Medical Assistant

Program Overview

This program trains students to become Medical Assistants, allied health care workers who support physicians and other healthcare professionals. Graduates find employment in various healthcare settings, including clinics, hospitals, and research facilities. The program prepares students for a growing field with projected employment growth of 23% from 2014 to 2024.

Program Outline

Careers:

• **Medical Assistants are trained allied health care workers who perform routine tasks and procedures to support the work of physicians and other health care professionals.

• Graduates of the program routinely find jobs working in:
• Clinics
• Physicians’ offices
• Research facilities
• Hospitals
• HMOs
• Public health organizations
• And other health care related facilities.
• Quick Facts about Medical Assistants:
• Employment of Medical Assistants is projected to grow 23 percent nationally from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
• Medical Assistants work mostly in primary care, a steadily growing sector of the health care industry.
• Physicians are expected to hire more Medical Assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients as their practices expand.
• Most Medical Assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other health care facilities.
In 2014, more than half of all Medical Assistants worked in physicians’ offices.
• Most Medical Assistants work full time.
Some work evenings, weekends, or holidays to cover shifts in medical facilities that are always open.