Texas Health School is a healthcare training school that provides students with the opportunity to become medical assistants. The 32-week course, given during the day, has intensive classes designed to train the student in every aspect of medical assisting. The school also has evening classes available for working students, but the evening course takes 39 weeks to complete. Texas Health School has small classes, so the instructors spend more time with each student; hands-on training is offered in a clinical environment.
Pima Medical Institute in Houston holds classes for the disposal of contaminated materials, proper sterilization techniques, laboratory testing and a host of other duties performed by the medical assistant. The courses range from anatomy to office management, and prepare students for a certification examination. Pima trains and prepares medical assistant students for different medical assistant examinations, or for all the certifications. One certification is given by the American Association of Medical Assistants, while the other medical assistant certifications are for technologists, podiatry and ophthalmology.
Westwood College offers a medical assistant diploma for students seeking a career in this field. The program covers anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, basic surgical procedures and office administration with patient relations. Most of the coursework is spent in a clinical environment actually performing the tasks of a medical assistant. Qualified instructors teach each student the proper methods, techniques and organization a medical assistant must master to become a healthcare worker in this field.
Remington College is another Houston school that offers prospective students a medical assistant diploma program. The college also has advancement programs for medical assistants who want to qualify for more specialized fields, such as X-ray technician or medical laboratory assistant. This medical assistant program takes eight months to complete, and trains the student in all the skills required to work in a chiropractors office, doctors office and other medical offices. Courses in patient care and communications, medical insurance and bookkeeping and other medical assistant duties are available.