Medical Assisting

The Medical Assisting Program at Peninsula College prepares medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. Graduates can expect to practice their profession in medical offices, clinics, and other healthcare settings.

Our courses offer students the opportunity to gain professional skills that they can apply both regionally and nationally. Graduates are required to pass a national credentialing exam through a nationally recognized organization in order to obtain their Department of Health issued Medical Assistant - Certified credentials. 

What It's Like to be a Medical Assistant

Degrees & Certificates

DEGREE

Medical Assisting, Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree

CERTIFICATE

Medical Assisting Certificate

How to Apply

If you’re interested in applying to the Medical Assisting program at Peninsula College, please review the information below.

Application Steps for the Medical Assisting Program

• Apply to Peninsula College and declare Medical Assisting as your program of study.

Apply Now

• Have all official transcripts forwarded to Peninsula College for review (Note: this can take up to 10 weeks).
• Schedule an assessment placement test and complete pre-requisite courses.
• Meet with the Program Director, Rachel Parish to form an academic plan.
• Register for Application course on Canvas, item number 0007.
• Specific immunizations are required as part of the application process, and some series may take five to six months to complete. Applicants are encouraged to plan accordingly.
• If accepted, complete background check and obtain required supplies and equipment.
• Register for fall quarter classes and purchase required texts.
• Attend mandatory New Student Orientation prior to start of fall quarter.

Medical Assisting Program Student Handbook, 2024-2025 

Medical Assisting Program, Student Handbook 2024-2025

Medical Assisting Program Application Timeline, 2024-2025 

Medical Assisting Program, Application Timeline 2024-2025

Medical Assisting Program FAQs

What is a medical assistant?

Medical assistants are highly skilled health workers that are trained in both clinical and administrative skills and procedures. This training means they are prepared to work in the exam rooms or offices of outpatient clinics.

Medical assistants work in ambulatory care facilities where they take vitals, transcribe medical histories, and assist physicians with procedures. In Washington, medical assistants-certified have a broad scope of practice: they perform EKGs, give injections, apply casts, draw blood, remove sutures, and perform wound care.

Do medical assistants have opportunities for career advancement?

Some people like to work as medical assistants to gain experience before pursuing other healthcare occupations. For example, you can work as a medical assistant while you complete prerequisite classes for programs in nursing or physical therapy assisting.

Medical assistants can also move into clinic management. Some medical assistants work with their employer to train as surgery technicians or laboratory technicians. Medical assistants who are certified can also seek additional credentials from Washington State in order to perform expanded duties. Additional credentials enable them to perform hemodialysis, phlebotomy, or forensic blood draws.

What is the difference between an MA-C and a CMA?

The MA-C (medical assistant-certified) credential is issued by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The MA-C credential requires formal training—such as the Medical Assisting Program at Peninsula College—and passage of a national credentialing exam approved by the DOH. The MA-C credential is not recognized in other states.

The CMA (certified medical assistant) credential is issued by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). This credential is nationally recognized, and is widely considered to be the gold standard of medical assistant credentials. Only people who have graduated from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (such as the CAAHEP-accredited Medical Assisting Program at Peninsula College) can sit for the CMA (AAMA) exam. You must pass the CMA (AAMA) exam to earn the CMA (AAMA) credential.

What is the difference between a medical assistant-registered and a medical assistant-certified?

In Washington, you need to be registered or certified by the Washington State Department of Health to work a medical assistant. Medical assistants-registered (MA-R) require endorsement by an employer. Medical assistants-certified (MA-C) have formal training and have passed one of five DOH-approved national credentialing exams. MA-Cs also have a much broader scope of practice than MA-Rs. This training, credentialing, and ability to complete more tasks on the job means MA-Cs have more flexibility and earn more income than MA-Rs.

Can I work while I attend the Medical Assisting Program?

Some students are able to fulfill the requirements of being full-time students and full-time employees. However, most working students either reduce their work hours or reduce their course load by completing the Program over a longer period as part-time students. You should meet with a financial aid advisor and the Program Director when considering how to balance work and school. Many students receive scholarships or financial aid.

What is the difference between the Medical Assisting Program certificate and AAS degree?

All Medical Assisting Program graduates earn a Medical Assisting Certificate from Peninsula College. Twenty five additional general education credits are required to earn an AAS degree. Students can complete these five courses before or after completing their core Medical Assisting Program courses. Students might also test out of these courses, or be able to transfer credits from other degrees and other institutions to Peninsula College.

Does the Medical Assisting Program include an internship?

The Medical Assisting Program requires an unpaid clinical externship as part of its curriculum. This externship provides unpaid clinical experience during which students can observe, engage, practice, and network. The Program Director or Practicum Coordinator handles clinic placements; students do not secure their own externship site.

Where can I work when I graduate?

Because you must pass a national credentialing exam to graduate, you will be eligible to apply to work at any outpatient facility hiring medical assistants in the United States. Outpatient clinics include primary care, urgent care facilities, and specialty clinics. Examples of specialty clinics are pediatric, obstetric, orthopedic, gynecology, dermatology, cardiology, and podiatry clinics. You might also work in a location that is not an outpatient clinic, though your title would not be “medical assistant.”

Will I be able to find a job when I graduate?

The vast majority of Peninsula College’s Medical Assisting Program graduates find employment as medical assistants within weeks of graduating. (Job placement statistics for our graduates can be found with the Accreditation section below.)  The demand for medical assistants is extremely high, and is projected to remain high for at least another decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth from 2016 to 2026 is projected to be twenty-nine percent. This growth is significantly larger than the average job growth for all occupations, which is seven percent.

How much money will I earn after I graduate?

In 2022, medical assistants in the Pacific region averaged $24.52 per hour. Wages always depend on the employer, and on personal experience. Most employers provide benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, paid vacation, and sick leave. Some local employers also offer sign-on and retention bonuses, full-ride scholarships, or support their employees’ continuing education through tuition reimbursement or scholarships.

Risks & Outcomes

Occupational Risks

Medical Assisting is a profession with many rewards, as practitioners can perform both administrative and clinical services, filling several roles in a variety of healthcare environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly outlines that it is a growth field, with an anticipated 18% growth from 2020 to 2030. Medical Assistants work directly with providers and patients, with the goal of providing healthcare and ensuring patient safety. It is a position with a great deal of responsibility. As with any healthcare position, there are certain occupational risks that come into play with being a medical assistant, and those hazards include the following:

• Exposure to infectious diseases
• Sharps injuries
• Bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards
• Chemical and drug exposure
• Ergonomic hazards from lifting, sitting, and repetitive tasks
• Latex allergies
• Stress

At the same time, there are protections set up with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and those protections are particularly important within a healthcare environment. OSHA has a series of standards that protect the safety of healthcare workers and patients. Accredited medical assisting programs are required to teach students about the hazards that they face on the job and the protocols that can be put into place to ensure a workplace culture that prioritizes safety.

Learning Outcomes

• Function professionally in a legal and ethical manner as a medical assistant.
• Use medical terminology correctly.
• Effectively communicate with other health-care team members, patients, and physicians.
• Procure and distribute both office supplies and medical supplies.
• Manage documents, both paper and electronic, in a medical office.
• Demonstrate proficiency with basic medical testing procedures.
• Display knowledge and use of techniques for asepsis, workplace safety, and risk management.
• Demonstrate knowledge and competency in electronic medical billing of multiple insurances.
• Follow laws and regulations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ICD-10 coding for medical billing.
• Integrate cognitive objectives and psychomotor and affective domain competencies into daily practice 

Accreditation

The five-year average for the exam passage rate for the years 2018-2022 is 96.15% for graduates of the Peninsula College Medical Assisting Program. 

Virtues of Accreditation

From the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB)

Below you will find a list of accreditation virtues that we first published in the spring of 2022. We solicited responses from our community members. The MAERB continues to welcome your participation in this process, as we realize that you, too, have a list of the virtues of accreditation that you outline when you speak to students, administrators, and employers.

• Accreditation assures professional competence: Graduates from a CAAHEP-accredited program have covered the comprehensive MAERB Core Curriculum and achieved the psychomotor and affective competencies to ensure patient safety.
• Accreditation offers standardization, uniformity, and consistency: All CAAHEP-accredited programs cover the same MAERB Core Curriculum, so employers can be guaranteed that the students know a given body of entry-level knowledge.
• Accreditation requires external verification, review, and validation: In fulfilling the standards, CAAHEP-accredited programs submit their outcomes to MAERB for an annual review and go through a comprehensive site visit review with CAAHEP every ten years.
• Accreditation protects resources: The accreditation Standards and Guidelines specify that the students and faculty have access to specific resources to ensure that the program can comply with the national standards.
• Accreditation enhances the institution’s reputation: Institutions participating in programmatic accreditation distinguish themselves from other institutions.
• Accreditation is public: CAAHEP-accredited programs are listed in a CAAHEP database for student and educator access, and CAAHEP-accredited programs post their status and outcomes.
• Accreditation travels well: Employers across the country recognize the value of accreditation.
• Accreditation advances the profession: The standardization, uniformity, and consistency that accreditation ensures, as well as the review of the Standards and Guidelines and MAERB Core Curriculum, move the profession forward toward greater recognition in the allied health field.
• Accreditation acknowledges accountability: Educational programs graduating prospective healthcare workers must be accountable in ensuring patient safety, and accreditation supports the process of accountability with curriculum that is innovative, relevant, and current.

Out-of-State Licensure 

Peninsula College has not made a determination that the Medical Assisting curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification outside of Washington State.  We encourage students who plan to work out of state to check relevant local licensure/certification requirements.

Local Healthcare Partners

Jefferson Healthcare, Port Townsend 

Jefferson Healthcare

Peninsula Behavioral Health, Port Angeles 

Peninsula Behavioral Health

Forks Hospital, Forks & Clallam Bay 

Forks Hospital

Jamestown Family Health Clinic, Sequim 

Jamestown Family Health Clinic

Olympic Medical Physicians, Port Angeles & Sequim 

Olympic Medical Physicians

Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles 

Olympic Medical Center

North Olympic Healthcare Network, Port Angeles 

North Olympic Healthcare Network

Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic, Port Angeles

Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic