MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Medical Assistant Training Program

Hybrid / Distance Education Program

The Medical Assistant certificate program is designed to train students in basic medical assisting skills. Medical assistants are multi-faceted members of the medical office team who work closely with doctors, registered nurses, and other office personnel delivering patient care.

The Medical Assistant program covers a number of subject areas including Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, Phlebotomy, EKG, and Medical Billing. Students also learn laboratory techniques, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, the administration of medications, and first aid. Office practices, patient relations, medical law, and ethics are also covered in the program.

In addition to the standard skills taught in most medical assistant programs, students at AIMS are trained in several unique areas that will allow them to stand out from their colleagues. They will learn specialty skills that can be utilized in OB/GYN and Pediatric practices. In addition all medical assistant students will be instructed thoroughly in proper wound care.

Hybrid Learning

The Medical Assistant training program is taught using a hybrid learning environment. All hybrid courses will utilize online and in-person instruction. Lectures may be offered on campus or remotely via a Learning Management System (LMS). Laboratory classes and practical training will be held on campus or at a clinical site.

Online classes will be taught synchronously. Synchronous instruction is real-time instruction that requires students to attend classes at scheduled times.

Clinical Internship

The Medical Assistant certificate program requires students to complete a mandatory 200-hour clinical internship. Students will be placed at a clinical site by the AIMS Internship Department. The internship is designed to provide practical training in a real work environment; students will have a mentor who trains and guides them. Students are not permitted to begin the internship until all required classroom and lab hours are completed.

AIMS Education has clinical affiliations with numerous healthcare facilities throughout New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Students will be placed at one or more of these affiliated sites and must complete their clinical hours based on the schedule provided by the school. Internship schedules are based on the availability of clinical sites. All students (Day and Evening) must be prepared to complete their internship during normal business hours (Monday through Friday). The majority of clinical sites do not allow students to complete clinical hours in the evening or on the weekend.

Employment for Medical Assistants

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other healthcare practitioners running smoothly. The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice, as well as the practitioner’s specialty. Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assistants among the fastest growing occupations over the next decade.

Certification / Registry Exam Eligibility

Medical assistant graduates will be eligible to take the medical assistant certification exams offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), American Medical Technologists (AMT), and National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Graduates who pass the certification exams can earn the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential from AAMA, the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential from AMT, or the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential from NHA.

Graduates of the Medical Assistant training program are also eligible for the phlebotomy certification and EKG certification exams offered by NHA.

Eligibility requirements for the certifications are solely determined by AAMA, AMT, and NHA, and are subject to change at any time. AAMA, AMT, and NHA are independent organizations. AIMS does not guarantee certification/registry exam eligibility.

Program Length

• 835 clock hours
• Classroom instruction and lab - 635 hours
• Clinical internship - 200 hours
• The day program can be completed in approximately 10 months.
• The evening program can be completed in approximately 12 months.

Employment Opportunities

• Physicians' Offices
• Hospitals
• Outpatient Medical Centers
• Pediatric Practices
• Urgent Care Centers
• Specialty Clinics

Minimum Admission Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Passing score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam 
• Additional Requirements