Please contact Kelly Meyer by phone at 515-574-1308 or email at meyer_k@iowacentral.edu to get enrolled today!

Medical assistants are multiskilled health professionals specifically educated to work in a variety of healthcare settings performing clinical and administrative duties. The practice of medical assisting requires understanding of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience that serve as standards for entry into the profession.

The Medical Assistant Program at Iowa Central Community College prepares students with theory and entry-level competence in the performance of administrative and clinical duties. The diploma program includes two semesters of theory and lab, followed by a 30-day summer practicum. The program begins in the fall and concludes in the summer. Students must earn a passing grade (“C” or better) in all Medical Assistant curriculum courses and meet the prerequisites to progress in the program. Students may choose to continue their education to obtain an AAS degree in Medical Assisting, completing an additional 13 credit hours of required coursework and 6 credit hours of elective coursework beyond the diploma requirements. Graduation requirement: Students must pass all diploma and AAS program courses (if applicable) with a “C” or better and receive a “P”(pass) in Practicum to graduate from the program.

After successful completion of the medical assistant diploma program, students are eligible to take a national certification exam. After qualifying for and passing the exam, graduates can work as certified medical assistants (CMA, AAMA) in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Scholarship Opportunities

• Iowa Central general, foundation, and external scholarship opportunities
• Maxine Williams Scholarship Fund
• Medical Assistant Program Scholarships (The Program Coordinator selects six students during spring semester to receive $500 for the upcoming academic year).
• Last-Dollar Scholarship is an award that covers the remaining tuition and institution-wide mandatory fees after non-repayable state and federal financial aid are applied. The Last-Dollar Scholarship focuses on increasing opportunities for more Iowans to acquire the skills to fill high-demand jobs and meet workforce needs, so it is not based on income but you must fill out a FAFSA to be eligible. This scholarship is available for any student who wants to earn a post-secondary credential, up to an associate degree, that leads to a job designated as high-demand by the Iowa Workforce Development Board. The Medical Assistant Program qualities for this award!: https://www.iowacentral.edu/last_dollar

Course Schedule

More Information

Iowa Community colleges have developed the following Core Performance Standards for all applicants to Health Care Career Programs.  These standards are based upon required abilities that are compatible with effective performance in health care careers.  Applicants unable to meet the Core Performance Standards are responsible for discussing the possibility of reasonable accommodations with the designated institutional office.  To view the full Iowa Core Performance Standards, click here.

Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosure Information

For more on Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosure Information, click here.

Accreditation

The Iowa Central Community College Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (9355 113th St. N. #7709, Seminole, Florida 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org.) upon the recommendation of Medical Assisting Education Review Board (2020 N. California Ave. #213 Suite 7, Chicago, Illinois 60647, 312-392-0155, www.maerb.org).

Based on the Annual Report, the Iowa Central Medical Assistant Diploma Program has exceeded all Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) established thresholds for outcome assessment in medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for enrollment, retention, graduation, graduate and employer satisfaction, job placement, and credentialing exam outcomes during the most recent reporting time-frame. 93% of students who graduated from the program in 2020 passed the national CMA (AAMA) certification examination.

Potential Careers

• Medical assistants work alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities such as medical offices and clinics
• Medical assistants can choose to work in either in primary care or medical specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, dermatology, urgent care, general surgery, internal medicine, nephrology, cardiology, neurology, occupational medicine, and others
• Additional potential job opportunities include working at blood donation centers as phlebotomists, assisting with insurance physicals, and health coaching