimated completion time:
With Penn Foster, you can learn at whatever pace works best for you. Some learners will be more comfortable moving faster, and dedicating more time, and the fast track estimate will apply to them. The average track will apply to most learners who can dedicate a few hours per week to completing their coursework.
In our Medical Assistant Diploma curriculum, you'll learn the skills and hands-on training required to effectively work in an office or clinic assisting doctors, physician's assistants, and patients. Your courses include:
Penn Foster's online, accredited Medical Assistant Career Diploma Program includes a required externship to gain hands-on experience in the field. After completing your studies online, you'll work alongside experienced staff to apply what you learned to real-world situations before graduating.
The externship is a minimum of 160 hours, to be completed at a clinic, office, or urgent care near you. Our externship coordinator will work with you directly to secure a site to complete your skills.
Medical Assistant Success Stories
Melonie E.
2021 Penn Foster Graduate
"I would recommend Penn Foster to anyone... It’s a convenient way for you to accomplish your goal. You work at your own pace, nobody else's."
Cost of Program
$1,799
$2,399Save $600
Cost of Program
$2,299
$2,399Save $100
cost of program
$2,399
California residents pleaseclick herefor Required California Disclosures.
Flexible
Interactive
Connected
Supportive
Medical assistants complete both administrative and clinical tasks in an outpatient setting. While job duties can vary depending on their work environment, most assistants are responsible for collecting and recording patient information, measuring patient vital signs, scheduling appointments, and administering injections or medications at the direction of the doctor or physician’s assistant.
Becominga Certified Medical Assistant(CMA) or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) most often requires successful completion of a medical assistant career program or college degree. After completing a recognized program, the next step is to sit for and pass an industry exam such as the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Once you’ve earned your certification, you’ll need to maintain the credential by recertifying after a certain time period and completing continuing education requirements.
Most medical assistants work full-time and find positions in doctor’s offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and other medical offices.
While pay can vary by region, experience, and work environment, the average annual salary for medical assistants in 2019 was $35,850.*
Sources:
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. "Medical Assistants." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed March 8, 2021.
Statements found in the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary, in part because the data used to create the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes workers from differing educational backgrounds, levels of experience, and geographic areas of the country.
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*Only the cost of the CCMA prep materials and exam are covered by Penn Foster and included in your tuition.
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Employment for medical assistants is in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for medical assistants is expected to grow 19% by 2029.
