Students who are interested in becoming medical assistants in Massachusetts can pursue an associate's degree or certificate in medical assisting. These programs are available at community colleges as well as technical, trade and vocational schools. Colleges such as Middlesex Community College in Bedford and Bunker Hill Community College in Boston offer certificate programs, and Middlesex also offers an associate's degree program in medical assisting. To get into certificate programs, you usually need to have a high school diploma or GED, complete an interview and take college placement tests in areas such as reading, English and math. Some Massachusetts colleges also require that you have a minimum grade point average such as 2.0 or complete prerequisite courses such as computer or keyboarding classes.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools accredit medical assistant programs in Massachusetts. These training programs prepare students to take the national certification exam given by the American Association of Medical Assistants. Although not mandatory, certification shows that you meet a certain standard of knowledge, which makes you more employable as a medical assistant. Medical assistants must renew their certification every five years to continue practicing in Massachusetts.
Classes in Massachusetts medical assistant training programs cover topics such as principles of clinical practice, medical assisting skills, health communications, procedures for the medical office and computers and office administration. Students also learn medical terminology, transcription, clinical laboratory techniques, medical care in health and disease, English composition and psychology. Many of the programs offered through colleges in Massachusetts feature medical assisting externships, particularly in the Boston, New Bedford and Worcester areas.
Medical assistants who complete training programs in Massachusetts can find work in clinics, health maintenance organizations and hospitals as well as group and individual doctors' offices. Graduates can even work for specialty offices such as chiropractor or podiatrist offices. Several of the state's largest employers are located in Boston, which includes the 14,000-worker Massachusetts General Hospital along with the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Medical assistants in Massachusetts also tend to migrate toward New Bedford, Springfield and Pittsfield, where jobs for them are more common relative to the population than in other parts of the state, according to CityTownInfo.com. New Bedford features a rehabilitation hospital, while Berkshire Health Systems in Pittsfield is the region's leading provider of comprehensive health care services.
Employment of medical assistants is expected to climb 34 percent from 2008 to 2018. Median annual wages of medical assistants in May 2008 were $28,300, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Boston, this wage is slightly higher than the national average as of 2010, offering an annual salary of about $34,000. New Bedford's median medical assistant wage of about $31,000 is also higher than the national figure.