MEDICAL ASSISTANT

Medical Assistant Training Program

Hybrid / Distance Education Program

The Medical Assistant (MA) program will prepare students for entry-level employment as a medical assistant. Graduates will be able to find employment in outpatient clinics, physicians’ offices, and a variety of other healthcare related facilities. The MA program is taught using a hybrid/blended learning environment.

Graduates will have a broad understanding of healthcare including knowledge in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, patient care, and HIPAA. They will be capable of taking a patient's medical history, taking patient vitals, performing blood and specimen collections, preparing blood and specimen collections for testing, and maintaining lab supplies and equipment.

Graduates will also be able to perform 12-lead and 15-lead EKG tests, monitor EKG machines, and prepare EKG study reports, and they will have a basic understanding of medical insurance, medical billing, and electronic medical records. MA graduates will demonstrate behaviors consistent with professional standards and will meet employer expectations for an entry-level position.

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). Most 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 225-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.

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.

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

The Medical Assistant program is a non-term program and will be taught using a block schedule. Students will enroll as a cohort and take one course at a time.

• 10 Months
• 30 Credit Hours
• 225 Clinical Hours

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 - Contact Admissions Department at 908-222-0002, Ext. 553