Program Overview

About the Program

Are you interested in working alongside doctors and nurses? Do you enjoy fast-paced work and caring for others? If so, a career as a Medical Assistant might be the perfect fit for you.

Our Medical Assistant Certificate program provides enhanced learning opportunities in our new Medical Assisting simulation lab at the Health Education Center. Our graduates leave with the skills needed for today's modern healthcare settings.

No prerequisites are required.

Our fully-accredited program is designed to prepare graduates for their Certified Medical Assistant examination. Students who pass this examination become nationally certified, and are eligible to apply for Washington state-level certification.

When to Begin

The Certified Medical Assisting program starts a new cohort every quarter (fall, winter, spring, and summer). Each quarter, there is space for 24 students to begin the program. For the best chances of securing a seat, it is recommended that students enroll once registration opens for the quarter they wish to begin. For quarterly registration dates, please refer to the Seattle Central College Academic Calendar. 

Career Opportunities

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.

A typical day on the job includes: Taking patient vitals, preparing patients for surgery, reviewing daily patient schedules with a physician, organizing charts, filling out paperwork and health forms. Our graduates work in emergency departments, primary care clinics, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and more.

Over the past five years, we graduate 76 percent of our students who start with us and 98 percent of our graduates are satisfied with the program.

Occupational Risks

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, certain occupational risks 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

Gainful Employment

Learn more about this program's Gainful Employment information(pdf).

Affiliations

The Seattle Central College Medical Assisting program is a chapter of the National Technical Honor Society, which provides scholarships to career and technical education students who choose a skilled trade as their career.

Accreditation

The Seattle Central College Medical Assistant Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Retention 88%, Job Placement 89%, and Exam Passage 82% are the five year averages for 2018-2022

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs    
1361 Park Street    
Clearwater, FL 33756    
727.210.2350

Seattle Central College's Medical Assisting program is intended to meet the educational requirements for licensing/certification in the State of Washington only. Seattle Central College has not determined if the Medical Assisting curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensing/certification in any other state. Additional information about licensure/certification concerns can be found on the NC-SARA webpage. Please contact eLearning with any questions at eLearning@seattlecolleges.edu.