Medical assistant degree programs teach students about laboratory testing, pharmacology, examination room procedures, aseptic techniques and office work. Many community colleges, technical schools or clinical training academies typically offer associate degree programs in medical assisting. Some colleges offer bachelor's degree programs in medical assisting and health care management for students to continue their education. A master's program in medical assisting may not be available at all universities, in which case, students can opt for a Master of Business Administration in health care management to gain further knowledge and experience in the area.
The eligibility criteria to enroll in an associate degree program or a bachelor's degree program is a high school diploma or GED. Every college has a different criteria you must achieve to be admitted get to its medical assistant program. The eligibility criteria for a master's program is generally a bachelor's degree with minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or 3.0 from an accredited college.
Many universities offer financial aid in the form of loans or scholarships to students to complete their degree programs in medical assisting. Herzing University, for instance, offers scholarships to military students, which covers up either 20 percent or 100 percent of their tuition fees, based on their performance. The federal student aid programs are provided by the government to students for completing their medical assistant education. These programs include grants, work-study or loans. Many external sources offer scholarships for medical assistant students, for instance the Maxine Williams Scholarship awards funds to medical assisting students.
Medical assistant jobs are related to administration work and clinical assistance. After successfully completing the degree programs, students can obtain jobs in hospitals, laboratories, clinics, health maintenance organizations, physicians' offices and other medical settings. Students can take jobs such as patient care coordinator, clinical receptionist, registered medical assistant, medical record clerk or health care manger's assistant.